As New York City barrels toward the end of two months of congestion pricing, and the president’s looming threat to close the toll program, the MTA has shared receipts of the first month of revenue.
According to the transit agency, the Manhattan toll collecting $9 from drivers during peak hours has brought in $48.7 million in revenue from the month of January. Since the toll began on Jan. 5, after a “pause” by Gov. Kathy Hochul, millions were collected across the nearly four weeks that were left in the month.
Roughly one quarter of that initial revenue will pay the $11 million cost of installing the tolling gantries and setting up the congestion pricing system.
The dollar figure is more proof of the success of congestion pricing, the MTA brass totted on Monday. Based on the January revenue, officials said the program is on track to generate the $500 million that was initially projected.
“All of the indications are congestion pricing made New York safer, faster, and stronger economically. Why would you put an end to it,” MTA Chair Janno Lieber said.
The reason the program remains at serious risk? Suburban officials and other opponents of the state’s revenue plan continue to lobby President Donald Trump to follow through on his promise to end the toll.
Wednesday marked exactly one month since congestion pricing started in New York City. It’s the nation’s first and only tolling plan of its kind and new numbers detail its impact. And despite initial opposition, a new poll suggests most NYC drivers want it to stick around. NBC New York’s Andrew Siff reports.
Lieber said the revenue boon is just the evidence needed to show how successful the tolling program is to New York. That dollar figure comes on the heels of promising traffic data the MTA already released in recent weeks that show a dramatic change on the roads.
Between Jan. 5 and Feb. 4 of 2025, a million fewer vehicles entered the Central Business District — a.k.a. Manhattan below 61st Street — as compared to the same stretch of time a year prior.
That works out to about 250,000 fewer vehicles on city streets per week, a 7.5% reduction in vehicular traffic.
The MTA broke down the first month’s receipt by vehicle type, which indicate the majority — slightly more than two-thirds — of all drivers in the Congestion Relief Zone were passenger vehicles. The next highest group, roughly 22%, were taxis and for-hire-vehicles; then came trucks and buses.
Overwhelming, according to toll data, most drivers passed through the CRZ during peak hours. Only 5% of drivers paid the lower $2.25 off-peak price that starts every day after 9 p.m.
