There are a few things that people think of when New York City comes to mind. Good things like incredible food, art, and culture should be at the top of the list. Then, there's the traffic. Many parts of NYC, particularly Manhattan, are engulfed in a seemingly endless gridlock nightmare that just barely takes a break at night. This is, of course, the city that never sleeps, an idea that extends to their traffic problems. But the authorities are trying to fix things.
A new congestion pricing initiative went into effect relatively recently that charges motorists an extra fee to drive a vehicle in a specified area during times of day when traffic issues are at their absolute peak. Naturally, there were critics who viewed the move as nothing more than a disingenuous money grab that would do little to help the problem. It seems they were wrong.
From the start of the pricing initiative through mid February, there was a 10% drop in traffic in the impacted region. Doesn't sound like a lot? That's approximately 2.6 million less vehicles on the road, creating a noticeable drop in traffic as well as an increase in air quality. On top of that, the literal tens of millions of dollars in revenues generated by the fees will be put towards improvements in key mass transit projects, further decreasing the amount of traffic on the road.
While the first few weeks of the program appear to be a success, not everyone agrees. The Trump Administration has struck out against the congestion pricing plan and intend on shutting it down. This is despite the fact that the previous administration gave a green light to the project. New York City and state are returning fire in the form of lawsuits that would allow them to continue the pricing.