NYC subway crime has dropped significantly so far this year even as ridership increased in the congestion pricing era, according to the newest NYPD data released on Tuesday.
In the first month of 2025, there were 147 reported crimes on the subway down from 231 last year—resulting in 36% fewer crimes committed on the rails this year.
At the same time, subway ridership has increased significantly since the start of congestion pricing on Jan. 5. This means that the drop in crime on the tracks has actually decreased even as more people are using NYC’s busy transit system—one of the largest in the world.
According to data on the New York State website, subway ridership has increased almost every day since congestion pricing began on Jan. 5 — often in the hundreds of thousands of additional commuters daily.
For example, on Jan. 8, the first Wednesday with congestion pricing in effect this year, over 530,000 more people were on the trains than the same day last year (3,834,806 vs. 3,303,727).
Traffic fatalities across the city are also down, the NYPD’s CompStat 2.0 dashboard shows. Year to date, there were 10 deadly collisions on the roads compared to 18 in 2024—an over 44% drop year over year.
The MTA, the state agency that runs the NYC trains and buses, had long touted that congestion pricing would bring more New Yorkers onto mass transit, thus relieving heavy traffic build up in Midtown and Lower Manhattan. So far, those predictions are being proven true.
More cops = more safety in subways, mayor says
Mayor Eric Adams attributed the decline in subway crime to a number of factors, including the massive surge of 1,200 additional NYPD officers in the subway system, as well as an additional 300 officers patrolling overnight trains.
“Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity, and the latest crime statistics for January prove that our comprehensive approach to combating crime and improving quality of life is not only working, it’s driving real, measurable progress,” the mayor said in a statement to amNewYork Metro. “We’re seeing double-digit decreases in both overall crime above ground and transit crime below ground – with shooting incidents in January being the lowest number recorded for the month of January in over 30 years – and we remain committed to ensuring that New Yorkers aren’t just safe but feel safe, too.”
Transit crime was down throughout much of 2024, but Mayor Adams, the MTA and the NYPD have been battling public perception that subway crime was out of control – largely fueled by widely-reported, high-profile crimes on the trains, including the horrific arson homicide when a woman was burned alive on an F train in Coney Island.
The mayor added that the additional law enforcement efforts to prevent crime underground provide a “visible and effective presence” that makes commuters “both safer and more confident.”
“I want to thank Commissioner Tisch and the incredible men and women of the NYPD for making our streets safer every day,” Adams added. “While others advocate for defunding the police, we’ve defended them, and this is just one of countless examples of why New Yorkers want more policing, not less.”
This year’s decrease in crime so far points to a sign that city and state officials might be making progress in addressing the challenges facing the subway system, something which Gov. Kathy Hochul responded to when she announced a $77 million initiative on Jan. 16 to have more uniformed police officers on every overnight train.
Last year, she also directed the MTA to install over 15,000 cameras in every subway car and added about 1,250 National Guard members alongside police to assist in patrolling the mostly underground transit system.
“Governor Hochul is committed to ensuring that every rider and worker feels safe when they enter our transit system and are on the subway,” said Matthew Janiszewski, a spokesperson for the governor. “Governor Hochul is working hand-in-hand with the MTA and New York City to deter crime, making it safer for all riders and restoring public confidence in the system.”
NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow underscored the importance of law enforcement of public transit.
“Every survey shows New Yorkers want more uniformed officers on trains, and this is why. With Governor Hochul’s funding and NYPD deployment on every train overnight, crime is down, and riders are increasingly using transit to get where they need to go,” he said. “That’s no coincidence.”
