Bridge sees rise in traffic this year

COLLINS LANDING — Truck traffic at the Thousand Islands bridge is on the rise, according to bridge operators. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority reported Thursday that commercial crossings rose by 5.2 percent in February over the same month in 2009.

According to the bridge authority, 27,480 trucks crossed the bridge last month — 1,348 more commercial vehicles than last year — resulting in a 4.8 percent, or $19,613, increase in toll revenue.

Robert G. Horr, executive director of the bridge authority, said truck traffic is really starting to pick up this month, which could be a sign that the U.S. and Canadian markets are recovering.

During the first 14 days of March, 14,513 trucks crossed the bridge — a 12.2 percent increase over the same period last year. Toll revenues rose by 15.4 percent, or $33,701, compared to last year.

Mr. Horr said it was encouraging to see both commercial and passenger traffic increasing after a rough year.

"The numbers are much better than we projected at the end of last year," Mr. Horr said.

W. Howard Kelly, director of the Capital Corridor, said the bridge could see a larger increase in truck traffic this summer as regional freight companies start to expand and buy more trucks.

Passenger traffic at the bridge also has been rising, although not as much as commercial crossings.

In February, a total of 79,754 passenger vehicles crossed the bridge, a minor 0.2 percent increase over last year. But bridge operators saw a 6.8 percent increase in passenger traffic during the first half of this month. In the first 14 days of March, 49,272 passenger vehicles crossed the bridge, 3,145 more than last year.

"We just have seen a lot of cross-border shopping and bus tours lately," he said. "You don't usually see that around this time of the year."

Seasonal residents also may be starting to migrate back to the area, Mr. Horr said.