The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is predicting a slight decrease in toll revenue for the fiscal year beginning Nov. 1. That's according to a $21.7 million budget approved Wednesday by the bridge commission at a meeting in Metairie.
Tolls are projected to bring in $15.9 million during the next fiscal year, a decrease of about 1 percent from the current year.
Bridge General Manager Carlton Dufrechou said that while bridge traffic has returned to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels, the revenue has been jogging slightly up and down in recent years.
The largest expenses are payroll and benefits at 28 percent of the budget, and debt service, which is 21 percent of the budget.
Photo courtesy http://politicsoffthegrid.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/toll-road.jpg