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Is congestion pricing working? Manhattan traffic speeds mostly improving, MTA says

MTA reports faster travel times for drivers since start of congestion pricing
MTA reports faster travel times for drivers since start of congestion pricing 00:27

NEW YORK -- It has been nearly a month since the congestion pricing tolls were turned on in New York City, and many commuters want to know - is the plan working?  

The MTA says newly released numbers show most travel times are down for drivers in Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone, while buses and subways are seeing more riders.

"Before the start of congestion relief, talk of lawsuits and doubts dominated the conversation, but now it's the undeniably positive results we've been seeing since week one," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement Wednesday.

Where is congestion pricing improving traffic?

The MTA says travels times have improved in the Congestion Relief Zone by as much as 59% during peak afternoon hours. Officials say traffic patterns indicate more drivers are shifting to off-peak hours, as the plan intended

Data shows most of the vehicles entering the zone were passenger vehicles, followed by taxis and for-hire vehicles and then small trucks. Of them, 43% entered the zone north of 60th Street, 24% came from Brooklyn, 17% percent came from New Jersey and 16% from Queens. 

Inbound trip times at all Hudson and East River crossings are at least 10 percent faster than they were last January, according to the MTA. 

The Holland Tunnel has seen the biggest improvement, with a 48% reduction during the morning commute, the MTA says. On the East Side, the Williamsburg and Queensboro Bridges have both seen 30% faster trips.

Officials say drivers on the Long Island Expressway, NJ 495 and Flatbush Avenue have also seen improved speeds.

Congestion pricing speeding up bus service

Riders on express routes from Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx are saving an average of up to 10 minutes per trip and seeing more reliable service, according to the MTA.

Bus ridership is up 6% over last January on express weekday routes and gaining steam, the agency says. Ridership in the X27 route from Bay Ridge to Manhattan rose by nearly 15% on weekdays and by 55% on weekends.    

Subway ridership has also grown by 7.3% over last January on weekdays and by 12% on weekends, and the Long Island Rail Road's New Hyde Park, Douglaston, Garden City, Ronkonkoma and Woodmere stations are seeing year-over-year increases that officials say "outpaced systemwide ridership growth."

To see the MTA's full report on the first three weeks of congestion pricing, CLICK HERE.

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