WA toll revenue expected to take big hit because of coronavirus
Apr 16, 2020, 7:11 AM | Updated: 8:03 am
The I-405 toll lanes in Kirkland. (WSDOT)
(WSDOT)
With the roads almost empty these days, how much money is the state losing in toll revenue?
Why Seattle tunnel toll prices are at the exit instead of entrance
I am waiting for the numbers to come out. The state releases its toll data quarterly. It will be the end of this month before I get a look at the revenue numbers for January through March, but I am expecting the dollars to be way down.
I am going to start with the congestion pricing tolls on I-405. The first quarter of last year they made nearly $6.9 million. Minus expenses, that corridor netted over $3.7 million. Toll volumes are down 86% on 405. I’m not sure who’s paying to use them now since the general purpose lanes are just as fast.
The 167 HOT lanes had over $800,000 in revenue. They netted over $492,000 in Q1 last year. Toll volumes on that corridor are down 61%.
The 520 bridge revenues for Q1 of 2019 were $33.5 million. It netted $1.4 million. Volumes are down 75%.
Why drivers are paying tolls for undriven miles
The Narrows Bridge revenue for this time last year was over $19 million, but it was in the red by over $9 million for Q1 because of some debt payments. Volume there is off 43%.
The 99 tunnel was not tolled in the first quarter of last year. Volumes are down 81% in the tunnel.
So just looking at the volume totals, toll revenue is very likely going to be significantly down across the system.
