Congestion pricing (possibly) vindicated

One argument against Manhattan’s congestion pricing plan is that it merely redistributes congestion and pollution to nearby neighborhoods and suburbs, as drivers choose alternative routes that avoid midtown and downtown Manhattan. If this was true, air quality would decrease citywide or regionwide even outside the congestion pricing zone.

A recent study by Cornell scholars suggests the opposite: that because of congestion pricing, air quality increased everywhere. The study apparently shows that particulate matter pollution decreased not only in the congestion pricing zone, but citywide and regionwide. In particular, the study shows that in the first few months of the program, particulate matter decreased by about 3 micrograms per cubic meter within the zone and about one-third that amount citywide. Of course, this is just one study, and these gains might dissipate over time as drivers adjust.