Tuesday marks 1-year anniversary of I-405 express toll lanes

Tuesday marks the anniversary since the much debated I-405 toll lanes have opened.

Currently, the highest tolls drivers can be charged is $10.

Washington State Department of Transportation staff told KIRO 7’s partners at the Everett Herald that  due to the amount of use the toll lanes were seeing that a future rate increase could be possible.

However, WSDOT also says they are looking into a number of options to improve operations on the I-405 toll lanes without a rate increase.

The decision on whether to raise rates would come from the Washington State Transportation Commission and not WSDOT.

State figures say a million people took 12 million trips on the toll lanes over the past year. The state anticipates a net revenue through June 2017 of  $20 million.

The lanes have left some people in Snohomish County feeling this is a tax burden on them in order to make the often busy drive.

“It's ridiculous. One time my bill was like $90 -- $90 in just tolls? Yeah, in one month,” said commuter Anna McKee.

Governor Jay Inslee sees the lanes through another year of prognosis, while his challenger Bill Bryant would like to see them gone.

Cox Media Group