Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Bridges and Tunnels unit said the agency recorded a historic year in 2023, where traffic volume and enforcement hit an all time high.
Toll revenues from the bridges and tunnels reached more than $2.4 billion in 2023 — which was $68 million more than in 2022.
Despite the increased traffic volume, MTA Bridges and Tunnels said that vehicle collisions had actually declined by 11% in 2023, with 148 fewer collisions when compared to the year prior, according to a release.
Law enforcement efforts played a big factor, with agency officers intercepting 2,731 vehicles (a 39.4% increase) and issuing 17,865 summonses (a surge of 15%).
Additionally, MTA Bridges and Tunnels said that its officers recorded 26 arrests for “criminal possession of a forged license plate.”
This came as part of a coordinated strategy between MTA Bridges and Tunnels and city and state law enforcement partners, in which the parties came together in an effort to crack down on counterfeit license plate usage.
The agency was able to recover over $35 million in unpaid tickets in 2023, a 61% jump from the previous year’s total.
“With traffic volumes reaching historic levels, it’s easier than ever to pay tolls with E-ZPass,” said Catherine Sheridan, president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels. “I’m proud of the hard work of the revenue recovery staff at Bridges and Tunnels and these 2023 accomplishments should remind those who attempt to evade tolls that they will get caught and they will pay.”
