Traffic entering Manhattan below 60th Street dropped by 7.5% in the first week after the start of a controversial $9 toll on driving in that area.

With the first full week of congestion pricing in the books, the MTA shared data showing the initial impacts of the controversial plan. And the agency claims it is working. According to their new numbers,

With the first week of New York’s Congestion Pricing toll in the books, commuters are reaping a reward, spending less time in traffic in exchange for their $9 toll to enter lower Manhattan, said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The MTA shared what the first thing was they bought with the toll money that has come in since the controversial congestion pricing plan was put into effect on Sunday.

Systemwide, the MTA anticipated a 1% increase in transit ridership with congestion pricing, but day-to-day fluctuations make it hard to pinpoint the impact, said Michaelson.

The introduction of a $9 congestion fee has resulted in faster speeds on some of the city’s famously snarled streets and fewer commuters on the bridges and tunnels. “The traffic is absolutely less, even during rush hour,