Policy changes often take years to show results. Even then, you may have to squint to see them.And then there is congestion pricing in New York.As reported in THE NY TIMES, almost immediately after the tolls went into effect Jan. 5 — charging most vehicles $9 to enter Manhattan from 60th Street south to the Battery — they began to alter traffic patterns, commuter behavior, transit service, even the sound of gridlock and the on-time arrival of school buses.Evidence has mounted that the program so far is achieving its two main goals — reducing congestion and raising revenue for transit improvements — even as the federal government has ramped up pressure to halt it. In March, the tolls raised $45 million in net revenue, putting the program on track to generate roughly $500 million in its first year.Congestion pricing was designed to finance more than $15 billion in critical transit upgrades…including the L.I.R.R. Those investments will take years. But the parallel changes at street level are already apparent.Per the NY TIMES here’s a sampling:<ul><li>Fewer cars are entering the congestion zone than before.</li><li>Traffic is moving faster.</li><li>With fewer cars on the road, speeds are up.</li><li>The greatest speed gains are coming at peak commute times.</li><li>Local buses are also moving faster.</li><li>Traffic has not slowed just outside the congestion zone.</li><li>Traffic has not surged in the South Bronx, as some predicted.</li><li>Signs are also positive for New Jersey commuters.</li><li>Residents of lower-income neighborhoods have seen faster travel, too.</li><li>Ridership is up across all modes of public transit.</li></ul> ***A new behavioral health center for children and adolescents — the first of its kind on the East End — is set to open in Riverhead next month.Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that South Oaks Hospital, part of the Northwell Health system, celebrated the opening of the new facility at 877 East Main Street in Riverhead during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. The behavioral health center will offer individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy and medication management among its services, according to a Northwell Health press release. The facility will begin to accept patients June 1, Northwell officials said.“The need for child and adolescent behavioral health services in eastern Suffolk County is urgent,” South Oaks Hospital President Michael Scarpelli stated. “Families in Riverhead and nearby communities have faced significant barriers in accessing care.” According to Suffolk County, the closest partial hospitalization and day treatment programs for children are in Amityville and Dix Hills; the nearest for adolescents ages 12 to 17 is in Port Jefferson.The $5 million facility includes five group rooms and 21 offices, with space for further expansion. Inpatient programs are designed for children (ages 5 to 11) and adolescents (ages 12 to 17) who are experiencing symptoms of serious behavioral and/or emotional illness, according to the South Oaks Hospital website. According to Northwell, the center has clinicians specializing in dialectical behavior therapy; cognitive behavioral therapy; trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy; parent and child interactive therapy; play therapy; acceptance and commitment therapy; and behavior modification.***The Riverhead Fire District is asking voters to approve $4.5 million in bonds to fund the purchase of a new ladder truck and upgrades to its communications equipment during a special election tomorrow.Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the proposal includes two separate ballot measures: one for $3 million to purchase the new ladder truck, and another for $1.5 million to replace and upgrade the district’s radio communications system. Voting is tomorrow from 3 to 9...

Evidence grows in that congestion pricing is achieving goals