President Trump on Wednesday made good on a campaign promise to do away with the MTA’s controversial congestion pricing program in Manhattan, but it’s not a done deal just yet. NBC New York’s Rana Novini and Chris Jose report.
New York City's first-in-the-nation plan to reduce vehicular congestion in the lower side of Manhattan and fund crucial MTA infrastructure projects has hit a new wall after the U.S. Department of Transportation's withdrew its support of the pilot plan that allowed congestion pricing to be a reality in the city.
Early data from the MTA showed congestion pricing resulting in about 250,000 fewer vehicles on city streets per week, faster commutes and less gridlock.
As congestion pricing entered its eighth week, new data made public by the MTA revealed a more detailed view of the now-changing traffic patters in the Congestion Relief Zone.
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WATCH HEREAre drivers waiting for off-peak rates?
In an early report published two weeks after the implementation of congestion pricing, the MTA declared a shift in the behavior of drivers as a result of the changes in the toll pricing, from $2.25 during off-peak hours to $9 on peak hours.
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SIGN UP However, most drivers still enter Manhattan during the traditional morning commute hours, which go from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The data from the past six weeks revealed most vehicles enter the congestion relief zone at 9 a.m.
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What's the busiest day to drive into the city?
Fridays are the most congested day of the week in the lower side of Manhattan.
Vehicle entry data shows that entries to the CRZ peak on Friday, with the MTA reporting that almost 3.1 million vehicles have entered the zone since congestion pricing started in Jan. 5. The second most congested day of the week were Thursdays.
Are most vehicles coming from New Jersey?
Not really. While New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has described congestion pricing as an unfair burden on Jersey commuters, data from the MTA shows that most of the vehicles entering the so-called Central Business District actually come from the 60th St "cordon" and Brooklyn.
During the six weeks of publicly available data, only 17% of entries originated from vehicle traveling from the Garden State through the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels.
