The MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the Central Business District Tolling Program. This request is an invitation to all firms to officially express their interest with TBTA, and indicate their willingness to respond to a future Request for Proposal (RFP). Through this process, the TBTA aims to draw a wide array of interest from multiple entities, including new partners, to ultimately ensure that the selection of a contractor is as competitive as possible, providing the best possible solutions.

“We are excited to begin the process on delivering a central business district tolling system that will be as efficient, low cost, accurate and customer friendly as possible, said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye. “We are committed to bringing the world’s best technology and innovative solutions to this project, and are casting a wide net so we can come back with the best.”

In the coming weeks, the RFP process will start to select a contractor to design, develop, implement, operate, and maintain a CBD Tolling System, including the required infrastructure. The system should be capable of successfully satisfying the requirements of:

• Reduce congestion;
• Maximize revenue collection and minimize system, installation, maintenance, and collection costs;
• Minimize the infrastructure footprint, leverage current infrastructure to the greatest extent possible, and bring creative solutions to blending the system into the urban landscape;
• Provide the ability for third party payment applications and technologies to be integrated with the toll collection system;
• Integrate with other current and future solutions through an open architecture

The Central Business District Tolling Program envisions a cordon-based system for the Central Business District (CBD), defined as Manhattan south of and inclusive of 60^th Street to the southern tip of Manhattan, not including the FDR Drive and West Side Highway. Drivers are to be tolled upon entering or remaining in the CBD.