New York becomes first American city to roll out traffic congestion charge

Congestion pricing has finally arrived in New York City (NYC), though its long-term future still remains uncertain.

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Drivers entering parts of Manhattan will be charged $9 during peak hours in a programme following similar initiatives in London, Stockholm and Singapore that aims to reduce the worst traffic in the world.

The first initiative of its kind in the US, congestion pricing promises to bring $15 billion to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the agency that runs the city's century-old subway and commuterrail lines, for desperately needed upgrades.

"We're doing something to deal with the reality of the way that congestion is hurting our city and costing people time and money, that we're protecting the interests of New Yorkers from a health standpoint," Janno Lieber, the MTA's chief executive officer, said late Friday after a judge ruled against New Jersey's request to stop the programme from starting on Sunday.

New York may present a model for developing additional revenue sources for transit, said Tiffany-Ann Taylor, vice president for transportation at the Regional Plan Association, which works to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.