Changes are coming to the I-405 express toll lanes (ETLs) and SR 167 HOT lanes March 1, including new minimum and maximum toll rates and extended hours of operations. We know there are a lot of questions about the benefits of the express toll lanes and HOT lanes and how things will work with the new rates. In this blog, we share more about how the tolled lanes keep traffic moving, and where your toll money goes.
How does the system work?
Toll rates change based on real-time traffic conditions, and beginning March 1 the tolls will range from $1 to $15 for drivers with a Good To Go! pass.
The toll rates are adjusted every five minutes by an algorithm that assesses the level of congestion throughout the corridors and within each of the toll zones – one zone for SR 167 and three on I-405, corresponding with the three rates you see on each sign.
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| A toll rate sign on I-405 shows what toll you will pay depending on how far you want to travel in the toll lanes. In this case for someone who plans to exit the lanes at the end of the first toll zone – Northeast 128th Street they would pay $6.75. For people continuing on through the second toll zone – which ends at Northeast 85th Street, or the third – which ends at Northeast 6th Street – they would pay $8 for their trip. |
As congestion increases on the roadway, the toll rates increase to help control the amount of vehicles entering the tolled lanes. The goal is to prioritize moving more people through the corridor, particularly those traveling toll-free by carpooling and using transit, and for drivers who choose to pay a toll when they need a reliable trip the most.
How do the express toll lanes actually help move traffic?
One way to measure the effectiveness of the express toll lanes is to compare them to similar corridors without express toll lanes. In November 2023, we looked at daily vehicle volumes on northbound I-5 at Northeast 145th street, where the highway features four general purpose lanes and one HOV lane. On this segment of I-5, daily volumes averaged 87,000 vehicles. During that same period, daily volumes on northbound I-405 just north of Northeast 85th Street —where the highway contains three general purpose lanes and two tolled lanes — averaged 108,000 vehicles.
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| The charts show that despite having a matching number of lanes and general congestion level, I-405 – which uses tolls to help manage congestion – moved considerably more vehicles through the corridor in the same peak travel period. |
Having at least one lane moving more efficiently acts as a relief valve of sorts and allows more vehicles to get through the corridor. On average, 21,000 more vehicles were able to get through the I-405 corridor in similar traffic congestion and road conditions compared to I-5 in November 2023 because we were able to use tolls to help manage congestion and keep lanes on the roadway moving.
Why did you build express toll lanes and not more general purpose lanes?
The I-405 corridor, much like the rest of western Washington, continues to see population growth. With more people using the corridor, the demand for a reliable trip continues to grow as well.
We know we can’t build our way out of congestion; there are funding limitations, a lack of physical space needed to build new capacity, and environmental considerations. That means we need to get more out of what we already have.
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| This cartoon demonstrates what we’ve historically seen, that adding lanes to a roadway doesn’t relieve congestion, instead people who previously found alternate methods like carpooling, transit or traveling in off-peak hours fill the newly added capacity. |
We also know that the express toll lanes move more people through the corridor more efficiently than the old layout of general purpose lanes and one HOV lane. Last year, drivers who used the SR 167 HOT lanes saved an average of 7 minutes while traveling southbound and 6 minutes while traveling northbound when compared to general purpose lanes in fiscal year 2023. The average speeds in the HOT lanes were 15 mph faster northbound, and 12 mph southbound. There were similar benefits on I-405 in the same year with drivers who used the I-405 express toll lanes saving an average of 8 minutes while traveling northbound and 6 minutes while headed southbound when compared to the general purpose lanes. The average speeds in the express toll lanes ranged between 12 and 25 mph faster in the northbound direction and 9 to 15 mph faster southbound than their general purpose counterparts, with the greater average speeds in the dual-lane section of the road between Bellevue and Bothell.
Transit is also important in providing a choice and moving more people through the corridor efficiently. Several transit routes take advantage of the express toll lanes and HOT lanes to bypass congestion and provide a more reliable trip to their riders – who also avoid the toll and sitting in traffic. Transit riders will see future advantages to their trips as the ongoing I-405/167 corridor program includes projects that benefit transit and allows for additional high-capacity bus routes. The projects are possible because the tolled lanes help manage congestion and allow the transit routes to move people more efficiently and reliably through the corridors.
The express toll lanes give drivers a choice they didn’t have before, so that people have a way out of congestion when they really need it. They also generate revenue to be reinvested back into the corridor for projects to help address pain points that contribute to congestion.
How does increasing the maximum toll rate actually help manage traffic?
While we don’t know how often people will choose to use the lanes when the toll rate reaches the new maximum, we do know that current rates are reaching their cap during peak periods more frequently, and when that happens speeds and overall performance decreases. As traffic volumes continue to increase, the demand for a more reliable trip will grow.
With a higher maximum rate, we have more room to provide a reliable trip when drivers need it the most. In other words, drivers will have even more of a choice to make when considering whether to use the express toll lanes or HOT lanes. If a driver thinks the rate is too high, they’ll stay in the general purpose lanes, freeing up capacity in the tolled lanes for transit, carpools, and drivers who really need the reliable trip. Drivers who choose to pay the toll and use the express toll lanes or HOT lanes will in turn free up space in the general purpose lanes and experience more value for their money in the form of a quicker trip.
While everyone decides for themselves when paying a toll is worth it in the I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT lanes, we know that not everyone will opt to pay the higher toll rate and some drivers will adjust their travel times, and some may adjust the way they commute (by joining a carpool or using public transportation) – that helps keep vehicles out of the tolled lane as well.
What does my toll actually pay for?
Toll revenue is used to cover the costs of operating and maintaining a safe facility and any funds remaining after covering these expenses are reinvested back into the I-405 and SR 167 corridor.
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| This chart from the Toll Division’s Annual Report for fiscal year 2023 indicates that approximately 40 percent of the toll revenue collected for trips in the I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT lanes is used to run the program, while more than 60 percent remains to be reinvested into improvement projects throughout the corridor. |
Expenses that fall under the description of operations and maintenance include printing and mailing bills, credit card fees, maintaining roadside tolling equipment like cameras and pass readers, and administrative costs of overseeing customer service operations, planning system improvements and calibrating the systems that monitor road congestion and adjust the dynamic toll rates.
WSDOT does contract out for certain services like the Good To Go! back office system, operating tolling equipment in the lanes, and customer service centers, and these contracts are awarded based on a competitive procurement process. The contracts also require the vendors to have local employees and operations to provide additional benefits to Washingtonians. Currently our vendors employ over 100 people in Washington to support the Good To Go! program.
Our financial statements and other revenue details are all readily available online so you can see the exact break down of how toll revenue is used.
I sometimes see people weaving in and out of the lanes. Can’t you build barriers?
It’s important to note that enforcement of drivers trying to evade tolls is an industry-wide problem. We work with our partners at Washington State Patrol on enforcement, and use double white lines — which are illegal to cross — to separate the express toll lanes and general purpose lanes. If you notice a location or time of day when you see violations more frequently, you can share that information with WSP.
We can’t use barriers to separate the express toll lanes for a few reasons:
- They’re expensive to build and maintain, and in some areas we don’t have the physical space.
- They can pose a safety hazard by preventing first-responders from accessing collisions that occur in the express toll lanes.
- When a collision occurs in the general purpose lanes, we wouldn’t be able to route vehicles into the express toll lanes to keep traffic moving.
If you still have questions or concerns, reach out to us on social media. We’re always happy to help answer questions.
And remember, if you do opt to pay a toll to use the I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT Lanes you can save money by opening a Good To Go! account – and you have the option of toll-free travel as a carpool if you use a Flex Pass and have the appropriate number of people.
You can find out more about accounts at passes at our website www.MyGoodToGo.com.
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