| The Washington State Transportation Commission is proposing the toll rate for the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge at $3 for commuters paying with cash and $1.75 for users of the Good To Go! electronic toll collection system. The commission’s proposal would also allow local law enforcement and local emergency service providers to cross the bridge for free when responding to or returning from emergency calls. Non-emergency trips would be subject to the toll. Washington State Patrol vehicles assigned to the portion of State Route 16 corridor that includes the TNB would be granted a toll exemption.
The rates are the same as those proposed by a Citizen Advisory Committee that has met for several months to discuss the tolls. The CAC forwarded its list of 15 recommendations to the commission in January.
The full text of the proposed rule is available at www.wstc.wa.gov.
On June 5, the commission will hold a public hearing in Gig Harbor. Public testimony will be taken and the commission plans to take final action on the proposed rule. The June 5 public hearing will be held at the Gig Harbor Civic Center, Council Chambers, from 1 to 3 p.m. The rule becomes part of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and if adopted on June 5, would become effective on July 5.
In the meantime, WSDOT opened a Good To Go! customer service center in Gig Harbor at the end of April, and has started opening accounts. In conjunction with the launch of the electronic toll collections system, WSDOT launched a campaign for free tolls for a year. Every private vehicle owner who signs up between now and September will be entered into the drawing to win either a $50 gas card or a toll-free year.
Good To Go! is a prepaid electronic toll collection system that uses a small transponder adhered to the inside of a vehicle’s windshield. The transponder is read by an antenna mounted over the roadway. Each time a vehicle approaches the toll collection area, the antenna reads the transponder and the system automatically debits the toll from the Good To Go! customer’s prepaid account, allowing the driver to maintain highway speeds. | 