Though extensive construction is set to begin this year on Interstate 405 through Bellevue, questions remain about how the projects will be paid for, and who will be able to travel in which lanes.
The Washington State Department of Transportation updated the Bellevue City Council Monday on progress to build new lanes that could be tolled with rates varying by levels of congestion.
According to the state’s schedule, construction from Northeast Sixth Street to Lynnwood is scheduled to begin this year. The project would add one lane heading both north and south from Bellevue to Bothell. This lane would be an express toll lane, as would the existing carpool lane. The carpool lane from Bothell to Interstate 5 would be converted as well. These lanes, like ones on State Route 167, would be priced at varying levels throughout the day. Prices don’t change by time of day like State Route 520, but by the level of congestion.
Revenue from tolls is expected to pay for a portion of these new lanes, but WSDOT officials indicated this may not be enough, and additional tax raises could be needed.
“I’m very confident tolling will not pay for all the improvements we want to see on I-405, said Kim Henry, director of the I-405/SR-167 programs for WSDOT. “I think there’s going to have to be some new revenue – gas tax or something like that – to match the tolling revenue we are getting.”
Bellevue Councilmember Kevin Wallace wondered why this conversation hasn’t been broached in Olympia, given the issues with toll funding on State Route 99.
The issue of funding the projects has always been the highest priority. The total project, from Lynnwood south to Renton is looking at a shortfall, the majority of which lies in the southern section, which is being studied as part of the current project phase.
Other questions that remain are that of traffic capacity, and impacts on side streets. Bellevue has always shown concern that increased traffic could push people onto the city’s already congested streets. But WSDOT officials assured councilmembers this would not happen as the lanes will add new capacity, and people will pay for a faster trip, freeing up more space in the general lanes.
Perhaps the biggest question left is who will be allowed to use the new lanes for free. Debates have raged for years whether cars should have two or three occupants to allow free passage. The decision has yet to be made, and it will affect the project’s financing, based on the number of cars that would be allowed to travel in the lanes. The decision will be a group conclusion, likely including the State Transportation Commission, which is also responsible for setting the toll rates, the Legislature, and WSDOT officials.
Despite the unanswered questions, councilmembers were excited to see numerous projects on the highway either complete or underway, something many doubted would happen when this process began, almost 15 years ago.
“I remember debates in the late 1990s and early 2000s where everyone said ‘you’ll never be able to raise enough money to get these projects done,'” said Councilmember John Chelminiak. “We are getting them done. Not only are we getting them done, we are getting them done early and under budget.
