SEATTLE — More reaction tonight after our stories yesterday — revealing a little-known fact that some drivers are getting a free ride on State Route 167.
But the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is now claiming the state has lost no revenue because of these free rides.
We are now hearing from WSDOT, a day after our stories revealed this glitch in the tolling system on State Route 167.
The highway has never had the technology to scan license plates.
It seems drivers who have no transponder and use the HOT lanes are getting free rides, and a state official told KIRO 7 those rides are costing the state money.
We talked to the deputy director of the Washington State Transportation Commission on Tuesday. And he called it “leakage” or “evasion” and indicated not getting that toll money is an issue.
That is why the state is working right now to install a new system here that can read license plates.
It is still news to many that some drivers have been getting a free ride in the HOT lanes on State Route 167.
“Yeah, that’s, that’s crazy,” said Heavyn Kraemer from Renton, “I had no idea that that was even something that they do. Like, I thought you would just get a ticket no matter what.”
KIRO 7 didn’t know either, until Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Washington State Transportation Commission, in a brief discussion about upgrading the toll system on SR 167.
“We will add the ability to take images and be able to send post-pay bills in the mail on 167,” said Jennifer Charlebois, Deputy Director of WSDOT’s Toll Division, “and in general bring it up to a place where it is consistent with our 405 system.”
Indeed, SR 167 is the only toll road that does not have the technology to read license plates. So, drivers who don’t have a Good to Go! transponder can and do ride in the HOT lanes for free.
“Do you get bills?” Katelynne Lee, Eatonville, was asked. “Not for 167,” she said.
“Is there an estimate of how much the state is losing because of that?” KIRO 7 asked.
“I’d have to refer you to WSDOT on that to talk about those kind of things,” said Carl See, Deputy Director of Washington State Transportation Commission, “but it certainly is a problem with leakage, evasion or leakage, however you want to talk about that.”
According to Carl See, they have always relied on the Washington State Patrol to enforce the law regarding the HOT lanes.
But even he admits they have been losing money anyway.
And the free rides won’t last.
WSDOT plans to install those license plate reading cameras, but the system won’t be up and running until December 2025.
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