New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) released revenue numbers generated from the first three weeks of the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ). 

Since the first-in-the-nation program began Jan. 5, through Jan. 31, tolls from the CRZ generated $48.66 million in revenue with a net $37.5 million putting the program on track to generate the $500 million that the MTA initially projected. 

The MTA will continue to report revenues from this program monthly. 

“With an initial performance in line with projections, we can confidently move forward with projects that rely on funds from the Congestion Relief Zone,” said MTA CFO Kevin Willens. “We look forward to seeing similar results in the coming months.”

CRZ Generating Needed Revenue

According to the MTA, $48.66 million was generated from the tolling program, 22% of which comes from taxis and for hire vehicles ($10.6 million), 68% comes from passenger vehicles, 9% from trucks, and 1% from buses and motorcycles. 

Additionally, 85% of non-taxi and for-hire vehicles revenue was generated from passenger vehicles and 15% from trucks, buses, and motorcycles, while 95% of revenue was generated during peaking tolling hours. 

Expenses from the program, including operating camera infrastructure and customer service, amounted to $9.1 million and another $2 million for mitigation efforts totaling $11.1 million. This resulted in a net surplus of $37.5 million.

The revenue generated from the CRZ funds projects in the 2020 - 2024 Capital Program, including making more stations accessible including Hollis and Forrest Hills Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) stations, installing modern signaling on Fulton St line in Brooklyn and Liberty Av in Queens on the A and C Lines​​, new rolling stock including 44 new dual-mode LIRR locomotives, zero-emission buses, extending the Second Ave Subway into East Harlem, and more. 

Monthly reporting on revenue adds to the MTA’s commitment to transparency. Data on the volume of vehicles entering the CRZ and the excluded roadways is also available on the MTA’s data transparency website and can be downloaded on New York State Open Data. The dataset can be viewed by location, time, and type of vehicle down to 10-minute increments.