SECDOT Duffy will not appreciate this: The American Public Transportation Association awarded its 2025 Innovation Award to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for the agency’s controversial—but effective and sensible—Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) Tolling Program.
The first in the U.S. but one of many around the world, all of which have worked well, the CRZ initiative, implemented by MTA Bridges and Tunnels, defines the MTA as an organization that has “demonstrated significant leadership, is an outstanding role model of excellence, whose accomplishments and innovations have greatly advanced public transportation.” APTA’s award “recognizes excellence, leadership and innovation that have had transformative impact, honoring organizations that demonstrate innovative concepts or effective problem-solving techniques and are recognized as outstanding role models whose accomplishments and projects have a significant impact and inspire others.”
“Since its launch on Jan. 5, 2025, the Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Program has succeeded in reducing traffic, speeding up the flow of traffic and reducing delays, not just in the CRZ but throughout the region, while generating revenue to fund critical transit improvement projects,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “Since the program started, more than 17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered the zone compared to last year, down by 12%. Every day, 87,000 fewer vehicles enter the zone. This is a win not only for the MTA team but for everyone trying to make cities work better. The positive results of congestion pricing show that state and local government can still take big swings on policy and succeed, and that should give us all hope.”
Need more numbers? Here they are:
“Congestion pricing has had notable benefits reducing gridlock on bridges and tunnels crossing the East River and Hudson River, making commutes faster,” the MTA recently noted. “Every crossing entering the congestion relief zone has seen morning peak travel times reduced in 2025 when compared to 2024.”
- Brooklyn Bridge: 13% faster.
- Holland Tunnel: 36% faster.
- Hugh L. Carey Tunnel:16 % faster.
- Lincoln Tunnel: 10% faster.
- Manhattan Bridge: 5% faster.
- Queens-Midtown Tunnel: 4% faster.
- Queensboro Bridge: 21% faster.
- Williamsburg Bridge: 23% faster.
Transit ridership across all modes has increased from January to August 2025 when compared to the same period last year:
- NYCT Subway: 9%.
- NYCT Bus: 13%.
- Long Island Rail Road: 10%.
- Metro-North: 7%.
- Access-A-Ride: 22%.
In July, the MTA achieved its best summer subway ridership week since 2019, hitting four million three days in a row in a summer season, “a first since the start of the pandemic.“ The LIRR exceeded its post-pandemic daily ridership record twice in July, carrying 298,419 passengers July 23 and 295,419 passengers July 22.
By the way, motor vehicle accidents in the CRZ are down 14%. Traffic injuries are down 15%. Earlier this summer, the New York City Department of Transportation released data showing that pedestrian fatalities on New York City streets “are at historic lows, matching levels last seen in 2018.”
APTA’s award followed a series of previous honors for Congestion Relief Zone Tolling, including the Outstanding ITS Project of the Year Award from the Intelligent Transportation Society of New York (ITS-NY), the Best Project in the Specialty Construction Category (Regional Award Level) by Engineering News-Record (ENR), and the Toll Excellence Award in Social Responsibility from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA).
The CRZ Tolling Program gets my personal IPDASN (Ignoring Politically Driven Anti-Sustainability Nonsense) and TISHH (There is Still Hope for Humanity) Awards.
Ebbene, cosa ne sai! Doing something for the public good! What a concept!
