With the reduction in traffic volumes , the number of fatalities in New york city in the first half of 2025 has plunged to new lows, compared to the last 12 years. This amounts to a 30% decrease in fatalities from the same period in 2024, with the largest reduction related to pedestrians and motorists.
This is an outstanding outcome, that we had anticipated and hoped for.
The daily baseline, an estimate of traffic without congestion pricing based on historical averages, is 644,400. By this measure, the MTA stated that 76, 253 fewer cars entered the toll zone each day in April. Extrapolated out to the full month, this 12% reduction translates to 2,287,590 fewer cars. Similarly, the Lincoln Tunnel had 277,230 less cars crossing in the first two months of 2025 compared to the same time in 2024. ( Silive)
The 30% reduction is probably due to a number of factors but the reduced number of cars on the road cannot be ignored. In London, a reduction of 14% in crashes has been directly linked to congestion pricing in a rigorous study. The impact is felt outside of the zone, since all suppressed trips did originate outside the zone.
The second factor is the decrease in road rage that is induced by congestion and uncontrollable delays. With congestion pricing the traffic is more fluid and trip time more predictable. This results in calmed drivers and make them less prone to dangerous behavior.
Our report projected a reduction of 71 fatalities per year. We are delighted that this first half of 2025 is well on its way to prove it right.