NEW YORK (AP) — 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.

INRIX, a transportation analytics company, released its 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard which ranks the most congested cities in America by measuring the change in average peak period travel times across more than 22 months.

The congestion zone covers an area south of Central Park, taking in such well-known sites as the Empire State Building, Times Square and the financial district around Wall Street.

Experts warn it's too early to tell what impact the tolls are having on Manhattan's notorious gridlock, but the view from the streets shows signs the program could be working.

London ranks first among European cities and fourth worldwide, with an average time loss of 101 hours. Paris ranks sixth globally, with drivers spending an average of 97 hours in traffic jams.

The program had defied many obstacles over the course of decades. It debuted over the weekend on what seemed to be a successful first day.

Last year, New York City was named the world's most-congested urban area for the second year in a row, according to INRIX, a traffic data analysis firm. Vehicles in downtown Manhattan drove at a speed of 11mph (17km/h) during peak morning periods in the ...

A new report from transportation analytics solutions company, INRIX, ranks the City of Brotherly Love as having the fifth worst traffic congestion in the United States. The report found that commuters on average lost up to 77 hours throughout the year due to this congestion, amounting to $1,378 per driver in lost time and productivity.

NYC's controversial congestion pricing began on Jan. 5 to combat Manhattan's traffic but the public transit system saw the influx of riders.

Congestion pricing has finally arrived in New York City after decades of delays and challenges, including a failed, last-ditch effort by the State of New Jersey to end a program that will charge most drivers $9 to cross into the heart of Manhattan.

Drivers here already pay congestion-style taxes for ride-sharing in certain parts of the city, a policy established during the COVID-era to close a budget gap. We’ll keep an eye on the Gotham situation as it plays out, but New York’s solution clearly won’t work here in Chicago.

I spent nearly 50 years benefitting from the phenomenon of transportation supply creating its own demand. The more lanes we built, the more work there was for us to do. Now I spend most days thinking about how to manage demand. With good intentions, we left a few messes for others to fix.