Some oppose opening I-405 toll lanes to all during certain times

  • By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer
  • Thursday, March 17, 2016 8:57pm
  • Local News

LYNNWOOD — Not everyone is pleased the state is letting drivers use the I-405 express toll lanes for free at night and on weekends starting Friday.

Community Transit officials opposed the move, asking members of the state Transportation Commission to “stay the course” over worries the change could result in longer trips for their bus and vanpool riders.

In their March 14 letter, district officials also asked commissioners to consider providing a means to restart tolling at night and on weekends when traffic in the toll lanes is moving at less than 45 miles per hour.

“That would be consistent with one of the original purposes of the tolls: to manage congestion,” wrote Joy Munkers, the district’s planning and development director. “Transit still runs on weekends and people still have needs for a more rapid trip that would make them willing to pay a toll.”

That letter was the only written opposition received by commissioners before they voted Tuesday to make the switch.

“We didn’t necessarily think it would change their minds but we wanted to be on the record with our view,” Community Transit spokesman Martin Munguia said. “The express toll lanes are working for transit. We are seeing reduced trip times. We appreciate that travel time advantage.”

There’s concern about the precedent this action sets, he said. Lawmakers originally committed to give the toll lanes two years before initiating any significant changes. It’s been less than six months, he said.

“We don’t know what the impact will be on transit,” he said. “There is always the potential this will create a snowball effect that toll lanes are something we can get rid of.”

Under the emergency rule enacted by commissioners, the I-405 express toll lanes only will operate on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. All vehicles will be permitted to travel for no charge weekday nights, and on weekends and six federal holidays.

When tolling is turned off, overhead signs will read “Open to all” on the 17-mile stretch of I-405 between Bellevue and Lynnwood. A Good To Go! Pass will not be required nor will requirements for a carpool be in effect.

Even when the lanes are free, drivers will need to use the designated access points to legally cross into the carpool lanes. Crossing the double white lines will still get drivers a ticket, state transportation officials said.

The decision to end tolling during off-peak hours is a response to frustrated drivers who’ve encountered longer than expected commutes since the express lanes opened in September.

Department of Transportation data show some drivers and bus riders are enjoying faster travel heading south and getting in and out of Bellevue. But the northbound afternoon commute through Bothell is enduring greater congestion than before the lanes opened.

Fans of toll lanes would argue for more tolls, not less.

If the state does it right, I-405 will be just one major piece of a regional tolling network that “sort of blankets the whole freeway system,” says Robert Poole, a longtime tolling proponent who has helped father many express toll lane projects. The Reason Foundation fellow served on an expert panel that vetted the DOT’s plans for I-405 in 2010.

“They really ought to explicitly commit to a seamless network of toll lanes, so it both serves plagued motorists when they need it and also facilitates express bus service and makes it faster and more reliable than it is today,” Poole said.

In her letter, Munkers acknowledged the “strong sentiment” of those who’ve signed a petition to get rid of the express toll lanes then cited the tens of thousands of drivers using them every day as a “strong statement” because they are not forced to use the lanes, “but choose to do so of their own volition.”

Community Transit and Sound Transit buses traveling on I-405 shaved as much as 9 percent off their average travel times in October and November last year, according to figures provided by the district. Some buses reached their destinations as much as 16 minutes faster using the express toll lanes, Munguia said.

With faster travel and the state collecting more revenue than anticipated, Munkers concluded “early returns” suggest the toll lanes are working.

Now, as tolls are lifted, Community Transit is concerned with the potential effect on service, particularly buses running between Lynnwood and Bellevue on Saturdays. Community Transit operates service between the communities under a contract with Sound Transit.

Buses run hourly on Route 535. Traffic in the toll lanes has been light Saturday and the worry is if the lanes clog up with cars, it could make for longer trips.

The state Transportation Commission is in the process of permanently changing the rules for tolling in the corridor. Commissioners are expected to hold a public hearing May 17 in advance of acting in June or July.

Community Transit could make its case again but no decision has been made on whether to do so, Munguia said Thursday.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring, chairman of the Community Transit Board of Directors, said he’d like board members to discuss the matter prior to that hearing.

“I recognize the right of the staff to weigh in on issues important to the operation of the district,” he said. “Because this has become the issue it has become, it’s also appropriate for the board to discuss it.”

Mukilteo Mayor Jennifer Gregerson, one of the board’s newest members, said the voices of frustrated drivers and bus riders enjoying shorter trips need to be heard.

“It’s important that all of the commuters that travel that corridor have their concerns considered and balanced,” she said. Staff is “representing their riders. That’s their job.”

Herald writer Melissa Slager contributed to this report.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Dominic Wilson looks at his mother while she addresses the court during his sentencing at the Snohomish County Courthouse on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Grief remains after sentencing of Marysville teen’s killers

Dominic Wilson must serve 17½ years in prison, while his accomplice Morzae Roberts was given a sentence of four years.

The Washington State University Everett campus on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 in Everett, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
WSU ends search to buy land for future branch campus in Everett

The university had $10M to spend. It tried for four years but couldn’t close deals with Everett’s housing authority or the city.

Former Opus Bank/Cascade Bank building in downtown Everett on Thursday, March 16, 2023 in Everett, Washington. It is proposed as the new home of Economic Alliance Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Economic Alliance asks Everett for $300K to move downtown

The countywide chamber of commerce and economic development organization also would reform the Everett chamber.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Mountlake Terrace in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Mountlake Terrace leaders weighing federal ARPA fund options

Bathrooms, body cameras, generators, radios, roadwork, roof replacement, sidewalks, trails and more loom for the $4.5 million.

Vehicles on Soper Hill Road wait in line to make unprotected left turns onto Highway 9 northbound and southbound during the evening commute Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens development prompts Highway 9 signal change soon

Turning left from Soper Hill Road can be a long wait now. Flashing yellow turn signals could help with more traffic.

Defense attorney Natalie Tarantino gives her opening statement in the trial of Richard Rotter at the Snohomish County Courthouse in Everett, Washington on Monday, March 20, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Police give emotional testimony at Rotter trial

On the second day of trial in the slaying of Everett officer Dan Rocha, witnesses described a hectic scene after the shooting.

The Walmart Store on 11400 Highway 99 on March 21, 2023 in in Everett, Washington. The retail giant will close the store on April 21, 2023. (Janice Podsada / The Herald)
Walmart announces Everett store on Highway 99 will close on April 21

The Arkansas-based retail giant said the 20-year-old Walmart location was “underperforming financially.”

Michael Tolley (Northshore School District)
Michael Tolley named new Northshore School District leader

Tolley, interim superintendent since last summer, is expected to inherit the position permanently in July.

The drugs seized from a Clorox box and an air mattress box in the car of a courier in November 2020. (U.S. Attorney's Office)
Relatives of Arlington fentanyl, meth ringleader get federal prison

Jose Arredondo-Valdez, the cousin of Cesar Valdez-Sanudo, got nine years Tuesday. Valdez-Sanudo’s wife got 30 months.

Most Read