Bridge traffic drops after toll increase

Commuter traffic rose Monday on the Tacony-Palmyra and Burlington-Bristol Bridges and dropped on the four Delaware River Port Authority bridges, apparently the result of drivers' looking for a bargain.

Monday was the first work day with higher tolls on the DRPA's Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross Bridges. Tolls on those bridges are now $4 for autos, up from $3.

That makes them twice as expensive to cross as the Tacony-Palmyra and Burlington-Bristol Bridges, where the Burlington County Bridge Commission is keeping fares at $2 and touting its spans as the "best bargain around."

Traffic on the four DRPA bridges was off about 7,000 vehicles, or 5 percent, on Monday compared with the prior Monday, DRPA Chief Executive Officer John Matheussen said yesterday. Traffic was reported up about 5 percent, or 1,000 vehicles, on the Burlington County spans.

Matheussen said it was too soon after the toll hike to judge its impact on traffic. He noted that a PATCO fire Monday afternoon that forced the closure of lanes on the Ben Franklin could have contributed to the dropoff.

DRPA analysts predicted the higher tolls could produce a 3 percent to 5 percent drop in traffic, which was already declining because of higher gasoline costs.

The Burlington County Bridge Commission on Monday approved its operating and capital budgets, which do not call for toll increases.

The operating budget is $24.5 million, up 3.4 percent from last year's $23.7 million.

The capital budget is $32.9 million, up from $23.0 million primarily to pay for replacement of the grid deck on the Tacony-Palmyra and replacement of expansion bearings and rehabilitation of the south abutment on the Burlington-Bristol.

The capital budget includes about $2.1 million for a new fiber-optic and wireless communications system and a portable toll plaza for use in emergencies.