Tolling committee presents to Issaquah City Council

The State Tolling Implementation Committee attended the Issaquah City Council Committee-of-the-Whole meeting Nov. 25 to give a presentation on the different options for tolling the Evergreen Point Bridge, on state Route 520. Established by the Legislature in May, the committee is charged with finding between $1.5 and $1.9 billion dollars through tolling to help pay for a new bridge. The committee has since held several open houses, and has met with a smattering of city councils across the Eastside to discuss the project and how it may affect drivers. The committee uses the input it receives from city organizations and the public to develop different tolling scenarios that could be implemented. It currently has nine different scenarios developed, ranging from a flat $1.70 fee, variable rates depending on what time of day a driver is crossing the bridge, tolling both the SR 520 and Interstate 90 bridges, and tolling that could begin in 2010 or 2016. Committee members emphasized that while each scenario has its own benefits and drawbacks, earlier tolling on both bridges will bring in the most money and have the most positive effects on traffic congestion. One point the committee made very clear to the public is that tolls will be collected electronically through a transponder signal that automatically deducts money from an account, or license plate photographing, which would be used to bill someone later. Drivers will not have to stop at a toll booth. Committee members are asking the public to go to build520.org to complete a survey asking about how they use both bridges, how tolling would affect their commuting habits and which tolling scenarios they prefer. For more information on SR 520 tolling, see a previous Reporter article: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/iss/news/34279044.html.

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