Every four years, the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) releases an independent, non-partisan report analyzing the transportation policy positions of New York City’s mayoral candidates. The report is part of a long-standing effort to help voters understand where candidates stand on key mobility issues, from public transit and street safety to taxi, for-hire vehicle, and freight regulation.
The 2025 edition continues a tradition that began with similar reports published for the 2013
and 2021 elections. Each report has been independently peer reviewed and widely used by policymakers, transportation professionals, and members of the ground transportation industry. The summaries, along with a one-page “voter palm card,” have become a valued resource for those seeking a clear, objective view of how City Hall candidates approach transportation.
The research team, led by the author, scoured a plethora of information from many sources, including not just meticulously following the most current statements and plans from the official campaign websites of the candidates and their public events and media pronouncements, but also obtaining secondary information from multi-modal stakeholders who have engaged with the campaigns (some of which held their own candidate events). In addition, this report does not just include the most prominent topics and transportation policy positions being actively debated on the campaign trail, but also statements made and positions taken on prior campaigns, as well as the past public service records of the candidates. Context was also provided in terms of the most recent Mayoral administrations and their transportation accomplishments and challenges, as this is the landscape that the next Mayor will inherit, and the next Mayor will need to decide whether to continue, discontinue or modify a wide- variety of mobility policies. Each campaign has been provided the opportunity to comment on the research for fact checking and clarification of various policy positions mentioned in this report, and was provided with a complete copy of the draft report, as well as detailed surveys with some tailored/specific questions for each candidate. The UTRC is thankful for the active engagement and comments received from the campaigns and the candidates.
Within weeks, New York City will have elected our next Mayor. Whoever New Yorkers select, transportation will be one of the most visible and consequential areas of their administration. The next mayor’s decisions regarding the street network, taxi industry regulations and more will shape how residents, workers, and visitors move through the city. It is our hope that this report will not just guide the decisions of voters who care about transportation issues, but also serve as a roadmap for the next Mayor to reference after the election when campaigning stops, and governance starts.