(WSB file photo)
Almost seven months after the Highway 99 tunnel opened, it’s still toll-free – but we may finally be about to learn when that will change. WSDOT has invited media to an announcement event at midday tomorrow at which it promises information about a start date. As noted on the state’s infopage, once tolling begins, “Toll rates will range from $1 to $2.25 with a Good To Go! pass depending on time of day.”
I’m sure it will start while SDOT and Metro are using the 1st Ave transit re-route, which will just add fuel to the fire that is the hellish re-route.
And highway 99 leading into it will become a freak show with cars lining up to get off downtown /waterfront to avoid the charge.
It will give them more reason for a Toll Zone downtown. Here and South look better than ever for shopping. A real cutoff. Goodbye and sorry for downtown businesses.
I just started a new business located in North Seattle (Greenwood). I have been dreading this day. I have to make a $100 a month decision starting very soon. Sure glad my taxes go somewhere. I just don’t know where.
Well, think of it this way. It’s $100+ / month to take the bus to and from work if you only needed to go downtown. So $100 / month to get to North Seattle is a bargain. :)
How about 100.00 a month just to take your car out of your driveway? After all, that’s less than a latte a day. How can folks be so selfish with what used to be their money?
Considering the seriousness of the dangers of global warming, that’s is actually a very good idea, and much cheaper than the cost of relocating billions of people as rising sea levels increasingly inundate many of the world’s major cities and coastal areas.
I’m disappointed it’s taken so long to get tolling in place. I’d be a bit more understanding if Good to Go and the corresponding passes were new, but it’s been in use elsewhere on state highways for roughly a decade (if not longer).
In exchange for paying the toll I expect a faster travel time. Paying a fee to be stuck in traffic is frustrating.
I don’t understand the complaining here … so long as the citizens of this state are unwilling to move to a state income tax, then funding for stuff will be paid by other means. In this case, user fees (which is what the toll is). Or did you think infrastructure was free or paid for with magical pixie dust?
We are definitely not getting off free or even for pixie dust. I ‘spose the solution is everybody go on some sort of assistance (free) and then collect their dollars,bus pases,ebt cards,gov’t housing,healthcare, etc,etc. Then it will be truly “free. Including the loss of “free”dom. That seems to garner the votes and is how you control the masses. All the while the unaccountable gov’t grows and grows. Frog in the pot analogy.
Relocate billions of people? No. But some people might pay $100 to help. Some
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