Congestion Relief Zone Sees 1M Fewer Cars: Latest Data

MIDTOWN, NY — In the first month since congestion pricing took effect, Manhattan below 60th Street saw one million fewer drivers than usual, with more people opting for public transit, according to new data released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Congestion relief pricing, which has been in effect since Jan. 5, charges drivers a fee for entering Manhattan below 60th Street.

From 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, drivers will be charged $9, and all other times, drivers will be charged $2.25.

According to the MTA's first month of data, gridlock was down overall, and travel times on inbound river crossings like the Lincoln Tunnel, the Holland Tunnel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Queens Midtown Tunnel were 10-30 percent faster than usual. The Holland Tunnel saw the most relief, with a 48 percent drop in traffic, authorities said.

All of the data was provided by a nonprofit called TRANSCOM, MTA officials said.

“Before the start of congestion relief, talk of lawsuits and doubts dominated the conversation, but now it’s the undeniably positive results we’ve been seeing since week one,” Janno Lieber, the MTA's CEO, said.

As a result of congestion pricing, MTA officials said bus riders are experiencing faster, more reliable express bus service, and weekend bus ridership on the express lines has grown by more than 20 percent.

On weekend buses making local stops, ridership has risen by seven percent, and on weekday express buses, ridership has risen by six percent, authorities said.

“Better bus service, faster drive times and safer streets are good for all New Yorkers,” Lieber said.

Subway ridership has also grown by 7.3% on weekdays and 12% on weekends when comparing January 2024 and January 2025, MTA officials said.

Several stations on the Long Island Rail Road are also seeing ridership growth this year compared to last year at this time, officials said.

“It’s great to see improvement to customer journey times along with ridership growth and I look forward to even more New Yorkers making the switch to public transit," NYC Transit Senior Vice President of Buses Frank Annicaro said.

Annicaro said that the NYC Transit Department of Buses plans to continue to make small adjustments along bus routes to improve service and reliability.

In mid-February, the MTA will release more data charting the impact of the program. See the most recent data for yourself here.

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