CRZ Program Also Receives Toll Excellence Award for Social Responsibility
Bridges and Tunnels President Sheridan Elected to Serve on IBTTA Board
View Photos of MTA Bridges and Tunnels Officials Receiving IBTTA Awards
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels (B&T) yesterday was awarded the prestigious President’s Award for Excellence by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) – the highest honor in the international tolling industry – for the agency’s successful Central Business District Tolling Program and the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ). The announcement was made during IBTTA’s 93rd Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Denver, Colorado. MTA B&T was selected among several winners from competitive categories, which included toll agencies and private partners from around the world.
On Sept. 4, 2025, MTA B&T was announced as the winner of IBTTA’s Toll Excellence Award for Social Responsibility for the CRZ Program and formally received the award yesterday at the conference. The IBTTA 2025 Toll Excellence Award for Social Responsibility highlights the project’s “unprecedented community engagement, careful design, and a seamless rollout,” setting a new global standard for social responsibility in tolling.
“It is an honor to be recognized by IBTTA for the New York Central Business District Tolling Program and Congestion Relief Zone, especially the President’s Award for Excellence – the association’s highest achievement,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan. “It’s a testament to the work carried out by the Bridges and Tunnels team to successfully deliver such an innovative and transformative tolling program which is already delivering incredible benefits for the New York region.”
Yesterday, IBTTA also announced that President Sheridan will serve as a member of the IBTTA Board of Directors, joining a group of distinguished industry professionals to continue the advancement of the tolling industry.
These announcements come as MTA B&T celebrates its 30th anniversary since rolling out E-ZPass, marking a milestone of the electronic toll collection system that has transformed the industry, making travel more convenient and seamless. B&T introduced E-ZPass on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on October 15, 1995, and completed implementation at all nine of the agency's toll facilities in December 1996. To commemorate this milestone, there is special exhibit at Grand Central Terminal near the New York Transit Museum Gallery & Store, showcasing the history of E-ZPass’ debut at the MTA and the agency’s transition to electronic tolling.
These awards follow a series of previous honors for the CRZ , including the 2025 Innovation Award from the American Public Transportation Association, the Outstanding ITS Project of the Year Award from the Intelligent Transportation Society of New York (ITS-NY), and the Best Project in the Specialty Construction Category (Regional Award Level) by Engineering News-Record (ENR).
Since its launch on Jan. 5, 2025, the CRZ 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. The number of vehicles entering the zone is down by 12% since the tolling program was implemented. Every day, 87,000 fewer vehicles enter the zone, and since the program began, more than 17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered the zone compared to last year.