HOT Lanes Making Their Debut In Seattle

"This month will see a first in the Puget Sound area's transportation system: Solo drivers will be able to use the car pool lanes on state Route 167 without getting a ticket -- if they pay for the privilege.

"High-occupancy toll" or HOT lanes open at 5 a.m. April 26, kicking off a four-year test to see whether drivers will pay to move out of crowded general-traffic lanes into the car pool lanes for a price that will vary almost by the minute and be assessed electronically. It could be the latest step in a return to state highway tolls that began last summer on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

"This will be a new situation that drivers will need to get used to," said Craig Stone, urban corridors administrator for the state Department of Transportation. Similar lanes are already in use in places such as California, Minnesota and Texas.

Preparations for Washington's HOT lanes already are visible. New signs and electronic gear have been put in place. On April 12, two weeks before the new lane arrangement starts, crews will begin painting a new white double line that will more sharply delineate the HOT lanes from the others on the highway between Auburn and Renton.

Drivers will pay to use the 9-mile stretch of HOV lane between the cities, with the amount based on how congested the lanes are. With no congestion the toll will be 50 cents -- the low end of the scale -- to lure drivers to the HOV lanes and relieve congestion in the others.

If the lanes are heavily congested, the toll could cost several dollars. But it could save drivers time they'd otherwise spend in more crowded general lanes. State officials think tolls in badly congested periods could rise to $4, though an electronic tracking system is set up to assess a maximum of $9."