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Tolls Show Driving Down Over Holiday Weekend

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May 28, 2008 12:15 pm US/Eastern

Tolls Show Driving Down Over Holiday Weekend

BOSTON (WBZ) ― It looks like there's proof there were fewer drivers on the road over the Memorial Day weekend.

The number of vehicles passing through toll booths on the Massachusetts Turnpike over the holiday weekend fell compared to last year, which was bad news for the financially struggling state agency.

There were 41,000 fewer transactions over the holiday weekend this year, a 2.2 percent decrease, according to turnpike records.

In New Hampshire, the number of vehicles passing through toll booths on the state turnpike system was down 5.4 percent, or by more than 68,000 vehicles.

Traffic was down at all of New Hampshire's tollbooths, except at side ramps to I-95 in Hampton, where it was up nearly 1,200 vehicles.

Drivers have been staying off the roads as gas pushes the $4-per-gallon mark.

Despite the drop off in holiday weekend transactions, Mass Pike spokesman Mac Daniel says the Turnpike recorded about 100 million transactions through April, a 1.46 percent increase from the same period last year.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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