NWREporter April 2011

Good To Go! passes for upcoming State Route 520 (Evergreen Point Floating Bridge) tolls went on sale February 18 with a special introductory offer. Purchasers who activate an account by April 15 will receive a $10 credit towards SR 520 tolls.

Toll collections begin this spring; rates are pending Legislature approval. Proposed toll rates will vary by time of day, in hopes of encouraging some drivers to use off-peak hours, alternative routes and other modes of travel to reduce traffic congestion on the floating bridge during peak travel times. Tolls will be charged in both directions.

The Good To Go! passes are available online, by phone, at 84 participating Safeway stores, at customer service centers in Seattle, Bellevue and Gig Harbor, or from mobile customer service vans that are visiting communities and AAA offices around the Greater Seattle-Eastside areas.

Five types of passes are available, including movable options. The passes cost from $5 to $12. Once purchased, they may be activated with prepaid toll payments starting at $30. The Washington State Department of Transportation recommends frequent commuters and commercial accounts pre-pay at least one month of tolls on their accounts. Accounts may be set up with automatic replenishments using a bank account or credit card.

Two items are required to set up a Good To Go! account:

License Plate Number/Vehicle Make and Model; and
Payment method
For drivers without a Good To Go! account, cameras will take photos of the license plate and a bill will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Under the proposed toll rate schedule, the Good To Go! toll rate might be $3.50 during peak periods, compared to $5 for users who pay by mail.

"Tolling is a critical funding source for replacing the vulnerable 520 bridge," Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said. "Starting tolling this spring helps keep project costs down while improving the safety and reliability of this vital corridor. The funds help us begin pontoon construction in Grays Harbor for a replacement bridge and improvements on the Eastside starting next month."

Good To Go! is Washington’s statewide electronic tolling system. Electronic tolling allows tolls to be collected on all vehicles at highway speeds with no stopping or slowing. The SR 520 floating bridge will be the first bridge in the state to use all-electronic tolling, with no traditional cash collection toll booths.

For more information about Good To Go! including a complete list of retail locations and incentives, visit goodtogo520.org.