The following is a release from the Washington State Department of Transportation:
Drivers know Interstate 405 express toll lanes are coming, and are taking steps to get ready. Now 50,000 vehicles are sporting newGood To Go! Flex Passes. Carpoolers will need a Flex Pass to travel free on the I-405 express toll lanes when they open to traffic next month.
WSDOT distributed Flex Passes in a variety of ways including 22,000 through a replacement program for Good To Go! switchable passes, 18,000 sold through customer service, and roughly 11,000 free passes through a partnership with RideshareOnline.com and local networks.
While WSDOT expects the I-405 express toll lanes to open in September, an exact date will be announced later this month once crews identify a completion date for signing and striping on the highway construction that is underway.
“September is just around the corner, and we are excited to see a large number of folks are ready early,” said Jennifer Charlebois, toll systems engineer for the Washington State Department of Transportation. “Don’t wait until the last minute—we only have about 20,000 free passes left, and they will go quickly once we announce the opening date later this month.”
Drivers who don’t qualify for a free Flex Pass as an I-405 carpooler or through the switchable pass replacement program, can purchase one for a one-time cost of $15 at myGoodToGo.com, by calling 1-866-936-8246 or visiting customer service centers in Seattle, Bellevue and Gig Harbor.
Remember to activate your new Flex Pass
Once receiving a free Flex Pass, customers must activate it by linking it to an active Good To Go! account. Customers must also remove any existing passes from their vehicle windshield before installing the new pass.
“We also need folks who requested a Flex Pass replacement for their switchable pass to install the new pass within 30 days of the request,” said Charlebois. “After 30 days, the old pass is deactivated, and those drivers could get a bill in the mail when they use the system.”
Drivers will need to decide which Good To Go! pass is best for them. If you ever plan on carpooling you’ll need a Flex Pass to travel free, but if you’re always driving alone your existing Good To Go! pass will work to pay tolls on I-405.
Visit GoodToGo405.org to learn more about I-405 express toll lanes. An animated video explains how to get ready for launch in September and gives an example of what a trip may look like in the express toll lanes.
I-405 express toll lanes overview
WSDOT is building a new lane adjacent to the carpool lane between Northeast Sixth Street in Bellevue and State Route 522 in Bothell to create a dual, express-toll-lane system, while converting the existing carpool lane between Bothell and Lynnwood into a single, express toll lane.
When the project is complete in early fall, drivers will have the option to pay a toll for a faster, more reliable trip using a 17-mile system of express toll lanes from Bellevue to Lynnwood. Tolls rates will adjust based on traffic congestion and can be paid with any existing Good To Go! pass or by mail at a higher rate.
