WSDOT Ponders Toll Lanes On I-405

There are slowdowns on Interstate 405 from Renton to Lynnwood just about all day long. It's been called one of the worst bottlenecks on the West Coast.

The Washington State Department of Transportation thinks High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, like the ones installed on Highway 167 through Kent two years ago, are the solution.

Pay a variable toll and you can drive in the carpool lane, even if you're by yourself.

Bonni Moore, an eastsider who avoids traffic on I-405 as much as she can, is willing to pay more for a spot in the fast lane.

"I think it's a good idea," she said. "If I could get to the airport quicker, absolutely."

Others aren't as receptive.

"I think people pay enough in taxes," said Walter Poupore, another I-405 driver. “The roads are already there. Let's not add an extra charge on 405."

A recent study by the state shows the HOT lanes on Highway 167 are improving traffic conditions. Since opening in 2008, the number of cars using the highway during peak hours has increased by 2 to 3 percent. Average speeds are up 11 percent during rush hours.

But other studies show not enough people are using the HOT lanes, so they're actually losing money. One of the main questions from critics is that if the HOT lanes on 167 are losing money, why would the state consider putting them on I-405?

"Money's tight everywhere, and losing money isn't good in this environment," Poupore said.

But Kim Henry, project manager for WSDOT, said people have misunderstood the focus of the four-year pilot program on 167.

"Our number-one goal is to get the most efficient use out of the roads we can," he said. "Then the secondary benefit becomes the revenue."

WSDOT hosted a meeting with national toll lane experts on Wednesday in an effort to get their support on an I-405 HOT lane project and plan to go to the Legislature next session to get funding.