Got to pay for it somehow as work is not free. My youngest is building some of the 520 toons as an apprentice carpenter at 18. He's thinking about moving out as its a long commute to Tacoma which eats up gas and pays tolls via Good to Go pass. Tough work out in the elements but he's adjusted now. I've also read that some of the toons will be built in Aberdeen which should help the economy in Grays Harbor.

Well, here in Idaho we have a low gas tax, no tolls, and no highway projects in the pipeline, and IDOT will only be doing routine maintenance. This fall IDOT announced it would not be plowing I-90 at night; except in the immediate area of Coeur D'Alene. Have not seen how that works out yet because it has been dry as a bone here for over a month. I do use Washington and Oregon roads to get to Boise because the main North South road here is a two lane country bumpkin highway, for the most part. But, we are running a surplus in the state budget for 2011.

Not laughing at you all, but just sayin; you get what you are willing to pay for.

You also have about seven miles of highway in Idaho, and we have about 250,000 miles just in the Greater Seattle Metropolitan area.

Just sayin'.

It's like gloating about how great the river management is in Nevada...when they have, what?...two rivers?

Fish on...

Todd

520 has been pretty empty this week and last. I *think* I read some where that DOT estimated 10% or maybe 20% of traffic would stay off roads or use I90.... My morning and evening commutes have been as short as possible.

Seems like more motorists are avoiding 520 than previously thought. Just like Salmo G's post, a lower toll = more motorists, the standard price versus consumer willingness to pay curve we all learned in Econ....Seems like it may take longer to get this project paid off than previously thought if the road continues to be pretty empty...I sure know if tolls were only a buck or two I wouldn't care but for $3.50 (I have a pass) I think twice about crossing it...

I wasn't gloating; just trying to say that if you want good roads then be prepared to pay for them. Lived and worked in the Seattle area for well over 32 years. IMHO, the tolls should never have come off 520 in the first place and I-90 should have been tolled when the new bridge was built. Everything has an expiration date so why not get ahead of the curve rather than wait for the bridge to start falling apart.

The problem is that everyone wants the "perceived value" of socialism...i.e., get the roads without paying for them themselves...but are unwilling to do what is required to get that "perception", which is, of course...paying for them via taxes.

Fish on...

Todd

Todd, you are so correct. I work on the Eastside so this has been a big topic of conversation. My point is simple. The Feds allow a mileage deduction of 50.5 cents per mile for gas and maintenance. If another route adds 7 or more miles to your trip, then you would be money ahead (in the long run) to pay the toll. If the longer route adds more time (how can it not?), this becomes a no-brainer.

Most people are not allowed to deduct mileage. the deduction is another example of welfare that the majority pays to the minority.

Commuting expenses. You cannot deduct the costs of taking a bus, trolley, subway, or taxi, or of driving a car between your home and your main or regular place of work. These costs are personal commuting expenses. You cannot deduct commuting expenses no matter how far your home is from your regular place of work. You cannot deduct commuting expenses even if you work during the commuting trip.

Stlhead, you are correct. I was only using the Feds amount as a comparison and a basis for computing the cost of driving extra miles.

I think you may have missed the point. It s not what you can claim but what the true cost of driving is. One can argue forever about what that cost is, but when you consider depreciation, tire wear, oil changes, gas and other variables it probably costs somewhere in the range of 30-60 cents per mile to drive a car. Therefore if your car costs 40 cents per mile to drive, it does not make much sense to spend an extra $3.00 in driving expenses and another 30 minutes of your time to avoid a $3.50 toll.

BTW anyone can claim milage expense for businees driving.

So after 2 days, vehicle traffic at the time I drive Westbound is very light. So far, the 545 I drive has not been completely full. Close, but I haven't had to pass anyone up. Eastbound it seems that there are a few more people on the bus, but that is a pretty regular crowd heading for Overlake(microsoft). Traffic is thin. ( shortly after 10am)

So from my point of view, I am liking the toll.

WDOT predicted a 40-45% dropoff in 520 traffic initially as tolls were introduced. They expect that as drivers evaluate their commute alternatives that about half of them will return to 520, according to a radio news report.

The toll is a good idea in regards to commuters. For years when thinking about methods to reduce traffic congestion and improve traffic flow I thought the state should impose a "dumb sh!t" tax on commuters who choose to live on one side of the lake and work on the other side. That makes no sense unless a person's life goals includes spending an extra 40 minutes a day sitting in stop and go traffic. The toll kinda' serves as that tax. It should be added to the I-90 bridge as well.

Sg

Thing about tolls, is they rarely go away... Even after the funds have been recouped for the project.

"Toll or not, if they don't learn how to spend our money wisely, they'll never get the populace to trust them."

+100

Most people who work in the downtown core of either Bellevue or Seattle cannot afford to live there yet we want to punish them further? I'm against the whole punishment attitude. If we want to go there then punish the businesses. After all they are the reason everyone is commuting.

Stlhead,

If they're driving into Seattle, they're coming from Bellevue. If they're driving to Bellevue, they're coming from Seattle. And they can't afford to live either where they're going or where they're coming from?

Sg

Quite the contradiction within the same paragraph.

I could care less about the tolls, I try to stay as far away from King County as possible. I wish more people that I don't want to be around would move there. There should be a large toll for anyone trying to leave King County.

you ignant...

I'm saying most people can't afford a million dollar condo downtown so they are forced to commute somewhere and somehow. It'd be nice to have the 1%'ers pitch in a bit for the infrastucture too.

"I could care less about the tolls"

You should start caring because it's supposeldy the way of the future. And if you live rural I'd be even more concerned because there's no way y'all pay for your own roads. It might end up costing you a ten spot to leave your driveway.