Traffic fatalities in the Bronx dropped by more than 40% during the first half of 2025, according to city data released Wednesday, marking one of the steepest declines among the five boroughs and contributing to a historic drop in roadway deaths citywide. The borough reported 13 traffic deaths through June 30, down from 23 during the same period last year.
The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) said the city as a whole recorded just 87 traffic-related fatalities in the first six months of the year—a 32% decline compared to 2024, and tied with 2018 for the lowest total in more than a century of recordkeeping.
The DOT reported decreases in deaths across every major category of road user, including pedestrians, traditional cyclists, riders of e-bikes, stand-up scooters, mopeds and motorcycles, as well as drivers and passengers of cars and SUVs. Officials said the reductions were the result of efforts under the city’s Vision Zero program, which focuses on safer street designs, expanded public education and targeted enforcement of traffic laws.
“The 32 percent drop in traffic fatalities that we have seen this year is historic,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “It’s also further proof that our administration’s Vision Zero efforts are working. Strong enforcement against reckless driving is keeping pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers safe, and our administration will continue using all tools available to drive down traffic violence and deliver results that keep New Yorkers safe on and off our streets.”
The Bronx and Queens saw the most significant progress, with traffic deaths in the Bronx falling by 43% and in Queens by 38%. In Queens, fatalities dropped from 39 in the first half of 2024 to 24 this year.
Citywide, deaths among riders of motorized two-wheeled vehicles—including e-bikes, mopeds, motorcycles and stand-up scooters—fell from 33 last year to 20 this year, a 39% drop. Fatalities among drivers and passengers of motor vehicles dropped from 29 to 15, a 48% reduction.
Pedestrian deaths declined from 63 to 51, a 19% decrease. Meanwhile, only one person riding a traditional bicycle has been killed so far this year. That marks a record low, down from three in the first half of 2024 and six in the same period in 2023.
According to the DOT, several key safety initiatives have contributed to these outcomes. In the Bronx, the city has invested in major capital construction projects, including the creation of new pedestrian plazas along the 6 train in the South Bronx. This includes work at Morrison Avenue and at Del Valle Square Plaza on Hunts Point Avenue, which is expected to open later this year.
Bus lane improvements have also been made in the Bronx, including projects along University Avenue, Gun Hill Road, East Louis Grant Highway, Pelham Parkway, and Westchester Avenue near Pelham Bay Park. The city has also added bus lanes across the Washington Bridge connecting the Bronx to Northern Manhattan.
To support cycling and reduce collisions, the DOT has built a connected network of 13.9 miles of bike lanes in the Bronx over the last four years. This includes four miles of protected bike lanes on major streets such as Bronxdale Avenue, Hunts Point Avenue, Rosedale Avenue and Soundview Avenue.
The city has also worked to improve safety for the growing number of e-bike riders across the five boroughs. Over the past three years, DOT installed a record 87.5 miles of protected bike lanes, upgraded protection on another 20 miles, and introduced the first wider bike lanes to improve the riding experience and reduce crashes. The agency redesigned major corridors in Manhattan, including Second, Third, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth Avenues.
In 2024, DOT and Lyft, the parent company of Citi Bike, agreed to cap the maximum speed of its pedal-assisted e-bikes at 18 miles per hour. In 2025, Citi Bike further reduced the maximum assisted speed to 15 miles per hour in anticipation of new DOT rules applying citywide.
The city also pointed to enforcement measures that helped reduce dangerous driving. Speed cameras, which have been shown to reduce deadly speeding by more than 90 percent, are now operating 24/7. Legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul this week has extended the program for another five years. The Adams administration first pushed for 24/7 operation in 2022.
Since 2022, a regional interagency task force formed by Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul has seized more than 20,000 “ghost cars,” vehicles with fake or unauthorized temporary tags that are more likely to be involved in deadly crashes.
NYPD officers have also stepped up enforcement of traffic violations along high-crash corridors.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the historic drop in fatalities shows the effectiveness of Vision Zero’s core strategies. “While one traffic fatality is one too many, whether you are a pedestrian, a cyclist, or a driver, our streets are safer than ever and the important work must continue,” he said.
