https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ne7ydd/congestion-pricing-manhattan

The first time I drove into New York City from my hometown in Connecticut, I was 17 years old and behind the wheel of a 1994 Chevy Suburban that got something like eight miles to the gallon. Nevertheless, I chose to drive into the city that day because, even back in 2007 when fuel prices were well over $4 a gallon, it was still cheaper to drive than take the Metro North commuter rail line as long as one other person was going with you.

Not much has changed. Even with an increase in tolls, it's still, generally speaking, cheaper—or at least roughly comparable—for two people to drive into Manhattan than take public transportation. And not just from Connecticut. The same applies for Long Island, upstate New York, and New Jersey.