A new toll on drivers entering the core of Manhattan brought modest but measurable traffic reductions to New York City’s heavily-gridlocked streets in its first week of operation, according to preliminary data released Monday by the state's transit authority.

New York’s new toll for drivers entering the center of Manhattan means many people will pay $9 to access the busiest part of the Big Apple during peak hours. The toll is meant to reduce traffic gridlock in the city and raise money to fix its ailing public transit infrastructure. (AP Video: David R. Martin / Jan. 6, 2025)

The toll, known as congestion pricing, is meant to reduce traffic gridlock while also raising money to help fix New York's ailing public transit infrastructure.

Data from the first week of New York City’s congestion pricing shows the policy brought a small but noticeable dip in traffic in Manhattan.

In the days since, total traffic in the tolling zone has dropped by 7.5% — or roughly 43,000 cars per day — compared to the equivalent period last year, Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said.