New York City’s congestion pricing tolls raked in $562 million, after expenses, in its first year, according to figures released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). While the MTA announced that congestion pricing is “exceeding the $500 million target and providing dedicated funding for critical transit investments,” that figure is still less than what the MTA originally planned.
In June 2024, Gov. Hochul directed the MTA to pause the program ahead of the general election. The program was originally also initially priced at $15 during peak periods but was later dropped to $9 before the relaunch in January 2025.
According to media outlet Gothamist, operating costs cut into the toll program’s revenue – including labor, maintenance of the cameras, power bills to keep the cameras on and other “professional services.” On an average month, the MTA spends at least $10 million just to operate the tolling program.
MTA officials say the program has helped reduce traffic. The agency reported 27 million fewer vehicles entered the Manhattan congestion tolling zone below 60th Street. Traffic speeds in the zone have improved and bus speeds also sped up 2.3%. The air quality has also improved across the five boroughs, according to a study from researchers at Cornell University.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has continued to threaten to pull federal highway funding from New York City if it doesn’t halt the congestion pricing program, but the judge in the case issued a temporary restraining order against the federal government last summer.
Source: Gothamist
