New York City’s subway is quietly having one of its safest years in nearly two decades — and the numbers have officially arrived to back it up.
With just weeks left in 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday (December 18th) that subway crime is now at its lowest level in 16 years, even as more New Yorkers return to riding the trains every day.
According to the governor’s office, overall major crime in the transit system is down 5.2% compared to 2024 and nearly 15% compared to 2019, marking a major turnaround from the uneasy, post-pandemic years when ridership was down and fear was high.
Even more notably, when crime is measured against how many people are actually riding the subway, the progress becomes even clearer.
In 2025, there have been 1.65 major crimes per million riders, a figure that’s about 30% lower than in 2021 and comparable to pre-pandemic lows.
Excluding pandemic-era outliers, this year is on pace to be the second safest non-pandemic year in recorded subway history, surpassed only by 2009.
All of this is happening as ridership climbs. Subway usage is up nearly 8% this year, with nearly 1.3 billion rides taken so far in 2025.
On December 11th alone, the system logged 4.65 million riders in a single day, the highest post-pandemic total yet.
What’s changed underground
State and city officials credit a combination of visible policing, infrastructure upgrades, and expanded outreach for the improvements.
Governor Hochul highlighted what she described as a “cops, cameras, and care” approach — meaning a sustained NYPD presence, increased surveillance, and expanded mental health outreach in stations and trains.
To continue that effort, the state announced a new $77 million investment to support NYPD subway patrols.
The funding will help maintain a daily presence of more than 600 officers on platforms, support surge patrols during high-traffic hours, and cover overtime for officers assigned to transit duty.
On the infrastructure side, the subway has undergone a noticeable physical shift.
All 472 subway stations are on track to be outfitted with brighter LED lighting by the end of the year, replacing the dim, cave-like platforms many riders remember.
The MTA has also installed over 33,000 cameras across the system, including at least one in every subway car and additional cameras in conductor cabs.
Another major change riders may have noticed: platform edge barriers, designed to reduce falls and prevent people from being pushed onto the tracks. As of this year, barriers have been installed at 115 stations, exceeding the original goal of 100.
Crime is down — even as the subway fills back up
While officials stress that even one crime is too many, the long-term trend is moving in the right direction.
Since 2019, crime across the transit system has dropped nearly 15%, and the rate of crime per rider has steadily declined every year since 2021.
For many New Yorkers — especially essential workers riding early mornings or late nights — the improvements translate into something simple but meaningful: feeling more comfortable on platforms and trains.
As Hochul put it, the goal isn’t celebration, but continuation — sticking with what’s working to make sure the subway feels safer, brighter, and more reliable as ridership continues to rebound.
After years defined by uncertainty underground, 2025 is shaping up to be a reminder that the city’s most essential system can bounce back — quietly, steadily, and with measurable results.