Introduction
Updated: January 20, 2025
If you’ve ever watched a $9 line item trigger a 27-email thread, you already understand the real cost of the CRZ Toll.
Not the toll itself. The confusion around it.
One person calls it “congestion pricing.”
Another calls it “a city fee.”
Finance calls it “unapproved.”
The traveler calls it “I didn’t choose this.”
And your executive assistant is stuck playing referee while also trying to move a human being through Manhattan on a deadline.
So let’s fix it ~ with a ready to use ruleset you can drop into your travel policy and invoice workflow for 2026, plus a few cheat sheets that make the whole thing… boring (in the best way).
CRZ Toll, explained like you’re in the back seat
CRZ Toll = the toll charged when a vehicle enters Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone, which is Manhattan streets/avenues at or below 60th Street (with some roadway exclusions).
The MTA’s tolling page is the source of truth for “what counts” and “what it costs.”
The boundary detail that causes most disputes
People assume “we were in Midtown” = toll. Not always. The toll is about entering the zone (and when/where the detection points are), not your vibes.
Also: there are key exclusions. Vehicles traveling exclusively on certain roadways, like FDR Drive and West Side Highway/Route 9A, aren’t charged for those segments (the MTA and local coverage describe these exclusions).
Translation: you can absolutely have a trip that touches Manhattan and still avoid a toll if you never enter the priced local street zone… but trying to “game” that during a live executive pickup is how you end up late and cranky.
What it costs (the numbers Finance actually wants)
For passenger and small commercial vehicles (sedans/SUVs/pickups/small vans) paying with a valid E-ZPass, the MTA lists:
- $9 peak
- $2.25 overnight
And overnight rates are 75% less than peak.
Peak windows (per MTA):
- Weekdays: 5 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Weekends: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
There’s also a “don’t freak out if you see a lower number” detail: crossing credits can reduce what’s owed when entering via certain tunnels (more on that in a second).
And yes, outlets that track the program closely have also reported the planned step-ups (e.g., increases in later years). If your company likes long-range budgeting, it’s worth a footnote.
Gridlock Alert Days (why your fee disputes spike)
NYC DOT designates certain days as Gridlock Alert Days, the busiest traffic days of the year, when traffic is expected to be slowest and most congested.
Here’s the key 2026 reality: NYC311 explicitly notes the 2026 Gridlock Alert Days are not available yet (at least as of this month).
So how do you plan? You plan like a grown-up corporate travel program:
- assume the usual “known chaos seasons” will show up (UNGA week patterns, holidays, major events)
- use DOT’s weekly traffic advisory for current closures/events when you’re booking high-stakes runs
- treat “Gridlock Alert Day” as a trigger for pre-approval of time/wait/reposition charges (not as a surprise fight later)
A tiny bit of humor, because it’s true:
Gridlock Alert Day is the city politely saying, “Good luck, bestie.”
The numbers that matter for corporate invoicing (don’t skip this)
For most executive chauffeur trips (sedan/SUV class), the MTA’s current CRZ Toll structure is:
Time of day
- Peak: 5 a.m.–9 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.–9 p.m. weekends
- Overnight: 75% less than peak
Passenger & small commercial vehicles (sedans, SUVs, pickups, small vans)
- $9 peak with valid E-ZPass
- $2.25 overnight with valid E-ZPass
- Charged only once per day
Payment method matters (a lot)
If you don’t have E-ZPass, you’ll get Tolls by Mail billed to the registered owner, and the MTA explicitly notes it’s “more expensive and less convenient to pay.”
Translation for corporate accounts: The cleanest way to prevent disputes is to treat “E-ZPass NY + correct plate on file” as a compliance requirement, not a nice-to-have.
Why Gridlock Alert Days change the invoice conversation
NYC DOT literally labels certain dates “Gridlock Alert Days”—the busiest traffic days of the year, when traffic is expected to be slowest and most congested.
On their official page, DOT lists the dates (they publish the list annually). For 2025, that includes:
- Sept 22–26 (the classic UN General Assembly week squeeze)
- Several late-November / December holiday-season dates
Here’s the key operational reality for 2026 planning:
Gridlock Alert Days don’t usually create new fees by themselves.
They create the conditions that trigger the disputes:
- extra time
- repositioning
- second entry into the zone (depending on routing)
- last-minute pickup changes
- “can you swing by…” stops that cross 60th
So your policy needs to do two things:
- make CRZ Toll pre-approval routine (so it’s not questioned)
- define how you handle the “Gridlock Day multiplier”: time, waiting, and route complexity.
The Corporate Pre-Approval & Invoice Ruleset for 2026 (use them)
The 3 rules that make disputes disappear
Rule 1 — Pre-approve the condition, not the dollar amount
Copy/paste policy language:
“Any ground trip with pickup, drop-off, or routing that enters Manhattan at or below 60th Street is pre-approved for the CRZ Toll as a pass-through roadway toll.”
This prevents the dumbest recurring question: “Who approved the $9?”
You did. By approving the zone entry.
Rule 2 — Require E-ZPass alignment (or you’ll create your own mess)
The MTA notes that paying without E-ZPass (Tolls by Mail) is more expensive and less convenient.
Copy/paste policy language:
“Preferred ground providers must use E-ZPass where applicable and keep vehicle/plate data accurate to prevent Toll-by-Mail billing and reconciliation issues.”
Rule 3 — Define how you name it on invoices (so Finance recognizes it instantly)
Invoice naming standard:
- CRZ Toll (Congestion Relief Zone) — Pass-Through
No “NYC fee.” No “misc.” No “city toll??” (three question marks is where disputes are born).
The “who pays / who approves” matrix
| Scenario | CRZ Toll treatment | Who approves | Who codes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop-off at/under 60th (or route enters zone) | Pass-through | Pre-approved by policy | Accounting codes to “Ground Transport – Tolls” |
| Pickup changes last-minute from 61st → 54th | Pass-through | Still pre-approved (zone entry condition met) | EA attaches booking note / itinerary change |
| TLC trip charge (taxi/black car/ride-hail) appears | Pass-through / per-trip charge | Pre-approved when within zone | Accounting codes to same toll bucket |
| Driver routed through credited tunnel, toll is reduced | Pass-through (reduced via credit) | Pre-approved | Finance: don’t flag “inconsistent,” it’s credit logic |
Sources that back up the moving parts: MTA tolling rules + TLC trip charges described in program summaries.
The cheat sheet your EA can paste into every booking (seriously, steal this)
Booking note template (copy/paste):
- CRZ Toll: Pre-approved if route enters Manhattan at/below 60th.
- Priority: Smooth, on-time driving. No route gambling to “avoid the zone” if it risks delay.
- Updates: If closures/events impact ETA, notify at 20 minutes out.
And because NYC is NYC, add one line on high-stakes days:
- Traffic advisory check: Use NYC DOT weekly traffic advisory for major closures/events.
The invoice problems you’ll see in 2026 (and the fix for each)
Problem 1: “Why is this toll on the invoice? We didn’t approve it.”
Fix: pre-approve zone entry (Rule 1).
What to say once, then never again:
“CRZ Toll is pre-approved by policy for any trip entering the zone.”
Problem 2: “This should be $9 but it’s $6… is that wrong?”
Fix: crossing credits.
MTA toll rules include crossing credits for certain tunnel entries; local coverage summarizes credits in the $1.50–$3 range depending on vehicle/payment setup.
Finance note: lower doesn’t automatically mean wrong.
Problem 3: “Why is there a per-trip charge on a black car ride?”
Because TLC-licensed taxis/for-hire vehicles can be subject to per-trip charges under the program structure (often referenced as a surcharge amount in explainers).
Fix: treat TLC per-trip charges as the same “toll bucket” in your expense coding.
Problem 4: “We got billed by mail — now what?”
Fix: make E-ZPass + plate accuracy a provider compliance item (Rule 2).
MTA is clear that Tolls by Mail is the less convenient and pricier path.
The “avoid last-minute fee disputes” checklist (what to do before the trip)
This is the quick checklist that actually prevents problems:
1) Confirm whether the itinerary crosses 60th
If your drop-off is at 61st, you might be able to stay out of the zone. If it’s at 59th, you’re in.
(And yes, the “last mile” is where itinerary creep happens, someone moves the drop from 62nd to 54th and now you’re in CRZ Toll territory.)
2) Choose timing deliberately
If you have flexibility:
- Peak toll for passenger vehicles with E-ZPass: $9
- Overnight: $2.25
I’m not saying schedule a board meeting at 2 a.m.
I am saying: don’t accidentally stack arrivals right at peak if you have options (especially for airport returns, late dinners with clients, early departures).
3) Put the approval where it belongs: in the booking record
Your booking notes should include one sentence:
“CRZ Toll pre-approved if route enters Manhattan ≤ 60th.”
That makes disputes disappear because it’s already documented.
CRZ Toll “Quick Facts” card (mini sheet for the top of the post)
| Quick fact | What to know |
|---|---|
| What triggers CRZ Toll? | Entering the Congestion Relief Zone (Manhattan ≤ 60th, with exclusions). |
| Typical passenger vehicle E-ZPass peak | $9 |
| Typical passenger vehicle E-ZPass overnight | $2.25 |
| Peak times | Weekdays 5a–9p; Weekends 9a–9p |
| Why invoices vary | Credits (tunnel entry), TLC trip charges, payment method |
| Are 2026 Gridlock Alert Days posted? | Not yet (per NYC311) |
A little humor, because this is corporate travel
You know how some fees are small but emotionally loud?
CRZ Toll is that fee.
It’s not expensive. It’s just… a frequent flyer in your inbox.
The goal isn’t to pretend it doesn’t exist. The goal is to treat it like a known, boring pass-through cost, like baggage fees, like toll roads, like the fact that Manhattan will always find a way to turn “10 minutes away” into a lie.
The “no dispute” language for invoices and receipts
Invoice footer note to use:
“CRZ Toll is a pass-through NYC roadway toll applied when entering the Congestion Relief Zone per MTA tolling rules. Amount varies by time of day, vehicle/payment method, and applicable crossing credits.”
Expense report note:
“CRZ Toll: reimbursable toll required for Manhattan travel ≤ 60th St.”
“But is the program stable into 2026?” (a calm, reality-based answer)
Corporate teams also worry about program uncertainty because this policy has had political and legal turbulence.
Here’s the reality check you can share internally without spiraling:
- The MTA states the program is implemented and tolling is active.
- The program has been subject to federal pushback and litigation in the past; major outlets reported deadlines and legal conflict while tolling continued.
- As of the one-year anniversary, New York State and the MTA publicly cited performance and revenue metrics and treated the program as operating infrastructure (not a pilot).
So the smart corporate move for 2026 is not “wait and see.”
It’s: standardize the approval and invoicing process so you’re not renegotiating the same $9 on every receipt.
A quick example (so your finance team stops asking the same question)
Scenario: Executive is driven CT → Midtown (below 60th) at 10:30 a.m. on a weekday in a sedan/SUV using E-ZPass.
- Time window = peak (weekday 5 a.m.–9 p.m.)
- Passenger vehicle E-ZPass peak CRZ Toll = $9
- Charged once per day for that vehicle category
How it should appear:
- CRZ Toll (Pass-Through): $9.00
…and then you move on with your life.
If you’re moving executives between CT and Manhattan, the luxury isn’t just the car. It’s the absence of friction:
- no “surprise fees”
- no invoice confusion
- no month-end debate over a toll that’s been part of the operating landscape
Best move here (and the easiest way to win corporate accounts) is to be the provider that:
- labels the CRZ Toll clearly
- documents it consistently
- bakes it into a repeatable pre-approval workflow
- flags Gridlock Alert Day risks early (instead of apologizing late)
Copy/paste: one email you can send to your team today
Subject: 2026 NYC CRZ Toll + Gridlock Days — Billing Rules (No More Disputes)
“Quick note for NYC travel: Any ground trip entering Manhattan at/below 60th St is pre-approved for CRZ Toll as a pass-through roadway toll. Toll amount depends on time of day and payment method; for sedans/SUVs with E-ZPass it’s typically $9 peak / $2.25 overnight and charged once per day. On NYC DOT Gridlock Alert Days, providers are also pre-approved for reasonable route adjustments and extra travel time due to expected congestion.”
The one policy sentence that saves your 2026 sanity
If you add only one sentence to your policy, make it this:
“CRZ Toll is pre-approved for any trip entering Manhattan at/below 60th Street; it is billed as a pass-through roadway toll and should not be disputed as a discretionary fee.”
That sentence turns the CRZ Toll from “mysterious charge” into “known condition.”
And once it’s a known condition, your team can focus on what actually matters: getting the traveler where they need to be, calmly, on time, and without the accounting soap opera.
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.