Congestion pricing was sold as a public health victory: fewer vehicles in Manhattan, reduced congestion, cleaner air, and a more efficient transportation system. But one year after implementation, many Bronx residents are asking a difficult question: why does seemingly cleaner air in Midtown appear to coincide with worsening conditions in communities that have carried New York\u2019s air quality burden for generations?<\/p>\n
The South Bronx historically has faced some of the worst air quality in the country, contributing to some of the\u00a0nation\u2019s highest asthma<\/a>\u00a0rates. It has endured being the dumping ground for Manhattan\u2019s waste. A recent\u00a0New York Times report<\/a>\u00a0confirmed what residents already knew: while Manhattan reaps the benefits of congestion pricing, the air quality in the Bronx has only gotten worse.<\/p>\n In 14 of the 19 community air monitors tested, there was an increase in fine particulate matter most closely linked to asthma and respiratory disease. It\u2019s not hard to see the correlation; traffic on the RFK Bridge recorded nearly 365,000 more vehicle crossings in 2025 than the year before the toll took effect. Without proper investment from the City, that growth comes at the Bronx\u2019s expense, leaving community groups like South Bronx Unite to claim that congestion pricing is\u00a0\u201cnot working for us.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n By charging trucks at rates up to 2.4 times higher than passenger vehicles, and on a per trip basis, the program created a financial incentive to reroute freight around the toll zone. This means that trucks that once efficiently entered Manhattan via the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels are now inefficiently weaving their way through the Bronx.<\/p>\n Bronxites, whose children saw asthma rates\u00a0nearly double<\/a>\u00a0that of the other boroughs in the City, deserve a better shot at a healthier future. One year into congestion pricing, they still aren\u2019t getting it. Thankfully, we have the solutions at our fingertips to help immediately create change.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Bring pricing parity to the congestion pricing program.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with what we have been advocating for since the congestion pricing program was announced\u2014implement pricing parity between trucks and passenger vehicles. The current rate structure is undoubtedly the largest driver of freight rerouting through the Bronx. If the MTA equalizes what trucks and cars pay, this financial incentive disappears.<\/p>\n Additionally, the trucking industry continues to make strides to build momentum behind clean freighting. Since 1974, the trucking industry has reduced pollutants by 99 percent through advances in clean diesel and renewable fuel technology. There are tangible next steps in this process for both trucks themselves and the infrastructure which supports freight maintenance and storage.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Scale what is already working.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n New York State deserves credit for its highly successful Hunts Point Access Improvement Project. This forward-thinking infrastructure project reconnected communities in the South Bronx, created new green space, and streamlined truck access to the Terminal Market. The\u00a0$15 million investment<\/a>\u00a0to replace outdated Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) at the Hunts Point Market is a direct, measurable intervention, which was championed through public-private partnership.<\/p>\n This single move is the equivalent of eliminating fine particulate emissions from an estimated 6,600 daily truck trips on the Cross Bronx Expressway, a clear win for the borough.<\/p>\n