New bridge commuter cards to be rolled out this fall

In a bid to make border crossings a bit easier, the International Bridge is preparing to introduce new electronic commuter cards this fall.

The new cards (shown), unveiled today at a meeting of the Joint International Bridge Authority, will be available in Canadian or U.S. versions depending on the currency in which they are paid.

Drivers will be able to buy and re-load the new cards in 20-trip increments without leaving their vehicles.

Prices will be the same as for commuter ticket books, which currently cost US$16 or C$21.10 for 20 one-way trips.

In a significant departure from the existing expiry-date policy on ticket books, the commuter cards can be used indefinitely so long as at least one crossing is made every 122 days.

Accounts will be forfeited, however, if there's no activity over that length of time.

A survey taken last year indicated that three out of five commuters and two out of five infrequent users would use the International Bridge more frequently if it were made more convenient.