Travel much this summer? Large toll bill might be on the way. Here’s what you can do
Washington state’s updated system for drivers to pay tolls has gone live, and bills from summer travels are on the way.
The state Department of Transportation transitioned to a new computer system for the Good to Go program, which for a decade has allowed drivers to pay tolls for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and other roads in Washington.
The change meant a temporary shutdown of the system this summer and a billing hiatus.
“In the coming weeks, we will begin sending toll bills to customers who Pay By Mail without a Good To Go! account,” the Department of Transportation said in a blog post last week. “This means if you traveled this summer, you may get a bill in the next couple of months that could include trips from June, which is when we stopped sending bills prior to transitioning to our new Good To Go! system. It also means if you traveled frequently this summer and didn’t have a Good To Go! account, you could receive a larger bill with many trips on it.”
Customers will have extra time to pay this round of bills before getting late fees, the agency said, and they have the option to sign up for an account to get a better rate.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge toll rates increase to $5.25 Oct. 1 for those with a Good To Go pass, $6.25 at a toll booth and $7.25 for those who pay by mail.
“If you Pay By Mail, it’s important to remember that it’s not too late to lower a bill once you receive it in the mail,” the WSDOT post said. “It’s easy with our new system to save $1.75 on every Pay By Mail trip when paying your bill online if you choose to open a Good To Go! Account.”
Customers with a Good To Go account and a balance due started getting bills in the mail last week, the agency said. They’ll be able to fix unpaid toll issues online with the new system.
“If you have an account and you receive a statement with a balance due, the alerts section will inform you of any potential issues with your account; this could be anything from an expired credit card to an account without autopay turned on that reached a low balance,” WSDOT wrote.
The agency also has a new “pay as you go,” option, though accounts are only charged twice a month.
“In other words, if your Pay As You Go account is set to to make payments on the 9th and the 25th, any toll trips you take after the 9th will show as unpaid on your statement (and your account dashboard) until the 25th, at which point your payment method would be charged and the toll would be paid,” the post said.
WSDOT warned that the agency expects long wait times at its custom service call center as people get their new bills and encouraged customers to use the website or the automated phone system to pay a bill. Otherwise, afternoons are the best time to call, especially Saturdays.
