A Columbia University analysis of 19 monitors reports a 2 percent rise in fine particulate matter in the South Bronx since New York City’s congestion‑pricing scheme began in 2024. Sensors near expressways showed the uptick, while two stations, including one by a community garden, recorded modest declines. The findings arrive as the borough, home to some of the nation’s highest asthma rates, grapples with highway networks.

City officials dispute the results, noting the study has not yet been peer reviewed and that a six‑day wildfire smoke episode in 2025 may have skewed readings. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority points to its own data showing a decline in highway traffic and a city‑wide fine‑particle drop within the pricing zone. Nevertheless, Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged $20 million for asthma‑focused mitigation in the South Bronx.

With congestion pricing generating more than $578 million in 2025 revenue, the MTA channels funds into subway upgrades and cleaner‑fuel trucks serving Hunts Point, yet the modest pollution increase threatens vulnerable residents. Advocacy group South Bronx Unite calls for continual, transparent policy review, arguing that declaring the scheme a success while air quality deteriorates in the community is premature.