Could 405 get too HOT to handle? | WSDOT considering toll lanes for local freeways

November 3, 2009 12:41 pm
This digital rendering shows what HOT lanes on I-405 could look like in the future.
This digital rendering shows what HOT lanes on I-405 could look like in the future.

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

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 pilot project since May 2008.

Speeds in all lanes along the $18 million system have increased by up to 10 percent, Stone said. In addition, 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 yet,” said WSDOT spokeswoman Colleen Gants. “It’s a pilot project, so that wasn’t part of the goal.”

An advisory committee made up of elected officials from the Eastside met on Thursday to discuss implementing HOT lanes along a larger stretch of I-405 and SR-167, known as the Eastside corridor.

Bellevue Mayor Grant Degginger raised concerns at the meeting about a proposal to fund the 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).

Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at (425) 453-4290.