I couldn’t get over to the Washington Transportation Commission meeting today because it’s way over across the pedestrian overpass on the other side of Capitol Way. But Mike Groesch, Senate Transportation Committee staffer-turned-lobbyist, dropped by the press house with an extra handout from the meeting.

Remember when the commissioners were all in a tizzy about declining bridge traffic and how they were talking about how they might have to jack up the tolls right away?

Turns out it was all a false alarm. Even with the softening economy, lotsa folks are driving across the bridge between Tacoma and Gig Harbor.

The handout shows that in only the first three months of this fiscal year — July, August and September — actual revenue collections from the bridge are nearly $1.2 million ahead of projections. That’s $12.49 million compared to $11.29 million projected.

So, those $4 cash tolls and $2.75 transponder tolls seem to be pretty safe for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2010.

Commissioners have said they want monthly reports on bridge traffic to see whether they’ll have to raise tolls any sooner than July 2010.