Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today Gov. Kathy Hochul took a victory lap Monday on the one-year anniversary of congestion pricing in Manhattan, touting fewer vehicles and boosted bus speeds in the toll zone since the tolls went into effect.

"It turns out that mostly when people say 'New York is noisy' they really mean 'cars are noisy. '" Surprise. A public policy initiative panned by drivers and pro-car pundits turned out to instead be a roaring success that improved traffic congestion, road safety, and even reduced pollution -- a godsend not just for those living in Manhattan, but for transit riders, drivers, and outer-borough residents.

A year ago today, Jan. 5, congestion pricing went into effect for vehicles entering Manhattan south of 61st St. It marked a historic moment: New York became the first city this side of the Atlantic to implement such a program, joining London, Stockholm, Milan, Singapore and others.

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today New York City's congestion pricing tolls went into effect a year ago, and much of the controversy over the program has all but disappeared since it launched.