New York becomes first US city with congestion charge

The archetypal congestion complaint strategy for vehicles successful the US is being introduced successful New York City connected Sunday.

Car drivers volition wage up to $9 (£7) a day, with varying rates for different vehicles.

The congestion portion covers an country southbound of cardinal park, taking successful good known sites specified arsenic the Empire State Building, Times Square and the fiscal territory astir Wall Street

The strategy aims to easiness New York's notorious postulation problems and rise billions for the nationalist transport network, but has faced resistance, including from celebrated New Yorker and President-elect Donald Trump.

A congestion complaint was archetypal promoted by New York authorities Governor Kathy Hochul 2 years ago, but it was delayed and revised pursuing complaints from immoderate commuters and businesses.

The caller program revives 1 strategy that she paused successful June, saying determination were "too galore unintended consequences for New Yorkers".

Most drivers volition beryllium charged $9 erstwhile per time to participate the congestion portion astatine highest hours, and $2.25 astatine different times.

Small trucks and non-commuter buses volition wage $14.40 to participate Manhattan astatine highest times, portion larger trucks and tourer buses volition wage a $21.60 fee.

The complaint has been met with plentifulness of opposition, including from taxi drivers' associations.

But its astir high-profile absorption has travel from Trump, a autochthonal New Yorker who has vowed to termination the strategy erstwhile helium returns to bureau this month.

Local Republicans person already asked him to intervene.

Congressman Mike Lawler, who represents a suburban territory conscionable northbound of New York City, asked Trump successful November to perpetrate to "ending this absurd congestion pricing currency drawback erstwhile and for all".

A justice denied an eleventh-hour effort Friday by neighbouring New Jersey authorities officials to artifact the strategy connected grounds of its biology interaction connected adjoining areas.

Last year, New York City was named the world's most-congested municipality country for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row, according to INRIX, a traffic-data investigation firm.

Vehicles successful downtown Manhattan drove astatine a velocity of 11 mph/h (17 km/h) during highest greeting periods successful the archetypal 4th of past year, the study said.