The first congestion pricing plan in the U.S. has begun, charging most drivers $9 a day to enter the lower half of Manhattan. The long-debated plan is projected to raise up to $800 million a year for the city's aging public transit system.

Traffic in Manhattan's central business district fell by 7.5% last week and 273,000 fewer cars entered the borough's central business district after the first congestion pricing fee in the U.S. took effect on Jan.

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.

The countdown to congestion pricing in New York City is over. Drivers now must pay a toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.

While commercial trucks entering Manhattan will be charged depending on the truck size and time of day, there are workarounds.

The program is the target of several lawsuits and of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who said he will end it permanently once he takes office on Jan. 20.

Monday marked the first weekday that thousands of drivers in New York paid congestion price fees when entering parts of Manhattan. Passenger vehicles will now pay as much as $9 to drive past 60th Street during peak hours.

New York City implemented congestion pricing Sunday in an effort to reduce pollution, traffic and fund mass transit. In Fairfield County, reactions are mixed.

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.

Charging drivers a price for using congested, currently free roadways is near-universally accepted as the only surefire way to eliminate gridlock traffic.