NYC’s New Congestion Pricing Zone Sees 7.5% Drop in Traffic

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Traffic on New York City’s busiest streets dropped by 7.5% and morning travel times fell on most major crossings into Manhattan during the first work week of the city’s congestion pricing plan, signaling that some motorists changed their driving patterns to avoid the new toll.

The preliminary data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s transit system and is implementing the toll, is the first glimpse into how the new charge is impacting commuting patterns and movement in and out of Manhattan.

The MTA on Jan. 5 started charging most motorists $9 during peak hours to drive into Manhattan’s Central Business District, which runs from 60th Street to the southern-most tip of the island. It’s the first such program in the U.S.

The early data follo…