Date:  Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Contact: Good To Go! customer service 1-866-936-8246.

All-electronic tolling begins this spring on the 520 floating bridge

SEATTLE – Good To Go! passes for upcoming State Route 520 tolls are now available online, by phone and at two new customer service centers in Seattle and Bellevue. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) also is deploying mobile customer service centers to help bring Good To Go! directly to drivers before toll collections begin on the SR 520 floating bridge this spring.

“Tolling is a critical funding source for replacing the vulnerable 520 bridge,” Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said. “Starting tolling this spring helps keep project costs down while improving the safety and reliability of this vital corridor. The funds help us begin pontoon construction in Grays Harbor for a replacement bridge and improvements on the Eastside starting next month.”

Good To Go! is Washington’s statewide electronic tolling system. Electronic tolling allows tolls to be collected on all vehicles at highway speeds with no stopping or slowing. The SR 520 floating bridge will be the first bridge in the state to use all-electronic tolling, with no traditional cash collection toll booths.

WSDOT announced a special introductory offer at a launch event today at University Village Shopping Center in Seattle. Drivers will receive a $10 credit towards SR 520 tolls if they purchase a Good To Go! Pass and activate an account by April 15. There are five new passes available ranging in cost from $5-$12. Among the new passes are smaller and movable options. Beginning Friday, Feb. 18, the Standard Sticker pass, costing $5, will be available at 84 participating Safeway stores throughout Puget Sound.

“Good to Go! is the easiest and most affordable way to pay SR 520 tolls,” WSDOT Toll Division Director Craig Stone said. “By signing up now, drivers can be assured they’ll be ready to go when tolling begins this spring.”

The Washington State Transportation Commission recommended toll rates for the SR 520 bridge to be considered by the state Legislature. Proposed toll rates will vary by time of day, encouraging some drivers to use off-peak hours, alternative routes and other modes of travel – which reduces traffic congestion on the floating bridge during the busiest travel times. To encourage this shift, 130 daily bus trips have been added to 600 existing trips in the corridor.

How Good To Go! accounts work
Customers purchase a Good To Go! pass, set up a prepaid account and mount the Good To Go! pass in their vehicle, or register their license plate for photo identification. When driving on a tolled facility, the pass is scanned or the license plate is photographed and the correct toll is deducted from the prepaid account. Automatic replenishment allows customers to easily manage their accounts by authorizing payments from a bank account or credit card. Drivers are encouraged to set-up a pre-paid Good To Go! account if they use the SR 520 bridge more than once a month.

For drivers without a Good To Go! account, cameras will take photos of the license plate and a bill will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Under the proposed toll rate schedule, the Good To Go! toll rate might be $3.50 during peak periods, compared to $5 for users who pay by mail.

This project is implemented as part of an Urban Partnership Agreement between WSDOT, Federal Highway Administration, King County, and the Puget Sound Regional Council. For more information about Good To Go! including a complete list of retail locations and incentives, visit goodtogo520.org.

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