The Manhattan Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) went live last night and there have been questions from both users and map editors asking if/how Waze accounts for the zone and what they as users may need to do. A team of NY-based map editors has worked with the Waze staff and Waze communities from countries that have congestion zones to create a setup that does not require special settings or passes on the client end.
As such, we thought it would be helpful to provide an FAQ here for editors to create UR responses, and we’ll edit this post as any other questions/requests come in:
Is there a setting that makes Waze avoid the Congestion Zone?
The Waze app will automatically prefer to use routes that avoid the Manhattan Congestion Zone, unless your destination is within the zone. Waze will treat this separately from other tolls that may be on nearby bridges, tunnels, or highways along your route to the zone, so it is not recommended to use the “avoid tolls” setting unless you want to avoid those other roads as well.
I am willing to pay the congestion toll to use faster routes in the zone. How can I route through it?
While navigating, calculate alternate routes. This should provide routes that go into/through the zone, with the estimated maximum toll, if they are faster.
The toll is charged only once a day. I have already entered and left the zone today, and now Waze is avoiding the zone [for a destination not within the zone], when cutting across the zone would be faster.
Waze does not consider your previous routes when creating new routes. You will need to calculate alternate routes if you wish to enter the congestion zone a second time or more per day, in order to navigate destinations not within the zone. Note that Waze may display the congestion toll price estimate each time you enter the zone within the same day, as it does not know you previously paid the congestion toll that day.
I am driving into the Congestion Zone for the second or more time today and Waze is displaying the toll each time I drive in, even though it is charged only once a day.
Some of the complexities of the Manhattan Congestion Relief Zone pricing are currently not supported by Waze’s toll estimating system and Waze does not consider your previous routes when creating new routes. As such, Waze may display your congestion toll price estimate each time you route into the zone within the same day.
Waze is not displaying the proper toll discount (e.g., taxis/rideshare, exemptions, Low-Income Discount Plan, etc.).
Some of the complexities of the Manhattan Congestion Relief Zone pricing are currently not supported by Waze’s toll estimating system. Toll estimates for routes using congestion zone roads will typically reflect the maximum toll possible each time you enter the zone.
Waze may account for E-ZPass discounts, tunnel crossing credits, motorcycle pricing, and peak/off-peak pricing in your displayed toll estimate, though incompatible CRZ complexities can lead to the maximum congestion toll price possible being displayed instead.
For Map Editors - Troubleshooting Routes
In your WME layers, turn on “Restricted areas” under the display category, to see the polygon of the area where congestion pricing is applied. There are a few entrances that are a bit tricky (e.g., Brooklyn Br to FDR SB), and other spots where users might expect a toll but there is not one (e.g., Upper Level of the Queensboro Br to 62nd St).
Resources from MTA:
Congestion Pricing Program FAQ
CRZ Map