The week of Jan. 5 was the first week Congestion Relief Zone tolls went into effect in lower Manhattan, as explained in last week’s “Safety on the Roads” article. Although one week is far from a representative sample of how effective the tolls will be on reducing the congestion problem that has plagued New York City for decades, it can give an indication of its potential.

Charging drivers $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street appears to have eased traffic as intended in the first week after the controversial toll began, according to a report by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and published by Chris McKenna of the USA Today Network.

The number of vehicles entering the congestion zone was down about 7.5% compared to estimates for January traffic in past years, totaling between 475,000 to 562,000 on each of the first six days of tolling, the report found.

The first snapshot of the toll’s impact also found shorter travel times in the morning on the eight bridges and tunnels that lead into the congestion zone. A year earlier, trudging through the 2-mile-long Holland Tunnel into Lower Manhattan took as long as nearly 13 minutes; peak travel time on a Wednesday morning during the first week of CRZ was 4.5 minutes.

Supporters cheered those early results as a sign the toll is working as planned by warding off some of the drivers who have clogged New York City’s most congested streets.

An NBC News report on Jan. 27 shows the traffic plan continues to be effective. People are saving 10 to 40 minutes on their commutes in and out of NYC.

The number of vehicles entering Manhattan through the Queens Midtown Tunnel is down 15% between 7 and 10 a.m., while the Holland Tunnel has 45% fewer passenger cars heading into the city. Another statistic cited in the NBC report indicated little differences across income groups.

MTA’s leadership said the number of vehicle crashes has been cut in half since Congestion Relief was implemented, making the streets safer for all.

The overall CRZ goal is to ease traffic and air pollution while raising toll revenue to fund costly upgrades for the MTA’s subways, commuter trains and buses.

Opponents have slammed the toll as an onerous cost, particularly for commuters who drive to jobs below 60th Street and have limited mass transit alternatives. A raft of lawsuits to stop it, including ones by New Jersey and Rockland County, are pending in court, and President Donald Trump has vowed to kill the toll.

The MTA touted the toll’s initial results, saying 219,000 fewer vehicles entered the congestion zone and travel times on inbound crossings dropped by 30% to 40% in the first week.

“The early data backs up what New Yorkers have been telling us all week — traffic is down, the streets feel safer, and buses are moving faster,” said Janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the MTA.