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SR 520 Tolls – kicking in one week from today

Get ready for tolling charges on the 520 bridge.

The state department of transportation will be flipping a virtual switch one week from today.

That means now is a really good time to set up a Good to Go account online – or face more expensive travel.

WSDOT has been letting people know, for quite some time, that starting Thursday December 29th, the electronic tolling system known as "Good to Go" will go live.

This time, they mean it.

People who register their cars with the state get a reduced rate on tolls: $1.50 less each way.

Available online or in person

Lucinda Broussard, WSDOT tolls operations manager, is in charge of a big call center not far from the bridge, in Seattle’s University District.

She says they are getting more and more calls as the start date for automatic tolling nears. And she can readily list off what people call about.

“Notice of infraction, opening an account, adding money to an account is another something that we do here. And also: authorizing someone to use your account, which you need to do personally. ”

She says you can also walk-in to the center and register - and you can buy the transponders there…or look for a mobile customer service center – which are deployed at malls and other places where lots of people work. 

Lots of options for hardware

Prices for the transponders range from $5 dollars for a sticker to $12 for a switchable pass that can be used on multiple cars - or for a license plate pass for people who prefer or need to mount the transponder on the outside of their car.  

Apparently some folks don't like the look or the clutter of installing a pass on the inside of the car.  

And others need it because their windshields are have a metallic coating on them that prevents the transponder from being read by the overhead electronic Good to Go counters.

There's a list of vehicles online that need the special gear here.

Bellamy Pailthorp covers the environment for KNKX with an emphasis on climate justice, human health and food sovereignty. She enjoys reporting about how we will power our future while maintaining healthy cultures and livable cities. Story tips can be sent to bpailthorp@knkx.org.