New York City is set to become the first major American city to make drivers pay money to get into its most crowded areas. The purpose of the new toll is to reduce traffic, cut pollution and encourage more people to use public transportation. Several cities around the world have tried a similar plan. It seems to have worked in places like London, Singapore and Stockholm. Each now has a “congestion pricing” system like the one New York City is planning. After the systems were put in place, each of the cities experienced less traffic and better air quality. At the same time, the cities got more money to support public transportation and building projects. John Rennie Short is a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He said, “New York is a prime example of cities where it tends to work, which is very high density, with relatively good public transportation.” Experts say there are still important questions to answer about how the plan will work in New York’s busiest area, Manhattan.
