Congestion pricing in Manhattan is a predictable success
So why on earth did it take so long to start?
MAURA RYAN, a speech therapist in New York City, was dreading the introduction of congestion pricing. To see her patients in Queens and Manhattan she sometimes drives across the East River a couple of times a day. The idea of paying a $9 toll each day infuriated her. Yet since the policy was actually implemented, she has changed her mind. A journey which used to take an hour or more can now be as quick as 15 minutes. “Well, this is very nice,” she admits thinking. Ms Ryan is not alone. Polls show more New Yorkers now support the toll than oppose it. A few months ago, it saw staunch opposition.
Explore more
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “It tolls for thee”
United States
June 21st 2025- Democrats could do a lot better with the power they hold
- Congestion pricing in Manhattan is a predictable success
- The attacks in Minnesota reflect a worrying trend
- The strange history of the tribe courted by Donald Trump
- Our model suggests President Trump is under water in every swing state
- The New York mayor’s race is a study in Democratic Party dysfunction
From the June 21st 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
Jeffrey Epstein is still causing trouble for Donald Trump
His administration cannot shake rumours of a cover-up—in part because MAGA types enthusiastically endorsed it
What went wrong in the Texas floods?
DOGE may not have been to blame but local politicians have a case to answer
American men are hungry for injectable testosterone
A legion of new health clinics are serving it up
Trump embarrasses the Pentagon with a U-turn on Ukraine
His decision to resume arms shipments is a victory for common sense—while it lasts
ICE’s big payday makes mass deportation possible
What the controversial agency will do with even more funding