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Despite jams, N.J. toll-road traffic down
Traffic and tolls on New Jersey's busiest highways are down this summer, which might come as a surprise to travelers caught in weekend jams.
Contact staff writer Sam Wood at 215-854-2796 or at samwood@phillynews.com.
Tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike were down 4.8 percent last month compared with June of last year, and revenues on the Garden State Parkway dipped 4.3 percent.
The state's coffers are taking a hit.
Revenues are off $11.44 million, said Joe Orlando, spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
"This isn't anything we were surprised by, especially with the economy like it is," Orlando said yesterday. "We weren't shocked."
With gas in many places at more than $4 a gallon, many drivers are spending less time behind the wheel. But despite fewer cars on the highways, it's hard to notice a difference.
"We're not talking about tumbleweeds skittering down the turnpike," Orlando said.
"The roads remain over capacity. There's a lot of congestion, and you're still looking at sitting in traffic for a while if you're on your way to the Shore," Orlando said. "That's why we're still talking about widening them.
"Just because traffic is down slightly, it doesn't mean you're going to get where you want to go any faster."
Contact staff writer Sam Wood at 215-854-2796 or at samwood@phillynews.com.
