Starting just after midnight on Sunday, drivers began paying a new fee to enter the heart of Manhattan. The toll is part of New York City’s plan to reduce some of the world’s heaviest traffic while raising billions of dollars to pay for improvements to mass transit.

New York is now charging a $9 toll during daytime hours for passenger vehicles driving in Manhattan south of 60th Street as part of the United States’ first-ever congestion pricing plan.

Congestion pricing has finally arrived in New York City after years of political bickering and scores of legal challenges. The first initiative of its kind in the US, the $9 toll for most drivers entering parts of Manhattan during peak hours began Sunday and promises to ease both gridlock and pollution while also raising $15 billion for desperately needed subway upgrades.