Vision Zero Year Twelve: 2025

This year marked the 12th year of the Vision Zero era, which was launched in 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio. In 2025, traffic fatalities in Queens reached their lowest levels of the Vision Zero era, breaking a general upward trend that the borough had experienced since 2017.  Traffic enforcement by NYPD also showed significant improvement in 2025, but their safety enforcement efforts remain lower than before Vision Zero launched.

Fatalities.  Total traffic fatalities in Queens have fallen by 38 percent, from 93 fatalities in 2013 to 58 fatalities in 2025. Pedestrian fatalities have declined 48 percent from 52 fatalities in 2013 to 27 fatalities in 2025. Cyclist deaths have risen from two fatalities in 2013 to six in 2025.  Citywide, there was a 30 percent reduction in overall traffic fatalities over the same 12-year period.

The chart below shows the progress that has been made in reducing traffic fatalities in Queens.

A partial list of the neighbors that we lost in 2025 is provided here.

Injuries. In 2025, there were 2,316 pedestrians injured in Queens by motor vehicles, a decline of 17% from the Vision Zero benchmark year, 2013. There have been 1033 injuries to cyclists, an increase of 25% since 2013. Overall, including motor vehicle occupants, there were 14,186 people injured in motor vehicle crashes in Queens last year, 9% lower than 2013. Citywide, there has been a 13% reduction in injuries over this time.

Enforcement. NYPD precincts in Queens demonstrated a significantly improved commitment to toward ticketing motorists for dangerous and reckless driving behaviors, but their ticketing rate remains lower today than it was before Vision Zero was launched a decade ago (see chart below).  While enforcement of speeding, red light running  and not yielding right of way to pedestrians remain significantly higher than pre-Vision Zero levels, tickets issued for illegal cell phone use, disobeying signs/traffic control devices, and improper turns remain sharply down. Enforcement across all six categories in Queens is down 7% since 2013.

A detailed report, with results by community board, is available here.