Congestion pricing tolls reaped nearly $49 million from Manhattan motorists during the controversial program’s first month, MTA officials revealed Monday.
Roughly 85% of that toll revenue from January came from passenger cars, the New York Times first reported – indicating everyday drivers are bearing the brunt of the $9 fee for cars entering below 60th Street.
The revenue data provides a snapshot of congestion pricing’s first month, which MTA officials have said corresponded with a 9% drop in traffic in the toll zone.
But the money pulled in from the tolls is also $52 million less, or 6.6% lower, than what transit officials expected, according to MTA documents.
A spokesperson ahead of Monday’s MTA meeting argued that the costs of operating congestion tolls have been lesser than expected, so the revenues are really “spot on.”
The tolls collected $37.6 million net in tolls, compared to the projected $35.5 million net revenue, officials said.
