Congestion pricing has resulted in 27 million fewer vehicles in New York City’s “Congestion Relief Zone” and a 7 percent increase in transit ridership, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
In its first year of implementation, the congestion pricing program has been a transformation for the city, Hochul said, reducing traffic, improving the quality of life and supporting billions in transit upgrades.
“The results are in, and it is clear that in just one year, congestion pricing has been an unprecedented success in New York,” Hochul said. “By every measure, this program has met or exceeded expectations: traffic and gridlock are down substantially, people are moving faster, air quality is improved, streets are safer, and our economy is stronger. New Yorkers are benefitting from congestion pricing every day, and that’s why we have fought to stop any unlawful federal attempt to end this program. And there are even more benefits to come: $15 billion in transit upgrades with major projects already underway, improving the commutes of millions of New Yorkers.”
According to a report by the Metropolitan Transit Administration, congestion pricing has resulted in 27 million fewer vehicles in the Congestion Relief Zone, an 11 percent reduction in traffic. Fewer cars has meant less gridlock and improved commute times across the region with some drivers saving as much as 15 minutes each way. The program has also generated more than $550 million in net revenue, which will allow the MTA to proceed with $15 billion in transit improvement projects.
The program also garnered the support of newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“As we mark the one-year anniversary of congestion pricing going into effect, its benefits are clearer than ever,” he said. “Traffic crashes and noise complaints are dropping, while funding for the MTA and air quality are rising. Working New Yorkers deserve less congestion, a well-funded transit system, and a safer and quieter place to call home, and I’m proud to see congestion pricing deliver on that promise.”
According to a report by the MTA, on any given day, more than 73,000 fewer vehicles enter the CRZ, an 11 percent reduction. The fewer vehicles also have an impact on speed, with morning rush hour traffic moving up to 23 percent faster on average.
The report said transit ridership is up as a result. Subway trips are up 9 percent, express bus trips are up 7.8 percent and local bus trips are up 8.4 percent. The reduced gridlock has also sped up trip times for transit riders. Within the CRZ, bus speeds increased 2.3 percent. Deliveries and goods movement were up 5.6 percent compared to 2024.
At the same time, however, the city’s office economy is thriving with NYC becoming the first major American city to exceed pre-pandemic office traffic. Office leasing has surged and was up 9.2 percent year over year in Q3, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and on track for the highest volume of new office leases since 2002.