congestion pricing

noun

: a system by which drivers are charged a fee to drive on highly trafficked roads or in heavily trafficked areas in an effort to reduce traffic congestion

In the long, contentious run-up to the Jan. 5 debut of congestion pricing in the city, one of the plan's main selling points was that it would tamp down traffic on some of Manhattan's busiest roads.

—Winnie Hu et al.

For decades, city leaders proposed fixes, but nothing stuck until 2002, when Sweden's parliament approved congestion pricing. The idea was simple: Charge a small fee for vehicles entering and exiting the city center to reduce traffic, improve accessibility, and clean the air.

—Katarina Hall

Examples of congestion pricing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But unions say there is plenty of money for yearly raises, thanks to congestion pricing and casinos. —Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 8 May 2026

Joshua Schank, a partner at transportation strategic advisory firm InfraStrategies and former chief innovation officer of Metro, said the city should consider easing driving demands with congestion pricing. —Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

Critics say that Wu, a big Mamdani fan, is attempting to turn Boston into New York by copying New York City’s congestion pricing program. —Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 May 2026

In February 2025, Trump was referred to as a king in a Truth Social post about his plan to end New York City's congestion pricing program. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for congestion pricing

• deicing
• dicing
• icing
• slicing
• splicing
• enticing
• sufficing
• sacrificing
• satisficing