Problem could also bring tolling to I-90 bridge
At night, Paula Hammond has visions of the ailing 520 Bridge snapping off its moorings and drifting away into Lake Washington.“That’s what I lay awake worrying about,” the Washington Transportation Secretary told the Sammamish City Council recently.
During the day, Hammond worries about how to fund a replacement bridge.
Now, she is teaming up with two other state transportation leaders to evaluate the use of tolling to fund a new 520 Bridge. The current bridge is more than 40 years old and could be shattered by a windstorm or earthquake.
“We’ve always assumed tolling was going to be introduced in the 520 corridor, but our gap got bigger when Proposition 1 failed,” Hammond said, referring to a multi-billion dollar transportation measure that voters turned down in the 2007 election.
Hammond sits on the new 520 Tolling Implementation Committee with Bob Drewel, executive director of the Puget Sound Regional Council, and Richard Ford, the Washington transportation commissioner.
Among the issues they will discuss is whether the public would accept tolling before the 520 Bridge work begins. They will also study whether people will be willing to pay tolls on Interstate 90 to fund the 520 Bridge.
Hammond expects the timing issue to cause a lot of debate this summer. According to the committee, $1.5 to $2 billion in tolls may be needed to establish funding for the project, which is expected to cost a total of $4 billion. The bridge had been tolled from its opening in 1963 until 1979.
This summer, the committee will hold open houses and community meetings to assess public opinion on the issue. The committee will assess potential traffic diversion and mitigation strategies, tolling technology, potentially partnering with businesses for financial contributions and traffic reduction and using emerging technology to reduce traffic. The three members will speak to local leaders in areas adjacent to Highway 520, Highway 522 and Interstate 90 for input.
One of the challenges they face is how to make up for a decline in gas tax revenues since more drivers are avoiding the increasing price of gas. Hammond said the state is forecasting a $50 to $100 million drop in gas tax revenues.
Hammond also cautioned that tolling alone will not solve the state’s transportation problems and advocated for a multi-pronged approach that combines telecommuting, public transit including light rail, widening roads and encouraging carpools and vanpools.
“An integrated transit solution is what gives you the most bang for your buck,” Hammond said. “It’s not to pull people out of their cars. I love my car.”
For more information or to learn about open house meetings when they are scheduled visit http://www.build520.org/committee.htm or contact Info@build520.org.
Reporter Emily Keller can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or ekeller@isspress.com.
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