An amendment from state Rep. Mark Harmsworth, R-Mill Creek, that would have delayed a recent rule change on I-405 carpools has hit a dead end.
Express toll lanes are coming this fall to 17 miles of I-405, from Lynnwood to Bellevue. In addition to carpools, vanpools and transit, single drivers will be able to access the faster-moving lanes by paying a fee that varies with congestion and demand.
Along with those changes, the number of people required to be in a vehicle to use the lane for free during peak hours is going up, from two to three.
Harmsworth’s amendment would have allowed free travel in the HOV lanes for carpools with two or more riders for the first 180 days of the rule change. During those 180 days the state Department of Transportation would have had to study traffic to determine if free travel for two-plus carpools in HOV lanes was practical and not disruptive to traffic.
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