New tolling concept would make Eastside corridor HOT

New tolling concept from the Washington State Department of Transportation would make the Eastside corridor HOT (High Occupancy Toll)

October 29, 2009 10:02 pm
This visualization shows the type of two-lane express toll lane that WSDOT is considering for I-405.
This visualization shows the type of two-lane express toll lane that WSDOT is considering for I-405.

Roads proponents may get the highway expansion they’ve been asking for under a new plan the state Department of Transportation is considering for I-405 and SR-167, but the extra lanes would come with tolls.

The idea is to increase capacity along the Eastside corridor in a way that controls traffic flow and generates revenue for the project.

Carpoolers would use the high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes for free, while single-occupancy drivers would pay a varying fee. Tolls would vary throughout the day based on congestion.

“We think HOT lanes can guarantee faster trips for the people using those lanes, as well as for everyone using the corridor,” said WSDOT tolling director Craig Stone.

Planners are looking at tolls that would fluctuate on average between $2.80 and $8 per trip by 2020. The goal is to keep traffic moving at a minimum of 45 miles per hour in express lanes.

The HOT-lane concept is already in place along a segment of SR-167, where WSDOT has been running a pilot project since May 2008.

An advisory committee made up of elected officials from the Eastside met Thursday to discuss implementing the system along a larger expanse of I-405 and SR-167, perhaps the entire corridor.

Speeds in all lanes along the $18 million HOT lane system on SR-167 have increased by up to 10 percent, Stone said. At the same time, traffic volumes there have increased by 4-percent, he added.

Tolls on SR-167 topped out this year at $9, which is the maximum cost allowed under the pilot program. The average toll there has been around $1 per trip, according to Stone.

The pilot project generated roughly $400,000 in operating revenue during its first year.

“It isn’t paying for itself,” said WSDOT spokeswoman Colleen Gants. “It’s a pilot project, so that wasn’t part of the goal.”

Bellevue Mayor Grant Degginger raised concerns at the advisory committee meeting about a proposal to fund the HOT-lane project through non-recourse loans, which would not be secured by the state.

“It was surprising to me that there would be consideration of not having the project backed by state resources,” Degginger said. “If you don’t do that, you end up paying a lot more for the bonds.”

Newcastle City Councilmember Sonny Putter said WSDOT should look at a broader range of funding options before sending a proposal to the state Legislature.

Among the regional officials on the advisory committee are Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke, Renton City Councilmember Randy Corman, Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow, Bothell Mayor Mark Lamb, Kirkland Mayor James Lauinger, Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis, and Newcastle Mayor Ben Varon.

WSDOT will hold two public meetings to discuss implementing additional HOT lanes along the Eastside Corridor. Those events take place from 4-7 p.m. on Nov. 3 at Kent Meridian High (10020 Southeast 256th Street, Kent) and Nov. 5 at Kirkland City Hall (123 Fifth Avenue, Kirkland).