SEATTLE – The Washington State Department of Transportation is making adjustments to tolling times on State Route 167 after hearing complaints from drivers that rates are unreasonably high compared to the amount of congestion.
The SR 167 Hot Lanes are optional for drivers who choose to pay a toll in order to use the HOV lane of travel. The variable toll design is meant to reduce congestion by charging drivers more to use the lane as traffic picks up during rush hour.
KING 5 found the lane recently priced at $6.75, but all lanes of travel were free-flowing.
WSDOT says the tolling computer is programmed to reduce the toll by 25-cents every five minutes as lanes clear up. Engineers have adjusted the rate to drop by 50-cents every five minutes.
"We have engineers that are looking at the operations, not just the Hot Lanes, but the overall corridor," said Craig Stone, Assistant Tolling Secretary for WSDOT.
Stone says traffic in the Hot Lanes have increased 20%, partly because of the improved economy and newly-painted lines allowing drivers to merge into the lane more easily.
The cost to use the lane hit the maximum $9.00 four times in recent months. Stone says that hadn't happened since the lanes opened in 2008.
