Why would it cost so much to collect SR 99 tolls?

One of the things people find confounding about charging tolls is how much it costs just to operate the tolling systems and collect the money.

Over the weekend, KIRO 7’s Essex Porter reported it will cost nearly $500 million just to collect the tolls for the SR 99 tunnel under Seattle. It will be the single biggest expense. That’s on top of the other expenditures for the tunnel that tolls will pay for, including construction, interest, and bonds over 27 years, and maintenance.

Assistant Transportation Secretary patty Rubstello told KIRO 7 it will cost about 53 cents to collect each toll.

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Tolls for the tunnel aren’t set, but one of the top options would charge drivers between $1 and $2.25 depending on the day and time.

Would it be possible to reduce expenditures by just cutting out company responsible for collecting the tolls? After all, isn’t technology supposed to make things cheaper and more efficient?

KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross suggests just installing old-school toll booths. Simply toss in the cash and keep driving.

“You’d probably make twice as much money.”

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KIRO traffic reporter Chris Sullivan points out that would mean at least a partial rebuild of the tunnel because they weren’t built with that in mind.