Data shows New York City’s controversial congestion pricing has resulted in an increase of riders on public transit, ABC 7 reported.
The measure was put in place to assist in reducing congestion formed by the hustle and bustle of Manhattan commuters. Started on Jan. 5, data reveals the number of subway riders was 3.77 million, up by 12.7% on Jan. 7 and approximately 1.28 million MTA bus riders, a 10% increase. It may be too early to determine if the program is working throughout the whole island, but it seems to be effective in certain sections.
The city saw lighter
traffic on the bridges and tunnels on the first day of the program, heading into the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), which is south of the busy Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, according to amNew York. Other routes have experienced mixed results.Other data shows that the plan isn’t speeding up traffic in the way it was designed for. In 2024, Manhattan’s average speed was roughly 11.7 mph, and at the start of the congestion program, the average speed decreased to 11.5 mph. Normal congested roads like the southbound FDR Drive rated at 28.2 mph at 5 p.m. on the same day, in comparison to 18.2 mph in 2024 — a 55% speed increase.
The big surprise came from rush hour tunnel traffic being lighter since the start of the program, according
to data from traffic analytics firm INRIX. “The tunnels are pretty, you know, speedy. And yet, the downtown area shows a little bit of improvement, but not grandiose improvement. That’s the shocking thing,” INRIX’s Bob Pishue said. Commuter Filippa Grisafi, who travels into the city for her job in Lower Manhattan, confirms the decrease in traffic. “From an express bus commuter perspective, Tuesday, Wednesday, and today, we didn’t hit traffic until the approach to the Battery Tunnel all three days,” she said.The increase in subway riders in NYC isn’t the same for commuters who rely on New Jersey transit. Governor Phil Murphy (D) says he doesn’t want to jump to conclusions just yet, as it is still early, since his goal is to keep fighting tolls. “It’s only a few days, and I don’t want to draw conclusions yet,” Murphy said.
“But I have not gotten reports that NJ Transit trains, buses, and PATH trains are overflowing.”
While the true impact may not be seen for a few weeks, experts have their concerns about other pressing issues that correlate with the congestion pricing, such as an influx of for-hire vehicles-like Uber and Lyft. “My worry is if the city keeps increasing the number of Ubers and Lyfts, whatever gains that we get from congestion pricing will be offset by additional vehicles that stay in the traffic all day long,” transportation expert and former city traffic commissioner Sam Schwartz said.
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