Smartphone App Launching in New York to Demonstrate Fairer Congestion Pricing
Technology aims to reduce fees for drivers and address equity issues while building sustainable revenue for the state.
New York (July 18, 2024) – Carma Technology Corporation (Carma) is launching its smartphone app in the region to prove it can solve New York’s road congestion pricing headaches. The app creator wants policymakers to extend the state’s congestion pricing plan to apply incentives for certain drivers and travel behaviors. The unique approach offers mass transit authorities (MTA) the ability to offer rebates, credits and exemptions to drivers with a low income and low-polluting vehicles.
“Tolling projects tend to become way too complex and expensive,” says Carma CEO Lawrence Mulligan. “Making congestion pricing work for a state like New York in a fairer and transparent way doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. GoCarma is a hands-free app that activates whenever you enter Manhattan through any of the bridges and tunnels, just like a toll tag. With MTA’s support, the app can easily offer discounts for qualifying low-income drivers, high-occupancy vehicles or any other vehicles MTA wishes. We’re ready to go.”
Today, anyone in the greater New York area can try out congestion pricing by installing the GoCarma app. While no charges will be applied, the app will process transactions and display to drivers what they would pay on their journey into New York’s Central Business District when congestion pricing is finally introduced.
Travelers only need to install and set up the app. They don’t need to open it again for individual trips as the technology "wakes up" and runs in the background on specific roads. It then goes to sleep outside of those areas, safeguarding the user's privacy. As the user doesn’t need to take any action, the app also avoids any potential for driver distraction.
The GoCarma system is already integrated with 2 high-volume toll transaction processing systems in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, where the smartphone app is used across a 120-mile network of express lanes. The GoCarma system also works as a standalone tolling solution without requiring toll tags, and currently processes more than 1 million monthly transactions without any roadside infrastructure.The app also offers the ability to price road travel based on real-time traffic flow or air quality – not just in congestion zones or on managed lanes – but on any road.
“Almost $550 million has already been invested in toll infrastructure for New York Congestion Pricing,” says Emmett Murphy, Carma Chief Product Officer. “We wanted to show that smartphone tolling offers unique potential for making toll collection more cost-effective, personal and fair. So we set up this demonstration project for free, and in less than 30 days.”
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Media Contact:
For interviews, imagery, b-roll or a demonstration of how GoCarma works, please contact Paul Steinberg at 408-540-9942 or at paul.steinberg@gocarma.com.
About Carma Technology Corporation:
Carma Technology Corporation is an industry leader revolutionizing road pricing and offers the ability to apply flexible road pricing anywhere, anytime. A trusted partner of government agencies for over 15 years, Carma empowers sustainable revenue while dissolving traffic congestion - without any costly infrastructure investments.
GoCarma App is Live in New York