The latest data shows that the urban vignette in New York is working as planned.Real-time traffic tracking from January to July shows that Manhattan has seen a noticeable drop in congestion.This, in turn, leads to shorter travel times.The time drivers spend in rush hour has decreased and average vehicle speeds have increased.
Reduce congestion
Congestion fell by nearly 4% year-on-year in the first four months of 2025, from 26.2% to 22.8%.The travel time of motorists has decreased by 90 seconds per ten kilometers.This is because average car speeds have increased from 16.3 to 17.1 km/h.Traffic jams in July continued to decrease from 24.4% to 22.3%.
Official Introduction
Official „Central Business District Toll Program“was introduced on January 5, 2025, and the New York city vignette is the first of its kind in the US.The scheme requires drivers to pay a toll to enter the lower half of Manhattan, from the southern end of Central Park to Wall Street.
Earlier data from TomTom, published in March, showed that motor vehicle congestion in the Manhattan toll zone fell from 24.7% to 16.9%.The average time to cover 10 kilometers has improved from 33 minutes 53 seconds to 30 minutes 48 seconds.
Peak Hours
Evening rush hour saw some of the most dramatic results in March, TomTom data shows."At the beginning of 2024, congestion during peak hours from 15:00 to 17:00 was on average 43.2%," said a Dutch location analysis company."In 2025, that number has dropped to 30.3%, cutting nearly five minutes off the time it takes to travel 10 kilometers during peak traffic."
The vignettes brought in about $52 million in revenue in the month of February, according to documents provided to the city's transit authority.This brings the total for the first two months of their introduction to over $100 million."City vignettes, when implemented effectively, not only ease traffic, but also support economic growth," TomTom said.
"In addition to vignettes, we've learned that other tactics can also play a key role in easing urban traffic," the company's statement continued.This includes "expanding public transport networks" and "promoting cycling infrastructure"."Congestion is more than an inconvenience. It affects economic productivity, increases air pollution and reduces quality of life," added TomTom.
New York Gov. Cathy Hawkel has successfully resisted Donald Trump's attempts to repeal the city's vignettes.