Monday, January 5, marked the first anniversary of the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) Tolling Program. To commemorate this milestone, the MTA released the First Evaluation Report. The report outlines numerous successes of the program, including several that are already noticeable within our district. We have seen a decrease in gridlock and congestion, especially on major corridors like Broadway and Amsterdam. The trend is evident in the CRZ data from January to October. During this period, vehicle speeds increased 4.6%, vehicle entries into the Central Business District decreased by 11% (more than 21 million fewer entries), and public transit ridership increased, with bus ridership up 8% and subway trips into the zone up 9%.
Additionally, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted the program’s financial impact, noting it will fund “$15 billion in transit upgrades with major projects already underway.” These include state-of-good-repair projects, accessibility upgrades, signal upgrades, and more.
After just one year, the program is already delivering measurable benefits. As stated by our own Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, “Midtown is being released from gridlock, noise complaints are down, traffic-related incidents are becoming less frequent and the MTA is using the fees to make much-needed repairs to our transportation system.” In addition, Council Member Gale Brewer stated that “the data shows that fewer vehicles are entering Manhattan, transit ridership is up, and our economy continues to thrive—all at the same time. This program is working.” Furthermore, the program has delivered environmental benefits, with greenhouse gas emissions in the CRZ decreasing 6%.
Click here to read the full report.
Photo Credit: LSBID Staff
