Variable tolling will keep traffic in the HOT lane moving quickly at all times.
Variable tolling, also called dynamic pricing, is a high-tech way to manage the number of vehicles entering a HOT lane to keep traffic moving quickly, even when the other lanes are congested. Using an electronic toll-collection system, the HOT lane toll price rises and falls depending on traffic levels in the HOT lanes. It’s all done automatically.
Here’s how it works:
Traffic counters beneath the pavement detect how many vehicles are in the HOT lane and the speed at which they’re traveling. This data is sent to a computer at WSDOT’s Traffic Management Center in Shoreline.
Using this real-time traffic data, the computer automatically adjusts the price on the toll rate signs to manage the number of vehicles entering the HOT lanes.
As more vehicles enter, space in the HOT lanes becomes limited, and the price goes up. When the HOT lanes have lots of space available; the price drops. The computer allows traffic volumes to be as high as possible, without allowing the HOT lane to become congested. And it's all done instantaneously. That is how express travel is maintained for drivers in the HOT lane.
While we expect speeds of 50-55 mph, the computer is set to maintain speeds of at least 45 mph 90 percent of the time during rush hour in the HOT lanes.
As more cars move into the HOT lane, more space is created in the regular lanes, so more vehicles can travel on SR 167, using all lanes more efficiently. |
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| Traffic data is gathered from traffic counters beneath the pavement and sent to a computer. |
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| A computer automatically adjusts the price on roadway signs to keep traffic moving. |