Traffic deaths in New York City have dropped to historic lows.

The City Department of Transportation says in 2024, there were 128 traffic deaths through June 30. This year, traffic deaths are down 32% with 87 in the same time period.

Experts say congestion pricing is making a difference by taking cars off the road. The city credits Vision Zero, a comprehensive street safety initiative adding bike lanes, bus lanes and pedestrian paths.

Sunnyside mom Amparo Abel-Bey says a spacious bike boulevard installed on her block is helping her get out more with her 2-year-old son, providing a buffer between people and cars.

"There are way more people walking, way more kids and strollers and toddlers walking with their parents hand in hand, and I think everyone feels safer with these improvements," she said.

The New York City Department of Transportation told CBS News New York:

"This administration has reduced traffic fatalities to historic lows through the installation of a record-high amount of newly pedestrianized space; bus lane projects that have made commutes faster and more reliable for nearly 600,000 daily bus riders; and safety projects across the five boroughs. Community feedback is critical to the agency's work and we continue to review feedback for upcoming safety and bus priority projects."

Advocates criticize delays, reversals of bus and bike lane projects

Some, however, worry the city's actions could reverse that progress.  

Corey Hannigan, with the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, says the city is not practicing what it preaches.

"The DOT is talking about the benefits of this infrastructure. At the same time, they're fighting really hard to rip it out in other neighborhoods," he said. "You can't have it both ways."

He points to delays and reversals of bus and bike lane projects, including on 34th Street in Manhattan and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.

"It's really disappointing," Hannigan said. "Because this is about saving lives."

An Adams administration spokesperson told CBS News New York:

"The Adams administration is dedicated to making our streets safe for cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians alike. And our work speaks for itself: traffic-related fatalities in the first half of 2025 have dropped to their lowest level on record. After several dangerous incidents on Bedford Avenue — many of which involved children — the Adams administration listened to the community's concerns and moved to reconfigure this three-block stretch of the bike lane while still keeping safety measures in place to ensure everyone both feels safe and is safe."

Transportation Alternatives pushed back in a statement that reads in part: "This is not how a mayor committed to Vision Zero behaves ... Treating this as a mere 'modification' to a bike lane is an insult to decades of work and thousands of pages of research that prove that protected bike lanes save lives."

The group adds that Friday's deadly Sunset Park hit-and-run claimed two lives at an intersection where a proposed roadway redesign had stalled.

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