Traffic entering Manhattan below 60th Street dropped by 7.5% in the first week after the start of a controversial $9 toll on driving in that area.

Days into the new charges, some restaurant owners say suppliers are raising prices. Others are giving customer discounts, and many fear the fallout for workers.

Business owners warn the deeply unpopular charge will affect everyone in the city, as they will be forced to pass on their increased costs to customers.

Traffic in Midtown and lower Manhattan was down nearly 8% after the first full week of congestion tolling, according to preliminary traffic data released Monday by the MTA. “It has been a very good week here in New York,

Beginning Sunday, most motorists will have to pay $9 for driving below 60th Street in Manhattan, as New York’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing plan takes effect in an area traversed by 700,000 vehicles daily.

Congestion pricing in New York City is now in effect, after he MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul revived the controversial plan to charge drivers to enter Manhattan’s most congested area. While the new plan reduces the toll from $15 to $9,

Across Washington Heights, locals bemoaned that their already-scarce curbside parking spaces have further vanished in recent days, with many now burning hours trying to track down a precious spot.

For the first time on Monday, some New York City families and educators commuting to school by car faced a $9 toll upon entering a swath of Manhattan. The toll — a result of the congestion pricing program — charges drivers who enter Manhattan at or below 60th Street in order to help finance public

Fans of the tolling system enjoyed easier drives, but some businesses reported a hit.

With the first week of New York’s Congestion Pricing toll in the books, commuters are reaping a reward, spending less time in traffic in exchange for their $9 toll to enter lower Manhattan, said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.