Date:
Monday, May 05, 2008
Contact:
Contacts: Victoria Tobin, WSDOT Communications, 206-375-2412 (Seattle)
Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, 206-949-8078 (Seattle)
KENT -- Results from the Monday morning commute on SR 167 indicate that high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes increased traffic volumes in the highway’s historically underused carpool lane by 10 percent with solo-drivers paying tolls that never exceeded $2. While drivers were still growing accustomed to the new rules of the road, project managers hailed the first weekday morning commute on the SR 167 HOT lanes as a success on multiple levels.
"It's going well so far," said WSDOT Urban Corridors Administrator Craig Stone. "We had a decent number of additional vehicles in the lane, and the toll didn’t go beyond $2.25.
Tolling in the HOT lanes began on time at 5 a.m. Monday with tolls starting at 50 cents. Despite fears that solo drivers would pay tolls as high as $9, the morning's HOT lane toll price peaked at $2.25, but no one paid that much. The highest toll paid was $2.
"For the first weekday HOT lanes test, I could not imagine the morning going any better," Stone said. “But, drivers must remember that is illegal to enter the HOT lanes by crossing the double white lines”
After opening HOT lanes amid unusually hectic traffic on SR 167 Saturday, the electronic variable tolling system and the entire project team were put to the test, reacting decisively to traffic backups on SR 167 caused by lane closures on I-405, police activity and fender benders. The first-weekend obstacles allowed the team to fine tune the system and become more prepared for the Monday morning commute.
Monday 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. commute by the numbers
- Number of drivers who paid a toll: 368 (339 northbound, 29 southbound)
- Highest northbound toll: $2.25
- Highest southbound toll: 75 cents
- Average toll: $1
- Average northbound HOT lane travel times savings between 15th SW in Auburn and Renton: 5 minutes
- Average northbound HOT lane travel times savings between 15th SW in Auburn and Renton between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.: 10 minutes
- Average northbound toll between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.: $1.09
- Number of vehicles stopped by Washington State Patrol for violating HOT lane rules: 61
The SR 167 HOT lanes allow drivers to escape traffic back ups when they simply can’t be late. The variable toll increases or decreases with the level of congestion to ensure that traffic in the HOT lane always flows freely. If traffic in the HOT lane slows too much, the lane reverts to HOV only.
There are no toll booths. Tolls are collected by the same Good To Go! transponders currently in use on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Carpools carrying two people or more, vanpools, buses and motorcycles can use the HOT lanes toll-free and do not need a transponder.
During the four-year pilot period, WSDOT will closely monitor and adjust the system to achieve its best performance. The department will report evaluation data to the state Legislature and the Washington State Transportation Commission.
For more information about setting up a Good To Go! account, visit the Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/goodtogo. Drivers can also get information and open an account in person at these mobile Good To Go! customer service office events:
- 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 5, and Wednesday, May 7, at the Auburn Wal-Mart near the SuperMall, 1425 SuperMall Way.
View the SR 167 HOT Lanes Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR167/HOTLanes.
###
< Back to News Home