SR 520 floating bridge commuters to see toll increases next month
(The Center Square) – Drivers who use the State Route 520 floating bridge connecting the east side of Lake Washington to Seattle will soon pay more for their commute.
The Washington State Transportation Commission approved a final plan Wednesday, setting peak weekday rates at $4.90, a 40-cent increase for two-axle vehicles with a Good To Go! pass.
That amounts to 80 cents more each day for drivers who cross the bridge in both directions, which is $4 for the week in added toll costs for Monday through Friday commuters.
The new morning and afternoon rush hour prices go into effect on Aug. 15.
Motorists who cross the bridge without a Good To Go! toll pass are mailed a ticket, which costs an extra $2. Multi-axle vehicles also pay more.
WSTC Deputy Director Carl See provided some background information on the toll increase ahead of the commission’s vote.
“In December of 2023, the state treasurer projected that current 520 bridge toll rates would not be sufficient to provide enough revenue to cover annual financial obligations as of the start of 2025,” he said.
He went on to say, “Bridge insurance costs are projected to be $83 million more through 2031, primarily due to rising insurance premiums.”
Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds were used to shore up revenue, See explained, noting, “Those have run out as of June 2024.
Tolling is expected to raise approximately $1.2 billion to go toward the $5.7 billion cost of replacing the bridge and completing other upgrades and maintenance in the SR 520 corridor between Interstate 5 in Seattle and Interstate 405 in Bellevue.
More than 20,000 people took part in an online springtime survey to weigh in on two potential options for toll setting. The plans vary slightly based on the time of day a driver is crossing the bridge.
More than 7,400 of those people submitted comments.
“And the vast majority stated a dislike for tolls or toll rate increases altogether,” See said.
The only person to provide public comment during the Wednesday WSTC meeting was Savannah Boudon, who told commission members toll prices are a huge burden for her.
“This has been the source of so much stress in my life,” Boudon said. “The way that you guys do these tolls, and the way you have nothing, nothing to help low-income people, it’s not fair.”
She added, “It feels like it’s a rich man’s highway.”
WSTC Chair Debbie Young was moved by Boudon’s testimony.
“We do have a low-income toll program under investigation and have proposed one to the Legislature, and I appreciate your story,” Young responded. “We regret that this causes misfortune for a number of our road users.”
