Now That It Costs, Eastern Toll Road Sees Traffic Drop

Traffic on the new Eastern Toll Road dropped by 42% after its operators began charging one-way tolls of up to $3.25 this week, officials said Tuesday.

Preliminary numbers released by the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which oversees privately financed highways in Orange County, show about 84,000 drivers used the 17-mile shortcut between Irvine and Riverside County on Monday. That number is down from an average of 145,000 last week, when the ride was free.

The drop came as no surprise for the agency. Ridership dropped 50% on the San Joaquin Toll Road after toll collection began in 1996.

“We’re actually really pleased,” agency spokeswoman Michele Sperl-Miller said. “The number of people already using the road validates the need for it. There is definitely a demand.”

Monday’s traffic level is difficult to compare, however, with agency projections on which construction financing are based. The figure of 84,000 includes all traffic on the Eastern and Foothill tollways, while projections released by the tollway agency only predict use of the road’s easternmost segment--about 48,000 cars a day by 2000.

Use of the road is critical to its success because builders depend on toll revenue to repay construction loans. The tollway agency had to reassess projections for the San Joaquin Toll Road after early use of the road fell far short of predictions, leading the agency to refinance in 1997. Traffic has since rebounded, with the number of cars increasing by 36% from July 1997 to July 1998, according to Sperl-Miller.

Those who follow transportation in Orange County caution that the success of the new toll road--which connects the bedroom communities of Riverside County with job centers in Orange County--will be measured only over the long run.

“These things take a while to judge,” said David Elbaum, director of planning and development for the Orange County Transportation Authority.

He pointed out that upcoming construction on the Costa Mesa Freeway may increase the number of drivers willing to pay tolls. On the other hand, some drivers may decide they are satisfied with improved commute times on freeways that result from the siphoning of traffic onto the Eastern Toll Road.