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.

Drivers entering Manhattan from Queens who take the lower roadway and travel north briefly cross 60th Street, meaning they still have to pay the $9 daytime toll. Likewise, drivers leaving Manhattan from the Upper East Side must enter the zone at 59th Street to get on the Queensboro Bridge, also costing them $9 during the day.

Drivers say there's no way to get from Manhattan to Queens without paying the $9 fee, even though they have no intention of going into the designated congestion pricing zone.