{"id":783826,"date":"2026-05-09T08:02:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T08:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/783826\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T08:02:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T08:02:54","slug":"south-bronx-air-quality-worsened-after-nyc-congestion-pricing-toll-launched-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/783826\/","title":{"rendered":"South Bronx air quality worsened after NYC congestion pricing toll launched: report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congestion pricing is choking some of the Big Apple\u2019s poorest neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

Air quality in the South Bronx has significantly worsened since the controversial toll went into effect \u2014 despite its backers touting lofty environmental promises \u2014 an alarming new report found.<\/p>\n

Researchers found fine particulate matter concentration increased after the $9 base tax scheme to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours was enacted in January 2025, according to an analysis by Columbia University and grass roots organization South Bronx Unite.<\/p>\n

\"AnA new report from Columbia University and grass roots organization South Bronx Unite reveals that air quality in the South Bronx has significantly worsened since congestion pricing went into effect. Robert Miller<\/p>\n

Two years of data analyzed from 19 air quality sensors around the Bronx found four \u201cexhibited significant increases\u201d in fine particulate matter, according to the findings, Gothamist reported.<\/p>\n

Exposure to the pollutant can cause cardiovascular and respiratory issues and even premature death for people with preexisting heart or lung disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And the South Bronx is already known as \u201cAsthma Alley\u201d due to its notoriously poor health outcomes, high rate of respiratory disease and long-standing air quality issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

City health data<\/a> also shows a startling 20.7% of South Bronx adults have asthma \u2014 or 79,000 \u2014 compared to the Big Apple\u2019s 14.2% rate.<\/p>\n

\"PedestriansKnown as \u201cAsthma Alley\u201d due to its notoriously poor health outcomes, the South Bronx has more adults with asthma, as 20.7% of residents have asthma compared to NYC\u2019s 14.2% rate. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Congestion pricing has outperformed revenue expectations, generating a whopping $526 million in net revenue in its first year \u2013 a windfall critics blasted as proof the toll is nothing more than a cash grab<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

A Cornell University study<\/a> previously found air pollution plummeted 22% in the Congestion Relief Zone \u2013 the Manhattan roads south of 60th Street \u2013and also discovered more modest drops across the Big Apple.<\/p>\n

\u201cReducing air pollution has always been one of the core goals of New York\u2019s Congesting Pricing program,\u201d MTA head honcho Janno Lieber said in a statement.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe data shows it\u2019s already succeeding, and now we\u2019re taking the next step by using revenues to fund additional improvements for Bronx residents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Congestion pricing is choking some of the Big Apple\u2019s poorest neighborhoods. Air quality in the South Bronx has…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":783827,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5122],"tags":[2529,5229,13845,5248,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,5305,67,586,132,5230,68,1154,2969],"class_list":["post-783826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-air","tag-america","tag-congestion-pricing","tag-metro","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-newyork","tag-newyorkcity","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-the-bronx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-us-news","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116543580593252086","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=783826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/783827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=783826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=783826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=783826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}