traffic

407ETR in Toronto the world's first all-electronic tollroad reports revenues of C$560m in calender 2009 a 2.5% increase on 2008's $546.5m. At C$1=US$0.931 2009 revenue is US$521.4m. (All further $#s are C$s)

Traffic dropped 2.6% to 303.5k/day from 2008's 311.7k/day, average workday trips from 377.9k to 367.3k. But average trip distance was up slightly and vehicle-kms traveled were 2,214.8m down 1.7% on the 2,252.7m of 2008.

New Jersey Turnpike Authority is trying to slim its costs a little - in line with lower traffic. Traffic in the first ten months of the year is down 4.2% on the Turnpike and down 3.0% on the Parkway. The declines are attributed to the weak economy plus unusually wet weather in the summer - seen to depress trips to the NJ coast.  

The apparent recovery in traffic in the late summer and fall may be weakening with freight and trucking looking especially shaky in the most recent data. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) combined transportation services index (TSI)  - a seasonally adjusted monthly series combining all kinds of transportation - looked to be recovering June, July and August going up a cumulative 2.7% in those three months.

All around the country reporters are tapping out reports that toll agencies (and other highway operators) are "bracing" for a surge of holiday traffic. This is a melodramatic way of saying that the tollers are preparing for extra traffic.

But where's the news?

Leading concessionaire Macquarie report that their weighted average of traffic worldwide was up 1.6% in the last quarter, July-September, an improvement on the low point early this year. Greatest traffic strength was on the APRR motorway network in central France, up 3.4% over last year, and Westlink Sydney up 5.7%. The American pikes were the poor performers in traffic with the exception of Chicago Skyway.

September traffic at the US-Canadian toll crossings continued to be weak at 2,947k this year v 3169k in 2008-09  - a 7% drop - and 3473k in 2007-09. This September was down 16.7% on the 3537k of 2006-09.  The high value, high toll trucks are down more than cars this September being 10.3% fewer at 565k v 630k last September. Cars are off 6.2% at 2364k v 2520k last Sept.

Traffic on Canada's big tollroad 407ETR is down 3.8% the first half of this year (2009H1) versus first half of 2008 (2008H1) but a slightly larger increase in toll rates (4.7%) has ensured that revenues are holding. Revenues in 2009H1 were running at an annual $469m (C$524m @$C=90c) based on 292.1k trips/day versus 303.8k in 2008H1, the 3.8% decline. The revenue in 2008H1 was $468m (C$520.2m.)

February through April gave some signs of a possible bottom to the decline in traffic at the US-Canadian border toll facilities but June numbers were another heavy downer after a bad May with an 18% decline.

Traffic in June 2009 at ten reporting toll crossings was 2.59m v 3.11m June 2008, a decline of 17%.

Statisticians at the Federal Highways' Policy Information office say the latest data from 4,000 traffic counters around the country show continuing decline in traffic this year but at a lesser rate than the decline of last year.  Their 12 month moving average shows declines of around  a tenth of a percent (one thousandth) per month the past several months - about a third of the average rate of fall last year.

US road traffic continued to decline in February and March but at a slower rate than through most of last year, according to FHWA data compiled from 4,000 count stations around the country.