The first congestion pricing plan in the U.S. has begun, charging most drivers $9 a day to enter the lower half of Manhattan. The long-debated plan is projected to raise up to $800 million a year for the city's aging public transit system.

Manhattan commuters are already marveling at what appears to be less traffic — and grousing about the new $9 tolls.

New York became the first place in the US to implement the surcharge on driving, following the example of a few international metro areas.

The countdown to congestion pricing in New York City is over. Drivers now must pay a toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.