The introduction of congestion pricing is having a detrimental impact on some of New York City’s most impoverished areas.
An unsettling new report reveals that the air quality in the South Bronx has deteriorated significantly since the implementation of the contentious toll, which was initially promoted with ambitious environmental benefits.
Research indicates an increase in fine particulate matter following the introduction of the $9 base fee for entering Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours, which began in January 2025. This conclusion comes from a study conducted by Columbia University in collaboration with the community group South Bronx Unite.
Data collected over two years from 19 air quality monitors across the Bronx showed that four of these sensors recorded notable rises in fine particulate levels, as reported by Gothamist.
The Environmental Protection Agency warns that exposure to such pollutants can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory problems, and may even result in premature death for individuals with existing heart or lung conditions.
The South Bronx, often referred to as “Asthma Alley,” is already plagued by poor health outcomes, a high prevalence of respiratory diseases, and persistent air quality challenges.
Around 1 in 5 children are diagnosed with asthma in the Mott Haven-Port Morris sections of the South Bronx, according to South Bronx Unite.
City health data also shows a startling 20.7% of South Bronx adults have asthma — or 79,000 — compared to the Big Apple’s 14.2% rate.
Congestion pricing has outperformed revenue expectations, generating a whopping $526 million in net revenue in its first year – a windfall critics blasted as proof the toll is nothing more than a cash grab.
The MTA tried to pour cold water on the report, however, pointing to other studies that have shown drops in overall New York City air pollution since the toll kicked off.
A Cornell University study previously found air pollution plummeted 22% in the Congestion Relief Zone – the Manhattan roads south of 60th Street –and also discovered more modest drops across the Big Apple.
“Reducing air pollution has always been one of the core goals of New York’s Congesting Pricing program,” MTA head honcho Janno Lieber said in a statement.
“The data shows it’s already succeeding, and now we’re taking the next step by using revenues to fund additional improvements for Bronx residents.
