April 25, 2008
FAST FACTS: State Route 167 HOT lanes open May 3
The State Route 167 High Occupancy Tolls project is the
first of its kind in Washington. Due to rain that made
stripe painting impossible, the
Department of
Transportation will open HOT lanes on Saturday, May
3, a week later than planned To make your HOT lane commute
easier, here are a few critical things that SR-167 drivers
should know, including how not to pay the toll when you
don’t need to — and avoiding a traffic ticket.
- HOT lanes are still carpool lanes. If you
have 2 or more people in your car, including the driver,
you can use the HOT lanes toll free at all times.
- The HOT lanes will only operate on the same
schedule as the existing HOV lanes – from 5 a.m. to
7 p.m. Outside of those hours the HOT lanes will be free
and open to all.
- Double white lines are illegal to cross, even for
carpool drivers. HOT lanes will be separated by
double solid white lines and are illegal to cross.
Carpool and solo drivers can enter HOT lanes at the
marked beginning of the HOT lanes or at several
mid-point access locations. Four access points are
proposed for the northbound lane and three on the
southbound lane. Signs on the roadway will alert drivers
as they approach access points.
- There are no toll booths. To use HOT lanes, you
need a Good To Go! account and transponder. When you
enter a HOT lane, an automatic sensor scans a
Good to Go!
transponder and automatically deducts the toll from you
personal account. You will only be charged when you
enter a HOT lane. The Good to Go! windshield transponder
is about the size of a credit card and adheres to the
inside of your car’s windshield near the rearview
mirror. The easiest way to open an account and have a
transponder mailed to you is to log onto the Good To Go!
web site at
www.wsdot.wa.gov/GoodToGo or call their customer
service line at 1 (866) 936-8246.
- Carpooling and don’t need to pay the toll?
Drivers with a Good To Go! windshield transponder
already in their car don’t have to pay a toll when in
the HOT lanes with a passenger. However, you must shield
your Good To Go! transponder to make this possible.
Drivers can obtain a shield from Good To Go! that can be
applied with Velcro over the transponder inside the
vehicle to deactivate it. Simply apply the shield before
entering HOT lanes to avoid electronic toll collection.
Obviously, the shield, which costs $3.50, is only valid
when there’s two or more people inside the car. To order
a shield, call Good To Go! customer service at 1 (866)
936-8246.
- Cheating will cost you! Law enforcement,
including the Washington State Patrol will patrol HOT
lanes for solo drivers who don’t pay the toll. When a
driver enters a HOT lane, a white light will flash if
the toll is paid – if the light doesn’t flash, police
will check for a carpool. If you’re solo, you can get a
$124 ticket, the same for violating a carpool lane.
For detailed information and a video on HOT lanes, go to
the Department of Transportation’s website at
www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR167/HOTLanes/
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