Congestion pricing is (still) working. According to Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA officials, 2.7 million fewer vehicles entered Manhattan below 61st Street in August, a 14 percent drop that matched June for the largest reduction recorded so far in 2025. The positive data comes about a month before a scheduled federal court hearing in October, where the Trump administration’s attempt to end the tolling system will be decided. Since the program began in January, the number of vehicles entering the zone is down 12 percent, with 87,000 fewer trips each day and 17.6 million fewer vehicles compared to last year.
According to the MTA, congestion pricing has reduced traffic, improved vehicle flow, and cut delays in Manhattan’s central business district and even in surrounding areas.
The program has also noticeably reduced gridlock on bridges and tunnels crossing the East and Hudson Rivers, speeding up commutes. Every crossing entering the congestion relief zone has seen morning peak travel times reduced in 2025 compared to 2024:
Brooklyn Bridge: 13 percent faster
Holland Tunnel: 36 percent faster
Hugh L. Carey Tunnel: 16 percent faster
Lincoln Tunnel: 5 percent faster
Queens-Midtown Tunnel: 4 percent faster
Queensboro Bridge: 21 percent faster
Williamsburg Bridge: 23 percent faster
Crashes in the CBD are down 14 percent, and traffic injuries are down 15 percent. Earlier this summer, the Department of Transportation reported that pedestrian fatalities on city streets had hit historic lows, matching levels last recorded in 2018.
The benefits are being felt on public transit as well, with ridership increasing across all modes from January to August 2025 compared to the same period last year:
Subway: 9 percent
Bus: 13 percent
Long Island Rail Road: 10 percent
Metro-North: 7 percent
Access-A-Ride: 22 percent
In its first four months, the program generated $215.7 million in revenue, keeping pace to net $500 million in 2025 after expenses, according to Bloomberg. That funding is essential for ongoing and planned transit projects, serving as a financial lifeline for the MTA’s five-year capital plan.
“With summer coming to an end, the benefits of congestion pricing are clearer than ever,” Hochul said. “This program has been nothing short of transformational, making streets safer, reducing gridlock across the region, and unlocking generational upgrades to mass transit, benefitting millions. Congestion pricing is working, it is legal, and the cameras are staying on.”
Despite its documented benefits, congestion pricing has been a political target of President Donald Trump, who vowed to eliminate the program during his first week in office.
In February, after retaking office, the Trump administration ordered Hochul to end the program by March 21. In response, the MTA filed a lawsuit to keep the program in place, and the U.S. Department of Transportation extended the deadline to April 20.
In April, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy gave the governor until May 21 to either shut down the program or explain why the Federal Highway Authority should not impose penalties, which would begin on May 28. If the state failed to comply, Duffy threatened to withhold federal funding for NY’s transportation projects, as 6sqft previously reported.
Later that month, the Trump administration and NY transit officials reached an agreement to allow congestion pricing to continue through the fall, according to court filings. As part of the MTA’s lawsuit, the two parties will now present their arguments under a predetermined timeline expected to run until at least October.
17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered Manhattan since congestion pricing launched this year
September 10, 2025
Cover Photo by Koon Chakhatrakan on Unsplash