WSDOT’s I-405 2-HOT Lane Debacle Continues

The Jan 30^th Seattle Times Traffic Lab article “Seattle-area express tolls soon to go as high as $15” continues the paper’s abiding a WSDOT 2-HOT lane approach that’s more about raising revenue than reducing travel times.  It includes the following:

 Higher rates are meant to unclog the express toll lanes by deterring some users and cover a fraction of the costs to widen freeways.

 

HOT lanes reduce roadway congestion by setting fees on an HOV lane to achieve the 2000 vehicles per hour needed to assure 45 mph.  Increasing tolls to avoid excessive HOV carpoolers slowing traffic during peak commute and reducing tolls to avoid the lack of carpoolers, wasting HOV capacity off-peak.  However, the WSDOT is unique in that between Bothell and Bellevue it  imposes HOT fees on two HOV lanes rather than the single HOT lane used elsewhere. They currently  plan to impose the fees on two lanes over the entire I-405 route.  

 

The I-405 HOV lanes are currently clogging because the lack of the additional GP lane increases the number of drivers willing to pay the current $10.00 limit to where traffic exceeds the 2000 per lane. Thus, raising the fees to $15.00 will deter some additional drivers and reduce peak hour HOV lane clogging.  However, those drivers will add to GP traffic and congestion.  

 

The WSDOT needs to consider reducing the incentive by converting one of the two HOV lanes between Bothell and Bellevue to GP use. (Doing so would also end the current problem from need to go from two lanes to one on return route near Bothell) HOT fees could be raised on the remaining HOV lane to whatever is required to limit traffic to the 2000 vehicles per hour. Again, the additional lane would reduce the incentive to pay, limiting the peak hour HOT fee and the lost capacity during off-peak operation to one lane.  

The bottom line is neither the WSDOT nor the Seattle Times apparently recognize HOT lanes are clogging  because imposing HOT on 2 of 5 lanes between Bothell and Bellevue increases GP  congestion and the incentive to pay the fees. The cost in terms of increased GP-lane travel time dwarf any additional toll revenue.  The latest increase just adds to the debacle that will surely be exacerbated with WSDOT plans to impose HOT on 2 of 4 lanes on the rest of I-405.