Introduction

Updated: December 26, 2025

NYC’s congestion pricing is no longer a “coming soon” headline. It’s operational, it shows up on real invoices, and it creates the same predictable corporate problems every time a new transportation fee goes live: inconsistent receipts, policy confusion, and avoidable admin time for executive assistants (EAs) and accounts payable (AP).

This article is a practical guide for corporate teams who arrange travel between Connecticut and Manhattan, especially trips that end up at or below 60th Street, and want a clean approach that works in 2026 without turning every ride into a debate.

What the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) is

The Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) generally covers local streets and avenues in Manhattan south of and including 60th Street. The MTA describes key exclusions, noting that drivers who stay exclusively on the FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street are not charged the CRZ toll, unless they exit onto local streets within the zone.

The big corporate takeaway: the CRZ toll is a zone-based charge that depends on where the vehicle travels, not just where the passenger starts and ends. “We went to Midtown” is not enough information for finance. “We entered the CRZ” is.

What you should budget for in 2026 (phase-in rates)

The MTA Board approved a phase-in feature where initial toll rates are 60% of the initially approved rates in 2025, 2026, and 2027. The MTA press release states that automobiles are charged $9 during peak periods and $2.25 overnight.

The MTA’s tolling page specifies the peak period as 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends, with overnight toll rates 75% lower than peak.

Corporate budgeting note: treat CRZ as a variable toll line item that is expected on trips into the zone, rather than trying to bake a single number into a “flat NYC rate.” Even with published numbers, the total cost on an invoice can be influenced by payment method and applicable credits (more on that below).

The most common cause of invoice surprises: E-ZPass vs. Tolls by Mail

In most corporate environments, “surprise fees” aren’t caused by the toll itself, they’re caused by inconsistent toll processing.

AP News reporting on the program rollout noted that vehicles with E-ZPass pay the published amounts, while vehicles without E-ZPass can be billed at higher “by mail” amounts (example figures in that report: $13.50 peak / $3.30 overnight for non-E-ZPass billing).

What this means in practice:

• Two similar trips can generate different totals depending on whether tolling is processed through E-ZPass or mail billing.
• “We always use the same provider” doesn’t guarantee consistency if fleet vehicles or plate associations change.
• Your invoice policy should require the billing method to be identifiable, not implied.

CRZ toll processing requirement: For any vendor-provided ground transportation that may enter Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone, tolls must be processed through E-ZPass wherever applicable. If tolls are billed by mail, invoices must clearly indicate this and itemize the CRZ toll separately from all other charges.

That one paragraph prevents a lot of “why is this higher?” conversations.

CRZ toll vs. NYS congestion surcharge (they are different)

Corporate teams often see the word “congestion” and assume it’s one fee. It isn’t.

A) CRZ toll (congestion pricing program)

This is the Manhattan-below-60th Street program described by MTA tolling materials.

B) NYS congestion surcharge (Tax Law; south of 96th Street)

New York State also imposes a congestion surcharge under Tax Law Article 29-C. The NYS Department of Taxation and Finance explains that the surcharge is added to charges for transportation that:

• both begins and ends in New York State, and
• begins in, ends in, or passes through Manhattan south of and excluding 96th Street.

NYC311 is explicit: this surcharge is separate from the CRZ toll.

Why this matters for corporate billing

If an invoice line just says “congestion,” your team can’t confidently:

• code it correctly (tax vs. toll vs. pass-through)
• allocate it to client matters or cost centers
• explain it in an audit
• compare vendors fairly

Policy rule: require vendors to label CRZ toll and NYS congestion surcharge as distinct items.

Taxis, black cars, and ride-hail: why passengers see per-trip charges

A frequent corporate question is: “Why did my traveler’s taxi receipt show a smaller number than our ground invoice?”

Because the tolling structure differs by category.

NYC’s TLC industry notice states that taxis and FHVs are eligible for a per-trip charge paid by the passenger for each trip to/from/within/through the CRZ. It lists:

• $1.50 per trip for trips dispatched by high-volume for-hire services (currently Lyft and Uber)
• $0.75 per trip for taxis, street-hail liveries, and trips dispatched by other FHV bases (including black car and luxury limousine bases).

The MTA also maintains guidance for taxis/FHVs explaining that eligible operating/dispatching bases and taxi technology providers can use certain per-trip charges instead of the daily CRZ toll.

Corporate takeaway: comparing receipts across vehicle types is not a good use of time. Instead, standardize what you control:

• how invoices are itemized
• how fees are named
• how costs are allocated internally

Crossing credits and “why did this trip toll differently?”

One of the most confusing real-world invoice moments is when an executive asks, “I took basically the same route last week, why is the toll different?”

The MTA’s CRZ FAQ explains that vehicles exiting the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel into the CRZ are charged the zone toll, but may receive a crossing credit against the CRZ toll.

Credits and exclusions are exactly the kind of detail that finance teams don’t need to memorize—but they do need invoices to reflect cleanly.

Practical rule for corporate programs: don’t try to “optimize” an executive day around credits. Instead, require invoices to include enough detail for AP to understand toll totals (see the invoice standard below).

The corporate invoice standard

If you want CRZ to stop generating internal email chains, you need an invoice format AP can audit quickly.

Required invoice fields

Ask providers to include these fields for any trip that enters Manhattan CRZ:

• Trip date (local time)
• Pickup address
• Drop-off address
• Service type (point-to-point / hourly / multi-stop)
• Vehicle category (sedan/SUV/etc.)
• CRZ entry indicator (Yes/No)
• CRZ toll amount (separate pass-through line)
• Tolling method (E-ZPass / billed by mail / per-trip passenger charge, if applicable)
• Toll time window (best available)
• Bridge/tunnel tolls (itemized)
• NYS congestion surcharge (if applicable; itemized and labeled as such)
• Wait time (if charged, with timestamps)
• Gratuity (if applicable)
• Cost center / department / project code / client matter (if your company uses these)

Recommended line items (simple and audit-friendly)

• Base fare (point-to-point or hourly)
• Wait time (if applicable)
• CRZ toll — pass-through
• Bridge/tunnel tolls — pass-through
• NYS congestion surcharge (if applicable)
• Gratuity (if applicable)

Why this works: it prevents vague “misc fees,” reduces disputes, and makes cost allocation defensible.

The policy addendum your company probably needs

Many travel policies already say “tolls may apply.” That’s too vague now.

Here’s a short, review-friendly addendum:

NYC CRZ Toll & Congestion Surcharge Policy:
For company-arranged ground transportation that enters Manhattan at or below 60th Street, Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) tolls may apply and must be billed as a separate, itemized pass-through line item. Invoices must label CRZ tolls separately from any NYS congestion surcharge (Manhattan south of and excluding 96th Street) and separately from bridge or tunnel tolls. Providers must indicate the tolling method (E-ZPass, billed by mail, or per-trip passenger charge where applicable).

That’s it. No drama, no guesswork, no “what is this?”

EA and travel-manager planning rules that reduce friction

This section is intentionally not about “beating” the program. It’s about avoiding preventable exceptions.

Rule 1: decide early whether it’s a multi-stop day

If the executive has multiple Manhattan stops, structure it as a planned multi-stop itinerary (or an hourly run) rather than booking separate one-off rides that generate multiple invoices and more reconciliation.

Rule 2: treat CRZ as expected when the destination is inside the zone

This sounds obvious, but it prevents last-minute “can we avoid it?” requests that lead to confusing route changes and late arrivals.

Rule 3: understand exclusions so you can explain anomalies

NYC311 and MTA materials describe roadway-only exclusions (FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, and certain tunnel-to-West-Street connections). Trips that stay exclusively on those roadways are treated differently than trips that exit onto local streets.

In corporate settings, anomalies don’t need to be optimized, they need to be explainable.

Discounts and exemptions: handle centrally, not ad hoc

The MTA maintains FAQs and program materials that cover exemptions, credits, and other rules; these can change over time and should be treated as official reference.

Corporate approach that works:

• Assign ownership (travel manager or procurement) to monitor official guidance quarterly.
• If you have travelers who might qualify for specific exemption plans, manage documentation through a central process.
• Don’t let travelers “self-diagnose” eligibility based on rumors, this is how companies end up with inconsistent expense approvals.

Duty of care: toll “smishing” scams are real

Whenever toll programs get attention, scams spike.

Governor Hochul’s office warned consumers about E-ZPass text message scams, noting that E-ZPass or Tolls by Mail will never send a text or email requesting sensitive personal information such as credit card details or Social Security numbers.

Fraud warning: Do not click toll-payment links sent by text. Verify toll notices only through official channels. If you receive a suspicious toll message, report it to company IT/security and delete it.

This is small, but it’s exactly the kind of “quiet risk” corporate travel programs should address.

A simple implementation checklist (so this actually sticks)

If you want CRZ to stop being a recurring exception, implement it like any other expense-control measure:

Step 1: Update your travel policy

Step 2: Standardize invoices

Send the required invoice fields and line item format (section 7). Make compliance a requirement for preferred status.

Step 3: Align EA procedures

Add three bullets to your EA playbook:

• “If destination is in CRZ, toll is expected.”
• “Multi-stop days should be booked as multi-stop/hours.”
• “Invoices must show CRZ separately.”

Step 4: Add the scam warning to duty-of-care comms

Drop the short fraud paragraph into your corporate travel wiki, traveler brief, or EA checklist.

Step 5: Reconcile once, then audit lightly

In the first month of implementation, spot-check invoices for:

• correct naming (CRZ vs NYS surcharge)
• correct itemization (no “misc fees”)
• method stated (E-ZPass vs mail vs per-trip)

After that, periodic checks are enough.

FAQs

Takeaway

At the end of the day, NYC’s CRZ toll isn’t what disrupts executive travel, unclear handling is. When your policy spells out what gets billed, your invoices separate CRZ from other charges, and your travelers aren’t left guessing, the entire process becomes predictable. That predictability is what corporate travel teams actually need in 2026: fewer exceptions, fewer follow-up emails, and fewer “what is this fee?” disputes, without compromising punctuality or professionalism.

By Avery Limousine Global
Connecticut’s leading luxury transportation provider for airport transfers, corporate black car service, wedding limousines, proms, cruise terminal rides, casinos, and special-occasion limo service across CT, NY, NJ and surrounding areas.