Redmond residents won’t have to go far to get their Good To Go! passes for upcoming State Route 520 all-electronic tolls.
Throughout February and March, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is deploying mobile customer service centers to three different Redmond locations to help bring Good To Go! directly to Redmond drivers before toll collections begin on the SR 520 floating bridge this spring. The toll money will help pay for the construction of a new, safer bridge.
“Tolling is a critical funding source for replacing the vulnerable 520 bridge,” Washington Transportation Secretary said Paula Hammond at a press conference Tuesday morning. “Starting tolling this spring helps keep project costs down while improving the safety and reliability of this vital corridor.”
Construction of pontoons for a replacement bridge begin next month in Grays Harbor.
Good To Go! is the new statewide electronic tolling system. It 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.
WSDOT also announced a special introductory offer at the Tuesday launch event. Drivers will receive a $10 credit towards SR 520 tolls if they purchase a Good To Go! Pass and activate an account by April 15. There are five new passes available ranging in cost from $5-$12.
Among the new passes are smaller and movable options. Beginning Friday, Feb. 18, the Standard Sticker pass, costing $5, will be available at 84 participating Safeway stores throughout Puget Sound.
Proposed toll rates will vary by time of day, encouraging some drivers to use off-peak hours, alternative routes and other modes of travel – which reduces traffic congestion on the floating bridge during the busiest travel times. To encourage this shift, 130 daily bus trips have been added to 600 existing trips in the corridor.
Customers purchase a Good To Go! pass, set up a prepaid account and mount the Good To Go! pass in their vehicle, or register their license plate for photo identification. When driving on a tolled facility, the pass is scanned or the license plate is photographed and the correct toll is deducted from the prepaid account. Automatic account replenishment is available.
Drivers are encouraged to set-up a pre-paid Good To Go! account if they use the SR 520 bridge more than once a month.
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.
For options to learn how to avoid or share the toll, visit www.GOrtrip.com. Those who live or work in Redmond are eligible for free commute-related resources like a three-month free transit pass, $300 towards new vanpool fare, ride-matching services and cash incentives through the Redmond Trip Resource and Incentive Program, R-TRIP.
For more information about Good To Go! including a complete list of retail locations and incentives, go to www.goodtogo520.org.
Dates and Redmond locations for the WSDOT mobile customer service center:
Redmond Library, 15990 NE 85th St.
Feb. 20: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
March 8: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
City Hall, 15670 NE 85th St.
March 10: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March 31: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Grass Lawn Park, 7031 148th Ave NE
March 18: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March 19: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
