520 Bridge Toll (Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond: condo, home, income)

[skbbks]

"What I think they haven't considered is how much less those of us on the East side will now come West to spend our money."

Many people in the burbs say this about everything, and most especially when they sense that their cars will becomes somewhat less subsidized. A recent example is Seattle beginning to discuss the implementation of market-rate street parking.

However it never really seems to matter, people from around the region come to Seattle because they have to for work or because they want to for play. Tourists come to visit Seattle, not Kirkland, Tacoma, or Everett. Seattle is where most anything interesting happens and I don't see that changing.

Re the 520 toll, I'd prefer not to pay it but I will if it'll help avoid another sunk bridge. Infrastructure has to be paid for one way or another & with ever-increasing fuel efficiency the gas taxes don't go as far they once did.

PS I own a car & am not a car-free type at all.

[WikiAdam]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

...it's illegal to charge a toll on a publicly funded road that's already been paid for.

Is this accurate? Can someone provide documentation proving this?

[AlohaHuey]

Toll roads (user fees) are a fact of life in the 21st century.

[eskercurve]

In theory, I can understand something like a toll or commuter tax if it will help pay for a bridge (seems reasonable to me; if you use it, you gotta pay for it).

But sheesh, $3.50?!? In Illinois, when they were making the tollways, it was CHEAP. Like, $0.20 when I was a teenager. It's like, $0.30 or something like that now. Complete with electronic tolling today (but I do remember as a kid seeing the toll gates, I thought they were cool in a kid sort of way).

It took 30 years to pay off the tollways, but they did, and they kept the toll in for roadway improvements.

Why in the world would ANYONE pay $1800/year just to commute to the westside? This will surely drive up property values in Seattle, and push businesses out of Seattle proper, especially small businesses. They'd probably spring up more on the south end and the far north end as people use the Lake City Way hwy.

And I realize that this was in the works prior to McSchwinn taking office, but he really didn't try to stop this at all. If he wasn't so damned focused on killing the replacement to a FAILING HIGHWAY STRUCTURE (*can't stop laughing at that one it's so stupid*), he might have said something about it.

Again, I in theory agree with a "pay as you use it" thought process, IF IT IS REASONABLE and doesn't tax the **** out of the little guy, or if the proper infrastructure for efficient, clean, and accessible/convenient mass transit was already in place. But it's nowhere near ready, and is just haphazard.

[AlohaHuey]

Is 3.50 the monthly pass rate or the one-off cash rate? Make it $1.75 each way for the transponder commuters.

[DarkWolf]

3.50 is still pretty cheap compared to most of the country , if you don't want the Toll , then No new Bridge for you.... The Toll will stay up intill the Bridge is paided off , probably 15 years....

[AlohaHuey]

Originally Posted by WikiAdam

Is this accurate? Can someone provide documentation proving this?

It isn't. They are paying for a bridge, not a road. For precedent, see the Narrows Bridge.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by seattlerain

Read what Ira500 has to say...he has it spot on. This has been in the works long before anybody even knew who McGinn was.

I never blamed McGinn about the bridge. I put the blame where it belongs: The people on the West side of the water who have shot themselves in the foot.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by skbbks

"

Many people in the burbs say this about everything, and most especially when they sense that their cars will becomes somewhat less subsidized.

Charge people 7 dollars just to get into town, and watch it happen. Other cities have tried it before, and it's failed miserably.

A recent example is Seattle beginning to discuss the implementation of market-rate street parking.

The street parking rates now are higher than average nationally. Your guy McGinn's proposal would make them the highest in the nation, if I recall correctly. That's not market rate.

However it never really seems to matter, people from around the region come to Seattle because they have to for work or because they want to for play.

I will simply point to the development of Bellevue over the last 10 years, as well as the readily available space for lease throughout the downtown Seattle area. There's already a trend of companies moving East because of a variety of things.

Tourists come to visit Seattle, not Kirkland, Tacoma, or Everett.

Tourists will keep Ivar's and Pike Place and Argosy in business. Tango or 13 Coins? Not so much.

Seattle is where most anything interesting happens and I don't see that changing.

Again, very few businesses can be sustained entirely by people coming over to watch the Mariners get pounded, or the Seahawks on Sundays, or Dane Cook once a year. On a Friday night where I would normally head to Belltown to play pinball at Shorty's or something....if I'm charged 7 dollars to get there, I'll just go to Joey Bellevue or Palamino or Pearl instead. And again, not alone in this train of thought.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by WikiAdam

Is this accurate? Can someone provide documentation proving this?

If you are good with Google searches, you can find articles detailing Austin, Texas's attempt to do something like this (what Austin ultimately ended up doing was building a loop that stretched around the city and tolling THAT, since their efforts to toll the interstate were rebuked), and one of the New England cities - Hartford, I think it was, tried it as well.