NYC's congestion pricing is working well

It’s been a year since the cameras turned on and New Yorkers started paying a congestion toll every time they drove into Manhattan’s central business district.

While it’s still too early for a definitive verdict, congestion pricing in New York has been quite the success so far.

In that first year, the numbers are all pointing in the right directions. Traffic and car crashes are down, while vehicle speeds, business activity, sales tax revenue and public transit ridership are all up. Even early data on noise and air quality points to improvements.

And the differences aren’t small: Approximately 27 million fewer vehicles entered the district last year — an 11% decline, representing about 73,000 cars and trucks per day.

On top of all of that, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority earned about $550 million in revenue, above projections from before the program began.

Meanwhile, at least for now, naysayers’ worst fears — about traffic outside the district or increased pollution in environmentally disadvantaged communities or an economic hit to New York City and the region — haven’t come to pass.

All of that illustrates why, in response to President Donald Trump’s latest online threat this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul promised to keep the cameras on.

How long this good news lasts remains to be seen. The MTA can’t rest on one year’s worth of data — and must assess whether these trends continue, or any causes for concern develop. Also key: the congestion toll is expected to rise from its current level of $9 to $15 by 2031. While Hochul said recently it’s “working” at $9, the amount will need evaluation and reassessment as time goes on.

Most importantly, the MTA must clearly delineate how it is allocating and using the congestion pricing funds. Right now, the MTA has posted a map of planned projects, mostly subway and bus related, and separately, a list of general promises. For the Long Island Rail Road that list includes making more stations accessible, adding new train cars and promising structural improvements. When asked directly how the LIRR would benefit, the MTA points to the planned purchase of new electric and dual mode train cars, along with improvements to two Queens LIRR stations.

But we need more details and clarity to make sure LIRR riders benefit fully. A dashboard that shows how the congestion pricing revenue is allocated, with status updates for each project, would be a good start. The LIRR is supposed to get 10% of congestion pricing revenue. That’s already $55 million. We need to know when and how those funds are being spent, along with timetables and details regarding larger, longer-term efforts. At a time when New York City’s subways and buses are getting significant investment and attention, and when there’s talk of free city buses and a new train hub for Metro-North, the LIRR must get its fair share.

The MTA has succeeded in its initial launch and first year of this massive effort. Now the authority must build on that success.