Policy

Congestion pricing shows early signs of reducing traffic

Improvements in commuting times were largely seen on bridges and tunnels entering the core of Manhattan.

While it’s still early, congestion pricing had a largely positive effect in its first week. Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

By Eric Holmberg

| January 18, 2025

By Eric Holmberg

January 18, 2025

Now that congestion pricing has finally started, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s initial data from the first week of tolling showed a promising start. While it will likely take months to understand the toll’s full effect, the most immediate drops in commute times were on the bridges and tunnels entering the core of Manhattan, with 219,000 fewer cars entering the congestion pricing zone from Jan. 6-10. Traffic inside the “congestion relief zone” was more of a mixed bag, with some reductions while other routes were flat or even up slightly when compared to January 2024.

Lincoln Tunnel

January 2024: 6 min, 59 sec

Jan. 8, 2025: 4 min, 14 sec

Travel time: ↓ 39%

Holland Tunnel

January 2024: 12 min, 48 sec

Jan. 8, 2025: 4 min, 27 sec

Travel time: ↓ 65%

Brooklyn Bridge

January 2024: 5 min, 38 sec

Jan. 8, 2025: 4 min, 2 sec

Travel time: ↓ 28%