Tolling 520

This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.

The 520 tolling commission says we should only toll the bridge, not the approach roads.  While somewhat disappointing, this is unsurprising, considering the neighborhoods on either side seem to have incredible amounts of political clout, and don’t want to see traffic increase in their neighborhood.  What’s specifically disappointing is that the committee is using the wrong metric:

"State staffers and consultants estimated that charging tolls beyond the ends of the bridge would raise just 7 percent more in toll revenue. "I don’t think we receive a lot of money (considering) the consternation costs," Hammond said."

The increase in toll revenue has never been the issue.  It’s about using tolls to manage demand, especially West of I-405.  As it sits, the commission’s recommendation rates a 1 out of 6 on the old congestion pricing aggressiveness scale.

On the plus side, it looks like we’ll need to toll I-90 to hit the $2B revenue target, so that’s a start.