Traffic was down in Manhattan’s congestion pricing zone this summer: Hochul

Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA officials said on Tuesday that traffic is significantly down in a major part of Manhattan as eight months of congestion pricing wrapped up in August.

Last month saw nearly 2.7 million fewer vehicles than the baseline average enter the congestion relief zone (CRZ) south of 61st Street in Manhattan; Hochul said this amounted to a 14% reduction in traffic.

She added that August was on par with June for the largest vehicle reduction seen so far in 2025.

“With summer coming to an end, the benefits of congestion pricing are clearer than ever,” the governor 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.”

The news comes about a month ahead of a scheduled October hearing in federal court that could decide the future of congestion pricing. The Trump administration’s Transportation Department had previously ordered the state to shut the cameras off and stop charging tolls, but the MTA and New York state are seeking to stop the gambit through litigation.

A bus speeds past a congestion pricing gantry in Midtown Manhattan.

Congestion pricing, which launched on Jan. 5 this year after receiving final approval during the Biden administration, brought in $219 million as of late May. This number puts the MTA on track to meet its goal of generating $500 million in 2025.

State and MTA officials have said that congestion pricing will pay for transit improvements across the region, including new rail cars, accessibility upgrades, and enabling the advancement of the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway in Manhattan.

“In less than a year, New Yorkers are seeing massive benefits from congestion relief, including new rail cars, dozens of ADA elevators and signal modernization,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “This initiative has demonstrated that government can do big things that deliver results- less traffic, safer streets, and improved quality of life for transit users, drivers and pedestrians alike.”

Officials said the program, which charges vehicles a base $9 to enter the CRZ, has shown “continued success” in reducing and speeding up the flow of traffic, and cutting down delays in the toll zone and throughout the New York metropolitan region.

According to the governor’s office, the number of vehicles entering the zone has been down by 12% since congestion pricing started. Officials also said that 87,000 fewer vehicles enter the zone every day, and since the program started, 17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered the zone compared to last year.

Meanwhile, officials said transit ridership across multiple modes was up January to August this year compared to the same period in 2024: Subways, 9%; buses, 13%; Long Island Rail Road, 10%; Metro-North, 7%; and Access-A-Ride, 22%.