New York’s congestion toll reduced traffic by 25%

New York City’s controversial congestion pricing toll has produced multiple benefits since it was launched in January, according to a new report from the Regional Plan Association.

The toll has cut Manhattan traffic delays by 25% and reduced gridlock in nearby New Jersey counties by as much as 14%. It has also generated $216 million in revenue from January through May.

The tolls charge most motorists $9 during peak hours to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street excluding the West Side Highway and FDR Drive. The policy is meant to reduce congestion, curb pollution, and generate $15 billion to modernize the city’s mass transit network.

Across adjacent areas, including the city’s outer boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, and parts of New Jersey, time lost in traffic declined by 9% overall, according to the report. Critics had feared that tolls would prompt vehicles to avoid Manhattan roads and cause traffic to worsen in surrounding areas, but this appears to not be the case. The RPA based its analysis on data from Waze, the navigation app.