Twice as many drivers chose to pay a fee to save time and traffic stress in the second year of high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on State Route 167, according to an annual report released Thursday by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The Valley Freeway HOT Lanes Pilot Project – a nine-mile stretch from Auburn to Renton – is making more efficient use of the former carpools-only HOV lane, the WSDOT report says.
WSDOT launched the four-year project in 2008 with a goal to provide solo drivers who pay an electronic toll without stopping, a faster, more reliable commute while maintaining a free-flowing, free-of-charge lane for transit and carpools.
“We are encouraged by the results outlined in the annual report. These findings allow WSDOT to refine SR 167 HOT lane operations.” said Craig Stone, WSDOT Toll Division director. “We continue to see more people using the HOT lanes, and the benefits extend to all SR 167 drivers – both in the HOT lanes and general purpose lanes.”
Findings from the report include:
• More people are paying a toll to use the HOT lanes.
• More than 60,000 Good To Go! customers have paid to use the SR 167 HOT lanes since they opened, double the number from the first year.
• The average number of weekday tolled trips increased 150 percent in the morning northbound commute and doubled during the afternoon commute.
• Gross revenue jumped 33 percent, from $316,600 in the first year to $420,400 in the second.
• HOT lane customers and general purpose lane commuters are spending less time in traffic.
• SR 167 HOT lane commuters pay about $1.25 to save an average of eight minutes during the morning rush hour. Some drivers report saving as much as 20 minutes on their commute.
• As more people use the HOT lanes and understand how they operate, WSDOT engineers continue to make operational improvements based on user feedback.
Since opening the HOT lanes, WSDOT has:
• Added signs along SR 167 to help drivers better navigate the HOT lanes.
• Improved the HOT lanes website with clear, easy-to-find information.
• Reached out to Good To Go! customers with informative materials included in their billing statements.
• Collected feedback through customer surveys and one-on-one conversations.
Angus Walker uses the HOT lanes when he needs to get to an appointment for work, “As an occasional HOT lane user, I appreciate how easy it is to use. The Web site is easy to navigate, and once I signed up, I was ‘good to go’ in just two days.” Walker’s work takes him around the Puget Sound area, “Even though the commute to Kent is not always congested, it is worth paying a fee to bypass traffic and get to my destination quicker on the days when there is a lot of traffic.”
The full annual report and more information about the project is available online at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Tolling/SR167HotLanes.
What’s next for the project?
WSDOT started this four-year pilot project to learn how HOT lanes and other forms of variable tolling could be used in Washington to make our highways more efficient at moving people and commerce, and curbing congestion. WSDOT continues to learn from the project and make adjustments to improve HOT lane signage and operations. The department will extend HOT lanes south to Eighth Street East if the legislature authorizes tolling to continue on SR 167 past the four-year pilot period.
