Manhattan congestion pricing report reveals over 7% decrease in traffic flow

In a recent briefing on Monday (January 13th), the MTA held its first meeting after the implementation of congestion pricing. Data shows that since New York City introduced congestion fees on January 5th, traffic flow on roads has significantly decreased while public transportation usage has greatly increased. Overall, the effects seem to be very positive.

During the briefing, MTA officials mentioned that the travel time between Manhattan and New Jersey via the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, and Holland Tunnel has decreased by 30% to 40%. From last Sunday (January 5th) to Friday (January 10th), between 475,000 to 561,000 vehicles entered the congested areas, a 7.5% decrease from the usual 583,000 vehicles around this time of year.

Additionally, subway ridership seems to have slightly increased compared to the same period last year. The average number of passengers from last Monday to Thursday was 3.7 million, compared to approximately 3.47 million passengers on the same work days in 2024. Ridership on MTA express buses increased by 6% from last year, from 67,000 to 71,000, while bus ridership is still below 90% capacity.

According to statistics from the New York State government’s open data platform, both the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and the Metro-North Railroad have seen significant increases in daily ridership. The usage rates of these two commuter railways have seen substantial increases compared to the same period last year.

On January 8th (Wednesday), the Long Island Rail Road had 239,444 passengers, a 14.6% increase from the 208,960 passengers on the same day last year. On January 9th (Thursday), ridership was 229,804, a 7.5% increase from the 213,699 passengers last year.

Similar to the Long Island Rail Road, the Metro-North Railroad has also seen notable increases in ridership on both weekdays and weekends. In the first two Sundays of January, ridership increased by 22,481 passengers compared to last year. On January 8th (Wednesday), 209,550 passengers rode the rail, a 13.8% increase from 184,150 passengers on the same day last year. On January 9th (Thursday), ridership was 198,894, a 5.3% increase from the 188,888 passengers on the same day last year.

The Riders Alliance, an organization that has been supportive of the congestion pricing plan, has also echoed the positive effects.

“In the first week of congestion pricing, America’s most severe traffic congestion issues have seen significant improvement: drivers are saving a lot of time, buses are finally speeding up, especially the express buses carrying long-distance commuters from all over New York and New Jersey,” said Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director of the Riders Alliance in a statement to the press. “Previously, New York’s subways, buses, and commuter trains were carrying 6 million passengers daily, and last week, there were no new congestion issues. Rapid bus ridership in Brooklyn, Rockaway, and Staten Island is increasing, with enough space to accommodate more passengers.”

While data shows a reduction in the number of cars on Manhattan roads and an increase in speed, drivers have varied reactions to this change.

Bigu Haider, a representative of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), expressed that their members have shown a “very positive” response to the congestion fees.

“Drivers are saying that most roads appear wider, and speeds have increased,” Haider said. “Drivers’ feedback on the congestion fees has been very positive.”

Uber driver Lin emphasized, “I do feel that there are fewer cars on the road, but not significantly, maybe a few percentage points less. I hope it could be reduced by more than 10%.” He mentioned that speed improvements vary by route, with the most noticeable differences for drivers heading to the airport. “Previously, it took 1.5 hours to get to the airport, now it’s reduced by 20 minutes.”

Mr. Cai, who regularly drives in Manhattan, agreed that road conditions vary by location. “Some roads are still congested. Around 1 pm on Monday (January 13th), 36th Street was still congested,” he said. “However, the route to New Jersey via the Lincoln Tunnel does indeed have fewer cars.”

Jason, a Chinese driver who frequently travels between Manhattan and New Jersey, noted, “Indeed, there seem to be fewer cars on the Manhattan roads these days.” He added, “But I’m not sure if it’s due to congestion fees or because it’s the New Year holiday recently.” His routes include Downtown Manhattan to Queens and from Midtown to New Jersey.