Six months after the implementation of congestion pricing in New York City, traffic is down and business is up, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday.
In an announcement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Hochul said the congestion pricing program was doing what it was intended to do while raising revenues to fund transit improvements across the region. Activated at midnight on Jan. 5, the program reduces gridlock in Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone below 60th Street by charging motorists to enter the zone. Revenue from the program is expected to reach $500 million in 2025, which will allow MTA to advance $15 billion in critical capital improvement to its subway, bus and railroad systems.
“Six months in, it’s clear: congestion pricing has been a huge success, making life in New York better,” Hochul said. “In New York, we dare to do big things, and this program represents just that – traffic is down throughout the region, business is booming, transit ridership is up, and we are making historic upgrades to our transit system. We’ve also fended off five months of unlawful attempts from the federal government to unwind this successful program and will keep fighting – and winning – in the courts. The cameras are staying on.”…