Hi, Brian Lairer here.

Up next, Brian Lairor Weekend,

three of our favorite segments from the week,

packaged together for you to listen to on the weekend.

So enjoy, and I'll see you back on the radio Monday at 10 a.m.

on WNYC on WNYC.

Happy Friday, everybody. And on day six of the congestion pricing

told to drive into Manhattan below 60th Street, the chair and CEO of the MTA, Jano Lieber,

is here to answer my questions. And yours will open the phones in just a minute, hold off for just a

second. Before we bring Janelle Lieber on, I'll set this up with the lead story from the business

magazine Cranes this morning.

It says, bumper-to-bumper gridlock on Manhattan streets has noticeably evaporated this week

following the launch of congestion pricing.

So where is everybody?

Ridership data indicates that at least

some of those motorists have migrated to mass transit with 500,000 more people traveling on the city,

subway buses and commuter rail on Tuesday compared to the same day last year. 500,000 more.

Far and away, the biggest ridership jump.

Tuesday was on the city subway system, this says,

on which more than 3.7 million people traveled,

an increase of over 400,000 travelers for the equivalent day in 2024,

according to MTA ridership data reviewed by cranes. So in other words,

...