Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city should look into a plan that mimics that of New York City’s congestion pricing in lower Manhattan.

Speaking with Block Club Chicago, Johnson said the city “should explore” a similar plan, noting it could be useful to implement on drivers who are not Chicago residents. 

“I think being able to have robust conversations about how we respond to congestion, and of course, how we generate revenue, particularly from individuals that take full advantage of our city resources but don’t necessarily live here … I’m all for that conversation,” he said.

Congestion pricing in Chicago’s Loop is an idea that has been floated by city lawmakers before.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Loop was typically gridlocked during peak hours, but some of that traffic has eased as many companies still use work-from-home agreements. A majority of Chicago’s traffic is now on its expressways, including the Kennedy Expressway from Chicago O’Hare International Airport into the city and the Dan Ryan Expressway.

A recent study found that Chicago is tied with New York City in having the second-worst traffic of any city on the planet, behind Istanbul, Turkey. According to a study by transportation analytics firm INRIX, the average Chicagoan spent 102 hours in traffic last year.

New York City recently implemented the country’s first use of congestion pricing. The congestion plan, which charges cars $9 to drive below 60th Street in Manhattan, one of the country’s most gridlocked areas, has received backlash from some fire unions and lawmakers in neighboring New Jersey. 

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London, which implemented congestion pricing in 2003, has seen a decrease in traffic and better air quality as a result of traffic control. A year after its implementation, traffic congestion within the central zone dropped by 30%, according to Transport for London. However, some of London’s traffic in the congestion zone has returned in recent years, as car lanes have been converted to bus lanes or pedestrian zones. 

In 2019, then-Mayor Sadiq Khan implemented an “Ultra Low Emission Zone,” requiring people with cars that did not meet emissions standards to pay £12.50 in a daily charge to drive in central London. Within the first 10 months of the expanded congestion initiative, nitrogen oxides dropped by 35%, and particulate matter dropped by 15%.