Tacoma Narrows Bridge tolls are changing soon. Here’s what drivers should expect
The Washington State Transportation Commission unanimously voted Tuesday morning on a decrease to the toll drivers pay on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
In June, the commission asked for public input on whether a 75-cent toll reduction should apply to vehicles with more than two axles.
The commission offered three options: (1) only apply the reduction to vehicles with two axles like most passenger cars and pickups; (2) apply the reduction to all vehicles but keep the reduction steady at 75 cents regardless of how many axles a vehicle has; or (3) reduce the toll based on how many axles a vehicle has, decreasing the toll by as much as $2.25 for a vehicle with six or more axles.
Under option three, an average two-axle vehicle and motorcycles will pay $4.50 with a Good to Go! Pass or $5.50 with cash. A six-axle vehicle will pay $13.50 with a Good to Go! Pass and $16.50 with cash. The cost for vehicles with 3-5 axles will be in the middle.
The commission unanimously passed option three. The new toll rates will take effect Oct. 1.
Online voting on the options was open from June 13-30. There were over 13,000 survey responses that the commission reviewed in the month of July.
Survey results show the public favored option one, giving it 4,779 votes (36.5%). Option two had 4,473 votes (34.2%) and option three had 3,945 votes (30%).
Despite public opinion, the commission favored option three.
“After completion of the financial analysis, it shows option three as a financially viable option based on the $130 million in general fund dollars promised to the account over the next 10 years,” Carl See, deputy director for the Washington State Transportation Commission said during the meeting.
See said he believes option three will have the greatest immediate benefit to the most people, best support the use of the facility by freight, and is consistent with the commission’s standard rate setting process.
As previously reported by The Gateway, legislation Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law in March changes how the state will pay off its loan for the $1.5 billion it took to build the eastbound bridge. Since 2007, it’s been paid for almost entirely by tolls, The Gateway reported. The new legislation means $130 million will come from the state’s general fund. The rest of the $770 million that’s still owed will be paid through tolls by drivers on the eastbound bridge.
Citizens Advisory Committee without any members
In the public comment section of the Tuesday meeting, Randy Boss, a Gig Harbor resident, raised concerns.
Boss argued the commission was supposed to run the proposal by the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Citizens Advisory Committee (TNB-CAC).
The purpose of the TNB-CAC is to advise the Transportation Commission on all matters related to the imposition of tolls, per RCW 47.46.090.
Boss was on the committee, along with one other remaining member, when they were dismissed by the Governor’s office in January 2022. The committee needs to have at least five members for voting purposes.
“With only two members left (out of nine total), and having difficulty getting the seats filled, the Governor’s Office felt it was an appropriate time to reimagine the future purpose and mission of the TNB-CAC,” Reema Griffith, executive director of the WSTC told The Gateway Wednesday.
As a result, there is no committee for the commission to seek advice from right now, which is why that didn’t happen with the toll rate reduction.
“I need to stress that the commission is not breaking any laws nor doing anything illegal, as was alleged by Boss at the hearing,” Griffith said.
This story was originally published August 23, 2022 at 7:11 PM.
