New York City's congestion relief zone - launched in January - was recognised in two Toll Excellence Awards from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, which were presented at last week's 93rd Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Denver, CO.
The city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels won the Social Responsibility Award for the work, which IBTTA said marked a historic first by reducing gridlock and advancing access—cutting congestion, improving travel times, generating critical transit funding, and creating new discount and exemption plans for drivers.
And TransCore won in the Private Sector Innovation category for its work with the city, developing the advanced tolling system that underpins the MTA's initiative. It is the “first congestion pricing programme of its kind” in the US, said TransCore.
The Central Business District Tolling Program is aimed at reducing congestion, improving travel reliability, enhancing air quality – as well as generating critical funding for New York City’s public transportation infrastructure.
“The...results demonstrate how innovation and close collaboration can deliver real, measurable benefits in one of the world’s most complex transportation environments,” said Whitt Hall, president and CEO of TransCore.
“In just months, the programme has reduced congestion, improved travel speeds, reduced accidents and is already generating substantial new funding for public transit…..improving daily life in Manhattan and setting a model for sustainable urban mobility worldwide.”
TransCore designed, manufactured, deployed and now operates and maintains the advanced tolling system.
It uses machine vision cameras, convolutional neural networks and advanced machine learning to identify, classify and form toll transactions for vehicles in real time.
Unlike traditional tolling systems that form complete transactions at the roadside, TransCore’s solution shifts the formation and processing logic to a centralised host environment, “marking the first tolling solution in the United States to use machine learning technology”, the firm says.
The system enables a significantly lighter roadside infrastructure footprint to process transactions in a highly automated, real-time manner at scale while maintaining exceptional system performance and accuracy.
The system is powered by TransCore’s Infinity Digital Lane System, enhanced with embedded artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate vehicle classification, streamline image processing, and reduce the need for roadside hardware.
Originally purpose-built for New York’s unique urban environment, Infinity captures raw data from overhead detection points and processes it centrally into accurate, real-time transactions - delivering the performance, scalability and design flexibility required to manage one of the busiest traffic districts in the world.
The system is future-ready, noted Transcore, supporting dynamic pricing models by time-of-day, dwell time or vehicle miles travelled, as well as discounts and exemptions. It also integrates with third-party multimodal providers, such as taxis and rideshare services, ensuring flexibility as mobility patterns evolve.
The all-overhead, AI-powered tolling solution processes every vehicle entering Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone, without the need for in-ground sensors or transponders. Its modular, compact design with built-in resilience and remote diagnostics minimises disruption during installation and maintenance.
To preserve the character of New York City, the equipment was developed with input from city architects and manufactured in neighbourhood-specific colorways, ensuring it blends seamlessly into the streetscape.
To further support city operations, TransCore also developed a mobile tolling unit that can be deployed during large-scale events, utility work, or to meet temporary coverage needs.
Published data and MTA statements highlight tens of thousands fewer vehicles entering the zone each day, faster bus and commute times, and increased transit funding - all achieved within months of go-live.
