In New York, where the 'congestion charge' was introduced, the number of cars was reduced, congestion was alleviated, and revenue for traffic improvement was increased

Congestion pricing is a system that raises fees or imposes road tolls during peak demand periods to mitigate excess demand for public goods such as buses, trains, and electricity, and has been introduced in Singapore, London, etc. New York introduced a congestion charge for automobile traffic called the Central Business District Toll Program (CBDTP) in January 2025, and The New York Times has summarized the results of a survey on the effectiveness of the introduction as of April.

Here Is Everything That Has Changed Since Congestion Pricing Started in New York - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/05/11/upshot/congestion-pricing.html

New York will introduce a congestion charge on January 5, 2025, requiring most vehicles traveling from 60th Street in Manhattan to the city center during the day to pay $9 (about 1,300 yen). The New York Times collected information from various sources, including researchers, fire departments, and restaurant reservation platforms, and summarized the changes brought about by the congestion charge as follows.

Cars on the road: Decreased
Traffic speed: Greatly improved
Rush hour traffic: It's gotten even faster
Local buses: faster and less late
・Traffic outside the city center: Not getting worse
Commuting from New Jersey: Improved
・Number of people using public transport: Significant increase
Taxi operations: Increased
・City bike trip: Ride around the city center
-Injuries from car accidents: Decreased
・Parking violations: Decrease
・Complaints about traffic noise: Decreased
Fire response time: slightly reduced
School bus delays: Decreased
Visitors to city centres: Increase
・Restaurant, Broadway: Maintain status or perform slightly better
Air pollution: not yet assessable
Impact on low-income commuters: Not yet assessable
Public opinion (support for the system): Not great, but improving

The federal government had demanded that New York's congestion charge be abolished by the end of May 2025, claiming that it 'imposes an unfair burden on working-class commuters.' According to a survey by The New York Times, the introduction of congestion charges has so far significantly alleviated congestion, and toll revenues are expected to reach about $500 million (about 72 billion yen) in the first year.

In addition, a Siena College poll (PDF file) conducted in December 2024 showed that only 32% of New York voters supported congestion pricing, but a repeat Siena College poll in March 2025 and a Marist College poll (PDF file) conducted in April 2025 showed that about 40% supported the continuation of the system. Although the congestion pricing system was unpopular in a poll conducted just before its introduction, it is believed that support for the system will increase as the benefits of the congestion pricing system become more apparent.

The graph below shows the number of vehicles entering the congestion zone, created based on traffic data provided by the MTA, which operates New York's public transportation system. The green represents the actual number of vehicles, and the gray represents the number of vehicles predicted based on past traffic trends. You can see that traffic volume will be reduced by 12% in April 2025.

According to a study conducted by researchers from Stanford University, Yale University, and Google, New York's congestion pricing not only increased traffic speeds in the city center, but also had a ripple effect outside the city center, reducing traffic throughout the metropolitan area. Average traffic speeds in the city center increased by 15% compared to other cities, actual travel times were reduced by about 8%, and the estimated carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles were also reduced.

When the congestion charge was announced, some local groups expressed concern that drivers would take longer routes to avoid the toll, which would lead to increased traffic outside the city center and lead to air pollution. However, according to the New York Department of Transportation, traffic volume in the South Bronx in southwestern New York has decreased slightly compared to the previous year.

As another ripple effect, the New York Police Department reported that traffic accidents also decreased by 14% in downtown areas and by 9-11% outside the city center due to reduced traffic volume in congested areas. Philip Miatkowski, senior director of traffic research, points out that 'the reduction in congestion (due to congestion pricing) not only reduces traffic volume, but may also improve safety in other ways, such as reducing double parking , intersection closures, and road rage, which makes people angry when they get behind the wheel.'