The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced this week that its Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) tolling program has generated $48.66 million in its first 27 days of operation, keeping the initiative on track to reach its projected $500 million in annual revenue.
The program, which launched on Jan. 5, imposes tolls on vehicles entering high-traffic areas of Manhattan, with the goal of reducing congestion while generating funds for transit improvements. After accounting for operational costs, the CRZ has yielded a net revenue of $37.5 million so far, the MTA reported.
The majority of CRZ toll revenue—68%—came from passenger vehicles, while taxis and for-hire vehicles contributed 22%. Trucks accounted for 9% of the revenue, with buses and motorcycles making up the remaining 1%. The MTA noted that 95% of the total revenue was generated during peak tolling hours.
Operational and mitigation costs for the program totaled $11.1 million, covering expenses such as maintaining tolling infrastructure and customer service. The remaining surplus will be directed toward major transit projects under the MTA’s 2020-2024 Capital Program. Planned investments include accessibility upgrades at Long Island Rail Road stations in Hollis and Forest Hills, modern signaling enhancements on the Fulton Street Line in Brooklyn and Liberty Avenue in Queens, the purchase of 44 dual-mode locomotives for the LIRR, the acquisition of zero-emission buses, and the long-anticipated extension of the Second Avenue Subway into East Harlem.
The MTA has committed to publishing monthly revenue reports to maintain transparency. In addition, vehicle volume data for the CRZ, along with details on excluded roadways, is available through the MTA’s online data portal and New York State Open Data. The publicly accessible dataset includes information by location, time, and vehicle type in 10-minute intervals.
