520 Tolling to Start Dec 29

Ancient (1979) toll booth on the 520 bridge
Ancient (1979) toll booth on the 520 bridge - courtesy WSDOT

WSDOT sent out the following press release today. You may want to get your Good to Go pass soon.The pass offers a significant discount on the toll.

Ross
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SR 520 tolling to start on Thursday, December 29
Today we announced that tolling will start on SR 520 on Thursday, December 29. If drivers haven’t already purchased a Good To Go! pass, which helps them get the best toll rate, they should take action now:

Purchase the popular $5 sticker pass at participating Safeway, Costco, QFC or Fred Meyer stores then activate it online. Visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/goodtogo/retail for a list of retail locations.

Buy any of five pass options online at GoodToGo520.org.
Visit a full service Customer Service Center or a Mobile Customer Service Center. Find locations and hours at www.wsdot.wa.gov/goodtogo/contacts.htm.

Surge of Good To Go! pass customers expected
More than 100,000 Good To Go! accounts have been set up since February. However, we still expect a surge of customers to register and activate accounts this month. To prepare for the surge, we have extended call center hours and hired extra customer service staff. Despite these efforts, people may experience delays, particularly between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Buses and vanpools ready for riders
As a reminder, travelers now have even more options for getting across the SR 520 Bridge. King County Metro and Sound Transit added 130 daily bus trips across the bridge. Transit buses now offer over 700 trips across the bridge each work day. More than 90 vanpools cross the bridge daily and additional vans are available. More information about these and other options is available from King County Metro.

Countdown is under way
With today’s announcement, the countdown to SR 520 tolling is under way. We have been testing and retesting the toll system components since summer to ensure it can collect data at highway speeds to create transactions for more than 100,000 vehicles every day. We also brought in national tolling experts to review the system. Even with these preparations, there will likely be startup issues before and during tolling commencement. We are taking steps so we are ready to respond to issues as they arise. After tolling begins, we anticipate an adjustment period while people try different travel schedules, routes and modes.

Author: Ross

I am the Director of the Department of Early Learning for Washington State. I formerly represented the 48th Legislative District in the State House of Representatives, chairing the Appropriations committee and spent many a year at Microsoft.