ould it cost drivers more to bring their cars into downtown Chicago? The idea is being weighed after New York rolled out a program at the start of the year.

Such a program would be aimed at reducing traffic congestion within Chicago, encouraging use of public transit and raising revenues as the city deals with budget concerns.

The controversial system rolled out in the new year within New York. The system established what is known as a “Congestion Relief Zone” in Manhattan, with drivers assessed a toll when they enter the area.

That $9 toll is either assessed to an EZ-PASS transponder, or via a mailed bill to the address associated with a vehicle.

As New York moves forward with the program, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he is considering a congestion pricing plan for the city.

“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 in an interview with Block Club Chicago.

Joe Schwieterman, a transportation expert at DePaul University, says that he isn’t surprised Chicago and other cities could mull their options as they seek to ease traffic congestion and urge motorists to ditch their cars in favor of trains and buses. He does caution however that the $9 fee assessed by New York would likely not fly in Chicago.

“We are not New York,” he said. “The fees would have to be lower.”

Schwieterman also argued that Chicago’s worst congestion doesn’t occur on surface streets within the city, but instead on expressways that service the downtown corridor. Read More NBC Chicago