Broad Road Tolling Plan Eyed As Seattle Traffic Solution

"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."