A policy that charges motorists a toll for driving in busy urban areas to reduce traffic and fund public transport. The principle was first outlined by William Vickrey, an economist at Columbia University, in the 1960s.
London introduced its congestion charge more than 20 years ago, achieving substantial reductions in traffic.
New York City became the first American city to implement congestion pricing, on January 5th 2025. A version reintroducing bridge tolls almost went into effect in the 1970s before Congress killed it. The current scheme was muscled through the state legislature by Andrew Cuomo, then the governor, in 2019. It took six years to come into force. In 2024, with the cameras ready to roll, Kathy Hochul, Mr Cuomo's successor as governor, delayed it. Only after Donald Trump won re-election did it start.
The toll is $9 per day. In its first months traffic fell by about 10%, leading to substantially faster journeys, especially at the pinch-points of bridges and tunnels. Car-noise complaints dropped by 70%. Buses began travelling so much faster that their drivers had to stop and wait to keep to their schedules. The charge raises around $50m each month for the subway and other public-transport systems; ridership is up sharply. Broadway attendance rose rather than fell, as some had feared.
Never explain. Your friends do not need it and your enemies will never believe you anyway.