For the 19th straight month, toll traffic declines

The MTA released the May numbers for its bridges and tunnels division yesterday, and for the 19th straight month, toll volume has declined. According to the most recent numbers, May 2009 saw 799,890 tolled trips per day, down from a high of 837,537 per day in October 2007. Comparing years, May 2008 saw 200,000 more drivers than did May 2009, and overall toll traffic is down 3.1 percent from 2008 through the first five months of the year.

Bill Henderson, member of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, told The Post’s Tom Namako that the slumping economy and ongoing job losses are the culprits behind the declining toll traffic. I like to think commuters are being more economically and environmentally responsible by heading to the subways while eschewing driving. As the MTA raised the rolls on its bridges and tunnels just nine days ago, it will be interesting to see if those increases cause an even bigger slump in toll volume for July.