Sydney pikes

Australian tollroads are doing well. The Eastern Distributor (M1) also known as Airport Motorway into its sixteen month (opened 12/19/99) is up about 12% over year-ago levels to 30k veh/day. Toll revenues are running about US$16m/yr (A$=53c). The M1 tolls northbound only, based on the fact there is southbound tolling on the contiguous Sydney Harbor Bridge/Tunnel. There are interchanges between the two, connecting to downtown streets. Tollpayers northbound on the M-1 represent only two-thirds of non-tollpaying vehicles southbound, a neat measure of “toll diversion.”

On the M5 traffic is running at 60k tolls/day 4% lower than last year, a measure of the effect of a 22% increase in toll rates in March. Toll revenues are a healthy 16% up to $36m/yr. The oldest tollroad in Sydney, the M4 had a similar result from a slightly larger toll increase. Traffic is down about 5% to about 85k tolls/day but revenue is up over 20% to $34m/yr.