Six months after New York City implemented a congestion pricing program, traffic delays are down by 25% and revenue is set to reach the forecasted $500 million, officials said.
Governor Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Saturday said the nation’s first urban congestion pricing program reduced gridlock in Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) below 60th Street by charging motorists to enter the zone.
“Six months in, it’s clear: congestion pricing has been a huge success, making life in New York better,” Hochul said in a statement. "In New York, we dare to do big things, and this program represents just that - traffic is down throughout the region, business is booming, transit ridership is up, and we are making historic upgrades to our transit system."
The number of vehicles entering the zone is down by 11% since congestion pricing started. Every day, 67,000 fewer vehicles enter the zone, and since the program started, more than 10 million fewer vehicles have entered the zone compared to last year.
According to a report from the Regional Plan Association and Waze, traffic delays are down in the Congestion Relief Zone by 25% and across the metropolitan region by 9%. Time lost to traffic jams is down 12%, giving seven minutes for every hour spent in traffic in 2024 back to commuters’ lives. Travel times on river crossings have decreased by 6% to as much as 42% in 2025 compared to 2024.
In the Holland Tunnel, rush hour delays are down by 65% since congestion pricing began. In the Lincoln Tunnel, MTA express buses are traveling almost 24% faster than in 2024. Roads and highways approaching the Congestion Relief Zone, including Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and the Long Island Expressway, are also moving faster than last year.
In addition, crashes in the Congestion Relief Zone are down 14% and traffic injuries are down by 15% in the zone. Honking and vehicle noise complaints to 311 are down by 45% in 2025.
A new report from the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released on July 2 showed steady or decreasing levels of fine particle air pollution (or PM2.5) at most sites, both inside and outside the Congestion Relief Zone.
The revenue raised from congestion pricing is helping the MTA make various improvements, including upgrading the signal system on the A and C lines between Downtown Brooklyn and Ozone Park.
"The program is achieving all of its goals in terms of traffic reduction, increased travel speeds, safety, noise reduction and more," said MTA Chair and Chief Executive Officer Janno Lieber. "And not only is Congestion Relief delivering all the projected benefits – and more – it’s also proving that New York State government can effectively execute major, ambitious initiatives that improve the quality of life in ways New Yorkers notice and appreciate.”
Subway ridership increased by 7% between January and May 2025 compared to the same time period last year, while bus ridership increased by 12% over the same time period.
