Congestion Pricing Succeeding in Reducing Traffic

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Traffic is down throughout the New York City region.
Quality of life has improved. Transit ridership has surged to
post pandemic highs. Economic activity has increased
in New York City in the first six months of 2025.
Program will fund 15 billion in transit improvements from the

(00:20):
Hudson Valley to Long Island to New York City in its first six
months. New York City S congestion
pricing program has succeeded inreducing traffic and raising
revenues to fund transit improvements across the region
while economic activity in New York City has flourished.
Activated at 12 AM on January 5th, the nation S 1st Urban

(00:45):
Congestion Pricing Program reduces gridlock in Manhattan S
congestion relief zone CRZ below60th Street by charging
motorists to enter the zone. Revenue from congestion pricing
is on track to reach the forecasted 500 million in 2025,
allowing the MTA to advance 15 billion in critical capital

(01:06):
improvements to mass transit on its subway, bus, Long Island
Railroad, and Metro North Railroad systems.
Since the congestion pricing program took effect on January
5th, it has delivered a wide array of benefits.
According to data from the MTA and other reports and studies
from business groups and other data sources, congestion pricing

(01:31):
is reducing traffic and improving quality of life.
In just 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.

(01:55):
Every day, 67,000 fewer vehiclesenter 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 Ways.
Traffic delays are down in the Congestion Relief zone by 25%

(02:16):
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 7 minutes for every hour spent in traffic in
2024 back to commuters lives. Travel times on river crossings

(02:41):
have decreased by 6% to as much as 42% in 2025 compared to 2024.
In the Holland Tunnel, rush hourdelays are down by 65% since
congestion pricing began. In the Lincoln Tunnel, MTA
Express buses are traveling almost 24% faster than in 2024.

(03:05):
Roads and highways approaching the congestion relief zone,
including Flatbush Hobby in Brooklyn and the Long Island
Expressway, are also moving faster than last year.
Reduced gridlock has improved quality of life in New York
City. Crashes in the congestion relief
zone are down 14%. Traffic injuries are down by 15%

(03:28):
in the zone and the safety benefits are being felt
citywide. Just this week, the New York
City Department of Transportation released data
showing that pedestrian fatalities on New York City
streets are at historic lows, matching levels last seen in
2018. Additionally, air quality has

(03:49):
improved and noise pollution hasreduced 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 2nd showed steady or decreasing
levels of fine particle air pollution, or PM 2.5 at most

(04:13):
sites both inside and outside the congestion relief zone.
Transit service and ridership are on the rise.
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

(04:34):
pandemic record high ridership in the first half of 2025.
Subway plus 7%. Bus plus 12%, LIR R + 8%.
Metro North plus 6% Access a Ride plus 21% Transit service

(04:58):
has steadily improved in 2025 tonear record levels.
In May, subway on time performance was 85.2%, the best
non pandemic month in recorded history.
Long Island Railroad and Metro North on time performance have
consistently been at or near 97%and 98% respectively, in 2025.

(05:23):
Buses are moving faster thanks to congestion pricing.
Bus speeds have increased by an average of 3.2% within the CRZ,
with some routes increasing by as much as 25%.
Economic activity in New York City is up.
Gridlock is bad for the economy,According to a report from the

(05:45):
Partnership for New York City, before congestion pricing was
launched, businesses and individuals were wasting
hundreds of hours sitting in traffic, costing the economy 20
billion per year. Congestion pricing is a locally
developed solution to a generational challenge.
Already, the benefits of congestion pricing are improving

(06:07):
New York City S economy. 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

(06:29):
congestion relief zone increasedby 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%.
Business is booming in the congestion relief zone.
In 2025, Broadway just posted its biggest season ever with 1.9

(06:53):
billion in ticket sales. Retail sales are on track to be
up 900 million in 2025 compared to 2024.
Hotel occupancy was 87% in April2025, compared to 85% in April
2024. Commercial office leasing in
2025 Q 1 is up 11% compared to 2024 Q 4, and up 80% since 2024

(07:20):
Q one. At the same time, New York City
now has the most jobs in its history, nearing 4.86 million in
April 2025. That represents 1.6% growth over
April 2024, outpacing the national average of 1.1%.

(07:41):
The MTA is investing in transit improvements funded by
congestion pricing. By enabling the MTA to issue 15
billion in bonds to fund projects in its 2020 to 2024
capital plan, congestion pricingis powering improvements across
the MTA network. Improvement projects funded by

(08:02):
congestion pricing include 435 additional R211 subway cars,
including eighty additional opengangway cars, 44 new more
reliable dual mode locomotives for the Long Island Railroad,
300 new M9A cars for Metro Northand the Long Island Railroad.

(08:24):
Communications based train control CBTC signal upgrades on
the A&C lines between Downtown Brooklyn and Ozone Park,
allowing for more frequent and reliable service.
Americans with Disabilities Act data upgrades at 23 subway
stations, including new elevators, reconstructed

(08:44):
platforms and other improvements.
Additionally, funding from congestion pricing allows the
MTA to move forward with the tunneling contract for phase two
of the 2nd Ave. Subway, which will be awarded in
the second-half of 2025.