Congestion Pricing Week in Review!

It has been six days since the controversial congestion pricing program got started, which charges most vehicles $9 to drive below 60th Street in Manhattan during peak hours. 

The MTA says it does not have data as yet on how much money the toll has generated in its first week, or how many vehicles have driven into the Central Business District. 

“Is congestion pricing having the effect on the traffic flow that you wanted to see?” CBS News New York’s Ali Bauman asked. 

“The anecdotal and the evidence and the reports are pretty consistent, that people coming from buses, whether they’re coming from Jersey or on Express buses from the New York City boroughs, are having much faster morning commutes, faster evening commutes,” MTA Chair Janno Lieber said.

Traffic expert “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz has been monitoring GPS data patterns. 

“Traffic at the bridges and tunnels appears to be down. The only crossing that looks like it’s a little bit up is the Battery Tunnel,” Schwartz said. “I’ve even been monitoring the Cross Bronx Expressway and Fort Lee that filed the lawsuit, and they’re looking pretty good. I don’t see any significant difference.”

The MTA says it’s too early to tell how effective congestion pricing has been on congestion itself, especially considering the bitter start to January, and it being so soon after the holidays. The MTA expects to release more traffic data in the coming weeks. 

NYPD cracks down

The NYPD is cracking down on drivers in the Congestion Relief Zone: 

• On Tuesday, the NYPD issued 82 summonses, including 29 for improper or covered plates, seized 17 vehicles, and made two arrests, one for aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and another for possession of a forged instrument
• On Wednesday, the NYPD issued 117 summonses, including 52 for improper or covered plates, seized 10 vehicles, and made one arrest for an open summons
• On Thursday, the NYPD issued 89 summonses, including 27 for improver or covered plates, seized 14 vehicles, and made seven arrests including five for aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, one for possession of a forged instrument, and one for criminal possession of stolen property
• On Friday, the NYPD issued 82 summonses, including 29 for improper or covered plates, seized 17 vehicles, and made two arrests, one for aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and one for possession of a forged instrument

Drivers speak out

“The traffic is definitely less than it normally is around this time,” driver Mark Wilson said. “I’d say in two months it’ll be back to normal.” 

“It has been a lot better, to be honest, because before it was congested, all these people, so now it’s real smooth,” another driver said. 

What about mass transit?

Congestion pricing was always meant to encourage more people to use mass transit. So how has that worked out during the first week?

On Monday: 

• There were 3.4 million subway riders, up 4% from the same Monday a year ago, and up 3.4% from the prior week. 
• 1.1 million bus rides
• 229,503 LIRR rides
• 202,575 Metro-North rides

On Tuesday: 

• 3.7 million subway riders, up from 3.3 million at the same time last year
• 1.2 million bus rides, up from 1.13 million at the same time last year
• 245,930 LIRR rides, up from 213,699
• 220,945 Metro-North rides, up from 188,888

On Wednesday: 

• 3.8 million took the subway, up from 3.5 a year prior
• 1.23 million took the bus, down slightly from 1.24 a year prior
• 239,444 took the LIRR, up from 217,461 a year prior
• 209,550 took Metro-North, up from 191,221 last year

https://www.cbsnews.com/team/ali-bauman