State Transportation Commission to adopt new toll rates for Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Posted 5.14.12
Transportation Commission Office - PO Box 47308 - Olympia, WA 98504-7308
(360) 705-7070
Date: May 14, 2012
Contact: Reema Griffith, Transportation Commission Executive Director, 360-705-7070
OLYMPIA – Those interested in toll rates for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge will have one more opportunity to voice their opinions during a final hearing Monday, May 21, in Gig Harbor.
The Washington State Transportation Commission will hold the final rate hearing starting at 6 p.m. at Gig Harbor City Hall, 3510 Grandview Street, and will take action immediately afterward to adopt new toll rates for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (TNB).
The commission has proposed the following toll rates to take effect July 1, 2012:
- $4 Good to Go!
- $5 cash
- $7 pay by mail
The commission is required by law to set toll rates for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in an amount that is sufficient to pay debt payments, maintenance, preservation and operations of the bridge.
Because the TNB was financed with an escalating debt structure to minimize the initial impact on bridge users, debt payments rise over time and require additional toll revenue. In the 2007-09 biennium the state paid $41 million in debt payments, but in the current 2011-2013 biennium debt payments for the bridge reach nearly $90 million.
The commission evaluates several factors during the toll-setting process, including bridge expenses that are paid for by toll revenue, trends in traffic volumes, the schedule for bond payments, ending balances in the toll revenue account, the rate recommendations from the Citizen Advisory Committee and public input.
In addition to the public hearing, the commission held two public input meetings on its proposal during April in Port Orchard and Gig Harbor.
For more information about the commission, visit the Transportation Commission’s Web site at: http://www.wstc.wa.gov/
American with Disabilites Act (ADA) Information
Materials can be provided in alternative formats: large print, Braille, cassette tape, or on computer disk for people with disabilities by calling the WSDOT Human Resource Office at 360-705-7097. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact Human Resources through the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1.
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