Broad Road Tolling Plan Eyed As Seattle Traffic Solution

A recent report argues that tolls could provide the solution to Seattle's traffic congestion, but they would have to be very high, and very widely used.

1 minute read

April 28, 2008, 6:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"Widespread tolls could make chronic traffic congestion in Seattle and other cities "a thing of the past," a pioneering study says."

"Tolls could cut the average late-afternoon commute time from downtown Seattle to Tacoma by perhaps 40 percent. A typical rush-hour drive from Bellevue to Lynnwood could be trimmed by more than one-third, the Puget Sound Regional Council's 'Traffic Choices' report concludes."

"But those results would be achieved only by imposing tolls on a scale never attempted anywhere before."

"Drivers would pay a toll on almost every mile they drive - every freeway, every significant arterial. Global Positioning System (GPS) and cellular technology would track their travels. Tolls would be deducted from prepaid accounts."

Thursday, April 24, 2008 in The Seattle Times

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