New High-Occupancy Toll lanes between Downtown Bellevue and Lynnwood become operational on Interstate 405 on Sunday. Adding tolls to the highway’s current carpool lanes is designed to increase the speed in those lanes while decreasing congestion in the remaining lanes.
Also on Sunday, the definition of carpooling will change for the HOT lanes. During peak commute hours — 5-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday — only car pools with three or more people can use the lanes without paying a toll. At other times car pools with two or more qualify for no toll.
Two-person car pools will pay a toll during rush hours and single-occupancy vehicles will pay a toll anytime they use a HOT lane.
The state is encouraging those who regularly carpool on I-405 to get a Flex Pass, which allows the driver to set the device to HOV mode when carpooling with the required number of people. The pass also works to pay tolls on any toll road in the state.
The state is also encouraging motorists to set up a Good To Go! account to automatically pay for tolls. Those without such an account will be sent a bill in the mail for the amount of the Good To Go! pass rate plus an extra $2 per toll transaction.
Tolls will vary depending on traffic congestion with signs above the road showing the rate and required number of occupants. Motorists driving alone or without the required number of people to constitute a car pool can still use the lanes, but will pay the toll.
The cost will be one the motorist sees when entering the HOT lane. It won’t increase even if a higher rate is shown further along the highway. In addition to tolls and new lane-use requirements, the state also will limit when vehicles can move in and out of the HOT lanes.
Crews are adding double white lines to designate the new HOT lanes.
Drivers will only be allowed to move into or out of the HOT lanes at designated points marked by a dashed white line.
To complete the new lane striping, crews will reduce I-405 to two lanes between Bothell to Bellevue from Friday, Sept. 25 to Sunday, Sept. 27.
A number of on- and off-ramps also will close during the lane painting. The timing of the lane and ramp painting could vary depending on the weather.
More information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov.
