Here's The Data From Congestion Pricing's First Week

MIDTOWN, NY — In the first work week since congestion relief tolling took effect, Manhattan below 60th Street saw 219,000 fewer drivers than usual, with more people opting for public transit, according to new data released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday.

Congestion relief pricing, which has been in effect since Jan. 5, charges drivers a fee for entering Manhattan below 60th Street.

From 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, drivers will be charged $9, and all other times, drivers will be charged $2.25.

According to the MTA's preliminary data, traffic was down 7.51 percent overall last week from Monday to Friday, and travel times on inbound river crossings like the Lincoln Tunnel, the Holland Tunnel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Queens Midtown Tunnel were 30 to 40 percent faster than usual for the morning commute.

All of the data was provided by a nonprofit called TRANSCOM, MTA officials said.

“The early data backs up what New Yorkers have been telling us all week — traffic is down, the streets feel safer, and buses are moving faster,” Janno Lieber, MTA's chair and CEO, said.

East-west streets like Houston Street, Canal Street, 34th Street, and 42nd Street also saw faster evening commutes with reductions in travel time ranging from 6 percent to 36 percent between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Jan. 8, MTA said.

However, north-south streets did not see major travel time reductions, except for Third Avenue and Eighth Avenue, which were each running a little faster on Jan. 8.

According to the MTA's preliminary data, several buses, including the B39, the SIM24 and the M50, were running with faster commute times, saving up to four minutes per trip.

Buses like the BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, SIM9, SIM24, QM16, and QM17, saw an increase in ridership, though MTA officials did not specify by how much.

“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,” Demetrius Crichlow, the NYC Transit president, said.

“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 decade and increased service frequencies across 12 subway lines.”

MTA officials said they are not yet measuring the total revenue generated from the tolls in the first week of the program, but that over time, the plan is expected to generate more than $15 billion for public transportation upgrades — like new subway cars and more elevators — in New York City, the MTA said.

“Positive change wasn’t guaranteed, and it’s exciting to hear commuters – including drivers – talking about how much time they are saving since the program kicked off a week ago," Lieber said.

In mid-February, the MTA will release more data charting the impact of the program.

See the rest of the first week's data here.

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