Vows to end I-405 tolls: Was it all just campaign talk?

OLYMPIA — Eliminating the express toll lanes on I-405 was a popular pledge of candidates on the campaign trail in Snohomish County.

Well, it’s not going to happen. At least not this year.

Leaders of the state House and Senate transportation committees say they won’t move any bills to end tolling between Bellevue and Lynnwood this session.

“We’re not going to look at them,” said Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee.

And she’s already thinking about making the toll lanes permanent in 2018. The state would then be in position to sell bonds and use the stream of toll revenue to cover the long-term debt payments required for major congestion-easing projects eyed in the 17-mile corridor.

“It will be the only unallocated source of revenue generated in the state,” she said.

Her counterpart in the Senate isn’t talking about bonding the money but is on board with keeping the lanes operating now.

“We had a plan. Everybody agreed to it. Let’s just stick to the plan, see what the results are and then we can have the discussion as to whether it was a good thing or not,” said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

That “plan” is the legislation which created the toll lanes as a two-year pilot project. The experiment period is scheduled to end in September.

The legislation also prescribed two standards be met for the toll lanes to be maintained. First, they needed to generate enough money to pay for themselves, and second, vehicles using the lanes must average 45 mph or faster 90 percent of the time during daily commutes.

Profitability isn’t a problem as higher than predicted use has led to greater than estimated receipts. But the speed standard, which had been met in the first few months of operation, was not achieved in the latter half of 2016. Traffic within the lanes was moving at 45 mph or faster only 85 percent of the time, Department of Transportation officials told lawmakers in December.

King, who is aware of the situation, is reserving judgment until the full two-year period is complete.

“We’re talking about another eight or nine months and we’ll know,” he said. “If we cut them off now they’ll say that we didn’t give them enough time.”

Rep. Mark Harmsworth, R-Mill Creek, the Legislature’s most vocal critic of the express toll lanes, introduced a bill to remove the tolls and convert one lane in each direction back to two-plus carpool lanes. Clibborn told him earlier in the session it wouldn’t get a hearing, he said.

“We’ve sat down and talked,” said Harmsworth, who serves on the transportation panel. “I’m not giving up. I haven’t changed my opinion on what needs to happen. I’m here to fix the problem.”

Snohomish County is where one of the most persistent challenges exists. Since tolling began in September 2015, the state says traffic flow has improved in the corridor thanks to an extra lane the state added between Bothell and Bellevue.

But it’s not better everywhere. It’s actually gotten worse on northbound I-405 in Bothell. Traffic bottles up where five lanes reduce to three near Highway 522.

In the short term, the state is spending $7.29 million to harden the shoulder on northbound I-405. Work is under way and when finished vehicles and buses will be able to use the right shoulder between Highway 527 and I-5 as an additional general-purpose lane in times with the heaviest congestion. Overhead signs will alert drivers to when the lane is open to traffic.

In the long-term, the state wants to add an express toll lane in each direction from Highway 522 to Highway 527 and construct a new interchange to provide direct access from Highway 522. Together, the projects would cost an estimated $450 million, according to the December presentation by DOT officials.

The state also is looking at the potential of directly connecting a northbound toll lane with northbound I-5 in Lynnwood and another connection from the carpool lane on southbound I-5 to a toll lane on southbound I-405. Those could cost another $250 million to carry out.

With no pot of state money to tap, bonding toll revenues looms as the best potential financing mechanism, Clibborn said.

“We have to look at it all next year,” she said.

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

Talk to us

More in Local News

The Safeway store at 4128 Rucker Ave., on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Mike Henneke / The Herald)
Police: Everett Safeway ex-worker accused of trying to ram customers

The man, 40, was showing symptoms of psychosis, police wrote. Officers found him circling another parking lot off Mukilteo Boulevard.

Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the 196th ST SW Improvement Project near the 196th and 44th Ave West intersection in Lynnwood, Washington on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Jarred by anti-Semitic rants, Lynnwood council approves tax increase

Three people spewed hate speech via Zoom at a council meeting this week. Then, the council moved on to regular business.

The county canvassing board certifies election results at the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office in Everett, Washington on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023.  (Annie Barker / The Herald)
General election results stamped official by canvassing board

In Snohomish County, one hand recount will take place. Officials said ballot challenges were down this year.

The Days Inn on Everett Mall Way, which Snohomish County is set to purchase and convert into emergency housing, is seen Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Over $130M for affordable housing set to be approved by County Council

The five-year investment plan of the 0.1% sales tax aims to construct 550 new affordable units.

Two snowboarders head up the mountain in a lift chair on the opening day of ski season at Stevens Pass Ski Area on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, near Skykomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ski season delayed at Stevens Pass due to minimal snow

Resort originally planned to open Dec. 1. But staff are hopeful this week’s snow will allow guests to hit the slopes soon.

Siblings Qingyun, left, and Ruoyun Li, 12 and 13, respectively, are together on campus at Everett Community College on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Everett, Washington. The two are taking a full course load at the community college this semester. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Siblings, age 12 and 13, are youngest students at EvCC campus

Qingyun Li was 11 when he scored a perfect 36 on the ACT test. His sister, Ruoyun, was one point away.

Edmond’s newly elected mayor Mike Rosen on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mayor-elect Rosen wants to ‘make Edmonds politics boring again’

Mike Rosen handily defeated incumbent Mayor Mike Nelson. He talked with The Herald about how he wants to gather the “full input” of residents.

Offloading ferry traffic is stopped to allow pedestrians to cross the street at the Edmonds ferry dock on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 in Edmonds. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
2-ferry service restored on Edmonds-Kingston route — for a weekend

M/V Salish, one of the system’s smallest vessels, will fill in through Sunday after weeks of one boat on the route.

Jared Mead, left, Nate Nehring
At Everett event, Mead, Nehring look to bridge partisan gap

Two Snohomish County Council members can pinpoint the day they really started talking about putting civility over partisanship. It was Jan. 6.

A speed camera facing west along 220th Street Southwest on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Traffic cameras, and tickets, come to Edmonds; Mukilteo could be next

New school zone cameras in Edmonds will begin operating in January. Mukilteo is considering enforcement cameras as well.

A suspected gas explosion on Wednesday destroyed a house in the 19700 block of 25TH DR SE in Bothell, Washington. (Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue)
After a newly bought Bothell house exploded, experts urge caution

The owners had closed on their purchase of the house just two days earlier. No one was hurt in the explosion.

Lynnwood
3 men charged in armed home invasion near Everett

Prosecutors allege the trio targeted other Asian American homes across Snohomish, Whatcom and King counties.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.