From Café in the Vox Media Podcast Network, this is Stay Tuned in Brief.

I'm Pete Barara.

Today we're going to tackle a common driver's nightmare that plagues cities across the US.

The dreaded bumper to bumper traffic.

It appears that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel, though it comes at a cost.

In June, New York City got federal approval to implement a toll for accessing the busiest parts of Manhattan.

The strategy is known as congestion pricing, and it aims to decrease traffic and pollution while funding improvements to mass transit.

Congestion pricing is a staple in major cities worldwide, but New York's toll would be the first for the US.

It isn't a novel idea.

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg proposed this pricing in 2007, but it was swiftly dismissed by the state legislature.

Now with the policy back in play, the debate is reignited.

Notably, New Jersey has sued the federal government, claiming the toll unfairly impacts Jersey residents and communities.

The policy's implications are far reaching, so joining me this week to delve into it is Professor Nick Klein of Cornell University.

He specializes in transportation policy and planning.

Professor Klein, welcome.

Thanks for having me.

We should say to the outset, I believe that in some shape or form, you are a proponent of congestion pricing, is that right?

Yeah, I think that's a fair assessment.

Before we get to why that is and what the pros and cons are, what exactly is congestion pricing and what would be the proposal for New York City that might be a model for the rest of the country?

So congestion pricing is simply paying additional fee to account for congestion and to sort of discourage a small number of people from driving at a specific time.

It's essentially a toll that you pay to enter an area.

There's lots of different ways to implement it.

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