Date:
Friday, April 25, 2008
Contact:
Contacts: Victoria Tobin, WSDOT Communications, 206-464-1184 (Seattle)
Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, 206-949-8078 (Seattle)
KENT – As each day passes, drivers are seeing more and more signs that high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes are coming soon to State Route 167 between Renton and Auburn.
Crews are finally getting the dry weather they need to place the second white stripe that will separate the HOT lanes from the general purpose lanes. On Thursday night crews placed nearly seven miles of the second stripe on southbound SR 167 between Renton and S. 277th Street. A dry and warmer weekend forecast means crews could complete all of the double striping for HOT lanes by Saturday morning. WSDOT scheduled additional closures Saturday and Sunday night for any final touches needed on the striping and HOV diamond symbols. Drivers should expect overnight closures of up to two lanes.
“Getting the double stripe down this weekend is critical to opening the SR 167 HOT lanes on May 3,” said WSDOT Urban Corridors Administrator Craig Stone. “We want to give drivers a week to become accustomed to the new striping, new signs and new rules of the road before variable tolling begins on SR 167.”
HOT lanes will open to toll-paying solo drivers on Saturday, May 3, but the “no double-crossing” rule will be enforced for all vehicles by the Washington State Patrol as soon as the double-white stripes appear on SR 167. With the double white stripes, drivers can no longer weave in and out of the carpool lane. Instead they must enter or exit the lane at six northbound and four southbound access zones or risk a $124 ticket. Drivers must pay attention to signs and dashed striping that mark the quarter-mile-long zones.
Stone said drivers can take a number of steps now to get ready for the HOT lanes:
- Carpoolers with transponders in their vehicles should start using the metal shield to disable the transponder when driving in the HOT lanes. The metal shields are available for $3.50 each from the customer service centers. Call customer service at 1-866-936-8245 (1-866-WDOT2GO) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, to purchase a shield for delivery by May 3.
- Solo drivers who want to use the HOT lanes must open a Good To Go! account and install a transponder on their windshield. Learn how to open an account on the Good To Go! Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/goodtogo.
WSDOT is converting nine miles of HOV lanes on SR 167 between Renton and Auburn to a single HOT lane in each direction. With HOT lanes, solo drivers will have the choice to pay an electronic toll without stopping to use the HOT lane and escape traffic back ups when they can’t afford to be late. There will be no toll booths. The toll will be collected by the same Good To Go! transponders currently in use on the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The HOT lane will be toll-free for carpools, vanpools, buses and motorcycles.
For more information, view the SR 167 HOT Lanes Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR167/HOTLanes.
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