Where did all the drivers go? Pike driver numbers down again in June

July 10, 2008 04:53 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Globe Staff

With gas prices still above $4 a gallon, the number of people driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike continued to slide last month, according to figures released today by turnpike officials.

More than 800,000 fewer vehicles passed through tollbooths in June compared with the same month last year.

The 4.7 percent decrease, to about 16.4 million tollbooth transactions, comes after a 3.5 percent decline in transactions in May.

Turnpike revenues remained up overall 7 percent due to toll increases that began in January.

"We've already seen in some cases a downturn in Pike usage. ... While it doesn't appear to be having an immediate impact on our revenues, largely due to the toll increase, I think we're still keeping a very close eye on those numbers," said turnpike spokesman Mac Daniel.

While the Pike has reported decreases in toll transactions, the MBTA has reported increased ridership. Officials have said people are using their cars less because of the high price of fuel.

Average gas prices continued to break records this week, hitting $4.108 per gallon. Nationally, the average has been above $4 per gallon for a month, AAA reports.

Data released by the federal Energy Information Administration has also indicated that drivers are cutting back their use of fuel.