Just Four Weeks Since Launching Congestion Pricing Delivers Positive Preliminary Results

Despite continued controversy among critics of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Congestion Pricing Program, preliminary data reveals promising results with the understanding that it’s “likely too early to make definitive claims about the program’s merits.” A review of data from multiple sources was done by Crain’s New York in order to “assess the initial successes, trouble spots and unknowns of congestion pricing.” The volume of vehicles on the road decreased by 8% year-over year during the first week of the toll’s launch, but a more moderate 5% reduction during the second week. Revenue generated during the first month of the program will be shared by the MTA publicly at its February finance committee meeting, with subsequent updates monthly moving forward. In the meantime, MTA’s Chair and Chief Executive, Janno Lieber, reportedly stated that the “toll revenue is in the ballpark of what the authority anticipated.” Due to too many variable, data showing changes in public transportation ridership does not yet clearly indicated results specifically from the tolling program. Similarly, an analysis of the improvement in air quality on a daily basis based on the air quality index (AQI) scale created by the Environmental Protection Agency that measures how clean or polluted air is in a given location is not definitive due to variables such as weather patterns and gradual return to office. Unfortunately, some critics of the program and potentially the White House seek to prematurely end the program, and instead, prefer to base justification on a variety of possible negative impacts that have yet to be backed by proof and currently remain sheer speculation.

Source:    https://www.crainsnewyork.com/transportation/congestion-pricing-report-card-traffic-safety-revenue