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It's been ten days since the much talked about congestion pricing plan officially went into effect in NYC, charging drivers $9 during peak hours when entering the central business district area of Manhattan—now known as the Congestion Relief Zone, and we already have some data to analyze the impact of the new scheme.
According to preliminary figures released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), "traffic was down 7.51% last week compared to the same time last year." The data also shows that approximately 219,000 fewer vehicles entered the Congestion Relief Zone—anywhere south of 60th Street—during that period.
Perhaps most telling is the fact that those who did drive in noticed "faster and more reliable trip times," while express bus riders "benefited from shorter commutes."
But the conclusions aren’t just anecdotal.
In an official press release, the MTA discussed data provided by TRANSCOM for morning commutes on Wednesday, January 8, between 7am and 9am According to the figures, the analyzed crossings saw "a 39% reduction in travel time compared to the same day last year." The afternoon peak travel period, between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., also saw reductions in travel time, ranging from 6% to 36%.
Officials are particularly highlighting the benefits for bus commutes, identifying buses as the mode of transportation that gained the most from the changes.
“When a car is able to travel faster over a bridge or through a tunnel, that motorist saves a few minutes, but when a bus is able to do the same, 50 people benefit from those time savings,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow in an official statement. “We hope to see a continuing trend of better bus speeds, which will only make the transit network stronger and complement the best subway on-time performance in over a decade, along with increased service frequencies across 12 subway lines.”
We’re just over a week into the plan, but it seems like the scheme has, overall, achieved at least some of its pre-set goals, which include reducing congestion and improving air quality as a result. Perhaps officials will feel more confident about raising the congestion pricing fee to $15 in 2031, as is currently planned?
The new plan has impacted the city in several other perhaps unforeseen ways as well, both positive and negative. A wide array of NYC restaurants are currently offering congestion pricing discounts, for example, while upper Manhattan has turned into a giant parking lot of sorts, with many commuters leaving their cars there to avoid paying the new toll.
Ultimately, one of the primary goals of the newly established plan is to raise enough funds to overhaul the city's underground transportation system. Whether this will lead to tangible improvements in our subway experience and safety remains to be seen. In the meantime, perhaps consider taking the now-faster buses?