“Fast Company” is the latest national publication to take note of the positive outcome from the first month of Manhattan congestion pricing. Acknowledging it’s early days, an article on the magazine’s website reports that current MTA data, supported by independent measures, reveals positive trends in traffic reduction, travel times, and transit adoption. (Initial information about toll revenue yield and air quality should be available later this month.) The article focuses on the program’s immediate impact on improving commutes by car and bus into and within the congestion zone.
Concerns that congestion pricing would seriously curtail New York City theatre attendance have so far proved to be unfounded, Streetsblog NYC reports. “Despite doom prognostications, congestion pricing has not hurt Broadway’s bottom line a bit — and, in fact, may be boosting it. According to the Broadway League — the Great White Way’s trade group — ticket sales rose year-over-year in both the third and fourth weeks of January,” the period following the usual holiday surge in attendance.
MTA policy and external relations chief John McCarthy commented, “Most [theatergoers] take subways, buses, bikes, cabs or walk to Broadway shows. The relatively few who drive are seeing much less traffic. So, no surprise that attendance and ticket sales are way up.”