The following is a release from the office of Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, who represents north Kirkland from the 1st District:

Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, introduced legislation on Thursday to study ways to improve I-405 express toll lanes.

Senate Bill 6675 would require the Joint Transportation Committee to bring a wide variety of stakeholders together to examine ways to resolve problems created by the I-405 toll lanes.

The bill outlines key issues the stakeholder group must address, including reducing occupancy requirements for carpool accesses and whether to eliminate double white line barriers to allow easier access into the lanes.

“I’ve heard from thousands of my constituents who have voiced their frustration about the pricing, congestion, and varied inefficiencies of the toll lanes on I-405,” McAuliffe said. “As a frequent commuter of I-405, I understand these frustrations as well.”

SB 6675 also requires the workgroup to conduct a survey to identity who is using the toll lanes, where they are traveling to and from, their socioeconomic status and their mode of transportation.

“It is important that we learn more about the people who are utilizing the toll lanes,” McAuliffe said. “I am concerned that the people the tolls lanes are hurting the most are those who cannot afford to pay.

“While I recognize that it is late in the legislative process to be introducing this bill, I am working hard to ensure that the language from it is included in this year’s supplemental transportation budget,” added McAuliffe. “My constituents deserve to have their concerns recognized and so do the more than 31,000 petitioners who have contacted me and are seeking a resolution to this problem.”