Less Traffic, Safer Streets: As Summer Comes to an End, Governor Hochul Highlights Continued Success of Congestion Pricing

Governor Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that as summer draws to a close, New York City's congestion relief program has continued to successfully reduce traffic and improve travel times throughout the region. August saw nearly 2.7 million fewer vehicles than baseline enter the congestion relief zone, a 14 percent reduction. August was level with June for the largest vehicle reduction seen so far in 2025. Congestion pricing continues to generate revenue to fund transit improvements across the region, including new rail cars, accessibility improvements, and enabling the advancement of the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2.

"With summer coming to an end, the benefits of congestion pricing are clearer than ever," Governor Hochul said. "This program has been nothing short of transformational, making streets safer, reducing gridlock across the region, and unlocking generational upgrades to mass transit, benefitting millions. Congestion pricing is working, it is legal, and the cameras are staying on."

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "In less than a year, New Yorkers are seeing massive benefits from congestion relief, including new rail cars, dozens of ADA elevators and signal modernization. This initiative has demonstrated that government can do big things that deliver results - less traffic, safer streets, and improved quality of life for transit users, drivers and pedestrians alike."

Less Traffic, Safer Streets:

Congestion pricing has shown continued success in reducing traffic, speeding up the flow of traffic, and cutting down delays, not just in the congestion relief zone but throughout the New York metropolitan region. The number of vehicles entering the zone is down by 12 percent since congestion pricing started. Every day, 87,000 fewer vehicles enter the zone, and since the program started, 17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered the zone compared to last year.

Congestion pricing has had notable benefits reducing gridlock on bridges and tunnels crossing the East River and Hudson River, making commutes faster. Every crossing entering the congestion relief zone has seen morning peak travel times reduced in 2025 when compared to 2024.

• Brooklyn Bridge: 13 percent faster
• Holland Tunnel: 36 percent faster
• Hugh L. Carey Tunnel: 16 percent faster
• Lincoln Tunnel: 5 percent faster
• Queens-Midtown Tunnel: 4 percent faster
• Queensboro Bridge: 21 percent faster
• Williamsburg Bridge: 23 percent faster

Reduced gridlock has improved quality of life in New York City. Crashes in the congestion relief zone are down 14 percent. Traffic injuries are down by 15 percent in the zone, and the safety benefits are being felt citywide. Earlier this summer, the New York City Department of Transportation released data showing that pedestrian fatalities on New York City streets are at historic lows, matching levels last seen in 2018.

Rising Transit Ridership:

Transit ridership across all modes has increased from January to August 2025 when compared to the same period last year.

• Subway: 9 percent
• Bus: 13 percent
• LIRR: 10 percent
• Metro-North: 7 percent
• Access-A-Ride: 22 percent

In July, the MTA achieved its best summer subway ridership week since 2019, hitting four million subway riders three days in a row in a summer season - a first since the start of the pandemic. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) shattered its post-pandemic daily ridership record twice in July, carrying 298,419 passengers on Wednesday, July 23, and 295,419 passengers on Tuesday, July 22.

Improving Transit Performance:

Transit service has improved across-the-board in 2025 to near-record heights. In August, subway weekday On-Time Performance was 85.2 percent, the best for that month in 10 years. Overall summer On-Time Performance on the subway was 84.3 percent, up from both 2024 and 2023.

Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North On-Time Performance have consistently been at or near 97 percent in 2025.

Buses are moving faster thanks to congestion pricing. According to a new report from the New York City Comptroller, buses operating entirely or partially in the congestion relief zone have seen improvements to speed and overall performance in excess of citywide baselines. August also saw the final implementation of the MTA's Queens bus Network Redesign.

At the same time, economic indicators demonstrate that congestion pricing has coincided with an increase in business activity in Manhattan's central business district. A new report from Placer AI found that New York City office visits in July exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time, the first city in the nation to achieve that benchmark in their analysis.

Earlier this week, the congestion relief program was recognized by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) with its Social Responsibility award, calling it an "historic first by reducing gridlock and advancing access - cutting congestion, improving travel times, generating critic no al transit funding, and creating new discount and exemption plans for drivers." On June 11, the Intelligent Transportation Society of New York awarded the Central Business District Tolling Program with its Intelligent Transport Systems Project of the Year.

Contact the Governor's Press Office