Press Releases

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release #18-035
Friday, June 15, 2018
Contact: Scott Gastel/Brian Zumhagen (212) 839-4850

DOT Releases Annual Mobility Report, Revealing New York City’s Transportation Trends After Decade of Uninterrupted Growth

Report details slight drops in subway and bus ridership while household vehicle and for-hire vehicle registrations/trips rise; initial data from Manhattan’s Upper East Side indicate profound and positive impact of Second Avenue Subway on above-ground congestion

NEW YORK - The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Mobility Report, an overview of key demographic and mobility trends that characterize and affect the City’s complex transportation network. The report (posted here) notes that after a decade of uninterrupted growth in New York City, including record population, jobs, and tourism, several new transportation trends are coming into focus.

“Though New York City is now moving more people than ever, several new trends – including declines in mass transit ridership and slower travel times, combined with more car ownership and for-hire vehicle trips - are together causes for concern,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “For its part, New York City recognizes that with nearly 2/3 of trips here already made by sustainable modes of travel, we must keep innovating to balance the growing and competing demands on our finite road network. To that end, the City is investing heavily in bus lanes, bike lanes, and citywide ferry service. And this year, we have also unveiled new initiatives that will further aid mobility, including the Mayor’s Congestion Plan to improve travel speeds along key corridors, a pilot to increase access to carshare, and a trial of dockless bike share to supplement the successful Citi Bike network.”

The report, mandated by Local Law 23 of 2008, notes that for the first time since 2010, New York City saw a slight drop in annual subway riders, largely due to a decline in off-peak ridership. Bus ridership has also continued its slow decline: ridership fell by 2 percent in 2016 and has declined 8.5 percent since 2010. Most notably, household vehicle registrations increased for the fifth year running, outpacing population growth. Both for-hire vehicle (FHV) registrations and trips are up significantly, with the former more than doubling since 2010.

Notable Trends:

  • The number of vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street declined further in 2016.
  • Average travel speeds in the Manhattan Central Business District dropped from 7.2 to 7.1 mph in 2016.
  • In 2016, citywide average bus speeds dipped to 7.44 mph from 7.47 mph in 2015.
  • New York City added 13,000 FHV registrations in 2016 to reach 85,200, a total that has more than doubled since 2010.
  • Household vehicle registrations in New York City topped 1.9 million for the first time in 2016, growing by 2 percent over one year and by 8.3 percent since 2010 -- outpacing population growth.
  • Yellow-cab trips declined in 2016, but the decline was outpaced by the rise in FHV trips, which reached an all-time high of 92.5 million trips in 2016.

Other highlights of the report:

Second Avenue Subway Success Story: This year’s report introduces new data about how the January 2017 launch of the Second Avenue Subway — the first new subway service added since 2015’s 7 train extension — has improved the mobility of many New Yorkers. This transit expansion has provided tangible benefits to New Yorkers both above and below ground — from expanded mobility options for transit riders to improved travel speeds and reduced vehicle volumes along proximate streets.

After the launch of the Q train under Second Avenue, the number of yellow cab trips on the Upper East Side dropped by a dramatic 36 percent, significantly more than those trips declined citywide (down 11 percent). The Second Avenue Subway’s effect was also seen in usage patterns for ride-hail services, like Uber and Lyft, which in 2017 saw more modest ridership increases on the Upper East Side than they did Citywide (35 percent increase versus 63 percent Citywide).

Reduced traffic volumes — and increased travel speeds—on Second Avenue and Lexington Avenues also reflect the effect of new transportation options along the new subway corridor.

Citywide Mobility Survey: Helping inform this year’s report was DOT’s first Citywide Mobility Survey, conducted in 2017. This online and phone survey of thousands of New Yorkers across all five boroughs aims to help the agency understand the specific factors and experiences that drive transportation choices for City residents over time. Survey benchmarks include:

  • 62% percent of all reported trips were made by sustainable modes (transit, biking, walking).
  • 50% of all ride-hail app users replaced transit trips with a for-hire vehicle.
  • 41% percent of New Yorkers receive a delivery at their home at least a few times a week.
  • Citywide, one-third of reported trips were made by private car.

DOT’s Mobility Reports have illustrated the growth of New York City’s population, employment, and tourism, and highlighted how high performance modes such as transit, bicycling, walking, and ferries have facilitated that growth. This year’s report builds on that same contextual foundation with updated travel trend charts and speed maps. This report’s analysis of citywide bus speeds illustrates how slow travel speeds affect key corridors well beyond the Manhattan core, and that bus speeds in the outer boroughs fell more noticeably between 2015 and 2017 than they did in Manhattan’s Central Business District. These trends reinforce why the City is investing in Select Bus Service expansion as well as other roadway projects to improve bus performance and reverse the continued trend of declining bus ridership.

"Mass transit is what makes New York City possible," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. "Reversing the downward trend in subway ridership, speeding up buses, reducing private car usage, and helping every New Yorker -- not just the able-bodied -- move around the city aren't optional, they're crucial necessities for the city to thrive. This requires action from both city and state government, and all government action starts with data and analysis. I thank the Department of Transportation for preparing this report."

“This report confirms that we owe New Yorkers a better public transit system that works more efficiently, alleviates congestion and decreases our carbon footprint,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the Council Committee on Transportation. “More and more New Yorkers are turning away from public transportation and opting for less sustainable transportation options. This fact underscores the importance of encouraging New Yorkers to ride bikes with more protected bike lanes, raising revenue exclusively for the MTA to invest on our subway and bus system, and collaboration from city and state to ensure enforcement of traffic laws in order for buses to move more quickly.”.

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