LOUISVILLE — The first month of tolling is complete and the numbers are in.
More than 2 million crossings (2,244,476) were recorded in January on the tolled Abraham Lincoln, Kennedy and Lewis and Clark bridges — an average of 81,000 drivers per day, according to a RiverLink news release. Tolling began Dec. 30.
Eventually, 110,000 drivers are expected to cross the tolled bridges every day.
A little over 200,000 RiverLink transponders (204,000) have been requested to date, but only about 3,800, or less than 2 percent, of those qualified for January’s frequent commuter discount.
Frequent-users are drivers with transponders that are used to cross the bridges 40 times in a calendar month — qualifying the drivers for reduced toll rates.
The frequent user discount is per transponder, not per account. The number of frequent-users for January is expected to increase slightly as trips taken last month continue to post.
The discount is available automatically after the 40th trip, but the trip must post before the discount is received. It can take several days for transactions to post.
Revenue numbers from the tolls are not yet available, according to RiverLink.
Invoices are still being processed for January and revenue is still being collected from other E-ZPass agencies.
The tolling system organization did provide these other numbers for the first month of tolling:
TRANSPONDERS
The number of bridge crossings with transponders climbed each week in January. Just over 56 percent of the vehicles crossing the bridge in the last full week of the month carried transponders. Nearly 60 percent of the vehicles crossing this week had transponders.
The number of drivers crossing the tolled bridges with transponders is expected to increase as more accounts are opened and transponder orders filled, according to RiverLink.
RiverLink local transponders are in stock after being out of stock for a short time in January. Drivers with local transponders on backorder are expected to receive them later this month, but they are still paying the lowest tolling rates as they wait for their transponders to arrive.
Transponders requested to date: 204,000
RiverLink local transponders: More than 166,000
RiverLink E-ZPass transponders: More than 37,000
RiverLink accounts to date: 95,000
VEHICLES CROSSING TOLLED BRIDGES WITHOUT RIVERLINK ACCOUNTS
Of the drivers crossing the tolled bridges without RiverLink accounts, many are driving vehicles registered in Indiana.
Vehicles without accounts or transponders: 355,000
Vehicles with license plates registered in Indiana: Nearly 187,000
Vehicles with license plates registered in Kentucky: More than 150,000
Vehicles with license plates from other states: Nearly 18,000
These numbers also include drivers whose RiverLink accounts have a negative balance.
The majority of these drivers have taken few trips over tolled bridges, with 70 percent owing $12 or less in tolls.
Invoices are sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. Vehicle owners who receive invoices can contact RiverLink customer service by phone (855-RIV-LINK) or in person (103 Quartermaster Court, Jeffersonville) and open a prepaid RiverLink account. Their tolls owed will be adjusted to the lower, transponder rates. Trips taken before opening a prepaid RiverLink account will not qualify for the frequent-user discount.