WA toll revenue expected to take big hit because of coronavirus
Apr 16, 2020, 7:11 AM | Updated: 8:03 am
(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.