Seattle gets a free ride a while longer as 99 tunnel toll is delayed
Jun 12, 2019, 3:41 PM
Freshly painted lane stripes on the northbound (lower) deck of the SR 99 tunnel (WSDOT)
(WSDOT)
While there is no hard date yet, WSDOT says it will be delaying the SR 99 tunnel toll a few months, though they will give Seattle drivers at least one month notice before the tolling begins.
The push back is partially due to the delay in building the online customer service system that goes along with the toll, a WSDOT spokesperson says. WSDOT is creating a new payment option that they want to be up before tolling starts.
“Currently, when drivers sign up for a Good to Go account, they have to establish a $30 balance to cover any Good to Go passes they might purchase, or prepay for any tolls,” said spokesperson Chris Foster. “With the new system, we’ll be offering a new payment option called ‘Pay As You Go,’ where customers can sign up for a Good to Go account, and just attach their credit card to their account.”
How much it will cost drivers to use Seattle’s new SR 99 tunnel
“They don’t have to prepay anything and any tolls are just charged after they drive.”
On top of the tunnel tolls that will range between $1 and $2.25 — depending on the time of day — driving the tunnel sans registration with “Good to Go” will run an additional $2.
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WSDOT is asking for participants to fill out a survey. It will then mail the pass out within roughly a month following that. Drivers can activate the pass by adding it to an existing “Good to Go” account.
Specifically, tolls for the tunnel will look like this:
- Toll rates range from $1.50 – $2.25 during peak travel times and $1 overnight.
- The midday toll rate is $1.25.
- Up to $2.25 for the peak rush hours between 3-6 p.m.
- There are four different toll rates over six time periods on weekdays.
- Beginning in July 2022, toll rates increase 3 percent, every three years for all days of the week.
