State Route 167 HOT Lanes Revenue in the Black

The HOT Lanes on State Route 167 have accelerated into the black by $12,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. More recent data shows the trend continuing from July through September, with a surplus of $10,000. All revenue generated by SR 167 HOT lanes is reinvested in the SR 167 corridor.

“We’ve already confirmed that the SR 167 HOT lanes are doing what they were designed to do: reduce congestion and improve travel times for everyone traveling on this corridor”, said Craig Stone, WSDOT Toll Division Director. “Revenue covering the HOT lanes operational cost is frosting on the cake – it’s a great achievement as we enter the fourth year of the pilot program.”

SR 167 HOT lanes help reduce congestion by allowing solo drivers to pay a toll to use the HOT lane. Traffic moves more efficiently throughout the corridor as more space is freed up in the general purpose lanes when vehicles shift into the HOT lane. The result is improved speeds for general-purpose lane drivers, more reliable commute times for paying solo drivers and continued priority service at no charge for transit and carpools.

“The once underused SR 167 HOV lanes are now a workhorse,” Stone said. “Since opening the SR 167 HOT lanes in 2008, we’ve seen a 200 percent increase in drivers choosing to pay for a more reliable trip.”

Approximately 90,000 unique Good To Go! passes have been used to pay for the SR 167 HOT lanes since they opened. Revenue has also increased by 88 percent since HOT lanes opened in 2008.

WSDOT developed the annual summary to report data on performance areas outlined by the Legislature. In addition to revenue and operating costs, the summary provides information on SR 167 HOT lanes safety, freeway efficiency and customer service. Other findings from the report include:

Since opening the HOT lanes, peak-period traffic in all lanes moves more efficiently:

• On average, general purpose lane daily volumes have decreased by 4 to 5 percent while speeds have increased by 8 percent

• On average, daily HOT lane volumes have increased by 15 percent while speeds have remained at approximately 60 mph
• During the weekday morning peak-hour travel, northbound HOT lanes drivers saved an average of nine minutes and paid an average toll of $1.75.

SR 167 HOT lanes survey shows strong support among business customers

• Nearly 60 percent of business customers considered the HOT lanes helpful for their business.
• Over 50 percent of surveyed business customers were interested in connecting SR 167 HOT lanes to the future I-405 express toll lanes

The full annual report and more information about the project is available online.

What’s next for the SR 167 HOT Lanes Pilot Project?
WSDOT started this pilot project to learn how HOT lanes and other forms of variable tolling could be used in Washington to make highways more efficient at moving people and commerce, and curbing congestion. WSDOT continues to learn from the project and make adjustments to improve HOT lane signage and operations. The department will extend HOT lanes south to 8th Street East if the legislature authorizes tolling to continue on SR 167 past the four-year pilot period.

Editor's Note: This is a press release from the Washington State Department of Transportation.