“Six months in, it’s clear: congestion pricing has been a huge success, making life in New York better,” Gov. Hochul announced on July 5. “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. We’ve also fended off five months of unlawful attempts from the federal government to unwind this successful program and will keep fighting—and winning—in the courts. The cameras are staying on.”

Traffic Reduction – In its first six months, congestion pricing has succeeded in reducing traffic, speeding up the flow of traffic, and reducing delays—not just in the Congestion Relief Zone but throughout the region. 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%. Delays are also down by 10% in the Bronx and 14% in parts of Bergen County, NJ. 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 Ave in Brooklyn and the Long Island Expressway, are also moving faster than last year.

Transit Ridership – Transit ridership across all modes has increased from January-May 2025 when compared to the same period last year. All MTA modes of public transportation have had post-pandemic record high ridership in the first half of 2025—Subway: +7%; Bus: +12%; LIRR: +8%; Metro-North: +6% and Access-A-Ride: +21%.

Commuters are saving as much as 21 minutes each way. Time savings help businesses make deliveries and save costs. The annual value of these time savings could be as high as $1.3 billion. In May, business district pedestrian activity within the Congestion Relief Zone increased by 8.4% compared to May 2024. This growth is much faster than for business districts outside of the zone, which saw an increase of 2.7%.

Safety & Quality of Life – Crashes in the Congestion Relief Zone are down 14%. Traffic injuries are down by 15% in the zone, and the safety benefits are being felt citywide. The New York City Department of Transportation released data recently showing that pedestrian fatalities on New York City streets are at historic lows, matching levels last seen in 2018.

Additionally, air quality has improved and noise pollution has reduced since the program was launched. 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.

Published: July 18, 2025.