Be the first to know

      Topics you care about, straight to your inbox

      Your email address

      Default

      Be the first to know

      Topics you care about, straight to your inbox

      Your email address

        Has congestion pricing changed NYC commutes?

        The Federal Highway Administration has said the program must end by Friday, but New York government has promised a fight.

        Tom Krosnowski

        Mar 17, 2025, 10:16 AM

        Updated 4 hr ago

        Share:

        By the end of the week, New York City’s controversial congestion pricing plan may no longer exist.
        The Federal Highway Administration has said the program must end by Friday, but New York government has promised a fight.
        Congestion pricing began in Manhattan below 60th Street back on January 5. It became $9 more expensive to enter the city by the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, with the congestion relief charge added on top of what drivers already pay to take the tunnel.
        The MTA has released data suggesting that vehicle traffic is down compared to last year. A Brown University student study has shown the average commute time over the Holland Tunnel at 7 a.m. improved from just under 23 minutes to about 13. The Lincoln Tunnel has seen a savings at the same time from eight minutes to six.
        News 12 spoke with drivers from both sides of the river who say they haven't seen much of a difference.
        One of the program's goals was to increase the use of public transit into the city. NJ Transit has yet to release public data on this, but CEO Kris Kolluri told us in February that the impact hasn’t been as significant as expected.
        “I think there's anecdotal evidence on the bus lines that certain lines are seeing some minimal increase," Kolluri said. "On the train lines, I haven't seen in the data that there is an actual increase in ridership, the way people are saying there is.”
        A recent Siena College poll among New Yorkers indicated that although more residents statewide want the fee to end, support has increased among city dwellers.