Crossings On Tolled Bridges Reach New Highs

LOUISIVLLE, Ky. (River Link)– Crossings on the three tolled bridges connecting Louisville and Southern Indiana reached new highs in the second quarter and the time it took to connect with a customer service representative reached an all-time low.There were 8.4 million total crossings on the bridges in April, May and June. This was the first time quarterly crossings topped 8 million. There were more than 103,000 average weekday crossings on the bridges in June, marking the first time the monthly average topped 100,000 crossings. In the second quarter of the year, the average time it took to answer a call to customer service was 20 seconds, the best quarterly average to date.“Adjusting to a new tolling system takes time,” said Scott Adams, Indiana Department of Transportation director of tolling for the Ohio River bridges “Many drivers in our area have been introduced to all-electronic tolling for the first time, and the Lewis and Clark Bridge provides a new connection. Only 18 months into tolling, we’re seeing more drivers enjoying safer and faster commutes on the bridges and people needing assistance are connecting to customer service faster than ever before.”“We’re continuing to see more drivers open prepaid accounts and get transponders, and that’s saving drivers money,” said Megan McLain, innovative finance manager with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “We started online account conversion early this year, and thousands of qualifying drivers have taken advantage of the offer. Those drivers have saved significant amounts of money with tolls lowered to transponder rates and late fees waived, and they’re continuing to save every time they cross a tolled bridge.”The one-time conversion offer is only available before an account reaches collection status (fourth toll notice). More than 5,600 drivers have taken advantage of online conversion since late February. Drivers have saved an average of more than $100 each, with savings to date totaling nearly $600,000 (includes tolls reduced and late fees waived).