New York City has reduced fuel consumption and emissions from its municipal vehicle fleet, but the average age of these vehicles has reached its highest point since 2012. This trend is leading to more emergency and sanitation trucks being taken out of service for repairs, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
The city’s fleet consists of about 30,100 vehicles and motorized equipment, managed by over 50 agencies. The largest shares are operated by the Police Department (NYPD), Department of Sanitation (DSNY), and Department of Transportation (DOT). These vehicles support essential services such as policing, firefighting, sanitation collection, and emergency medical response. In fiscal year 2025, New York City spent $415 million on fuel and fleet repair costs and allocated over $400 million in capital funding for new vehicle purchases.
“New York City has made real progress cutting fuel use and emissions, but the rising rate of ambulances and sanitation trucks out of service is concerning,” DiNapoli said. “The city needs to be more transparent about how it’s controlling costs and keeping essential services running.”
Since 2012, efforts have been made to centralize management of the city’s fleet. The number of owned vehicles was reduced to just above the target level at 28,768 units. Centralized decision-making processes were introduced along with consolidated facilities and new vendor agreements for parts supply. A technical manual was provided for all agencies, and a fleet inventory management system was created.
Annual acquisitions of new vehicles have dropped sharply since fiscal year 2018—reaching a decade low in fiscal year 2021—which aligns with efforts to reduce overall fleet size targets. Despite an increase in spending after the pandemic—mainly due to investments in electrification—annual vehicle purchases remain lower than during the previous decade.
DiNapoli’s report highlights that following budget constraints and staffing shortages after 2020, the average age of city-owned vehicles increased from 65 months in 2019 to 90 months now—surpassing the city’s goal for fiscal year 2025. Meanwhile, the number of mechanics fell from a peak of around 1,434 in June 2019 to approximately 1,301—a decline of over nine percent.
This aging fleet corresponds with lower readiness rates: available vehicles dropped from above ninety percent before the pandemic to eighty-seven percent as of fiscal year 2025; overtime costs also rose as fewer mechanics serviced older equipment.
In-service rates for critical vehicles—including ambulances, Department of Environmental Protection trucks, and DSNY collection trucks—declined significantly during the pandemic period: from over eighty-five percent in early 2020 down to seventy-seven percent by fall 2023. Although there has been some recovery since then, these rates remain below targets set at roughly eighty-seven percent.
Emergency response times have also grown longer since COVID-19 began impacting operations. The city attributes this trend partly to increased demand for medical emergency responses each day as well as traffic congestion outside Manhattan—and limited ambulance availability.
Comptroller DiNapoli recommends that New York City improve transparency around reporting on its fleets’ performance metrics; reallocate staff resources where possible; continue modernizing procurement practices; and enhance data quality so planners—as well as taxpayers—can better understand how public funds are used.
