Earlier today, State Senator Andy Hill (R-Redmond) filed Senate Bill 6152 to change the way Interstate 405 works. Senator Hill and State Representative Mark Harmsworth (R-Mill Creek) want to convert a toll lane in each direction back to a general purpose lane. They plan to announce their proposal at a press conference tomorrow.
In addition to the lane changes, Sen. Hill and Rep. Harmsworth also want to open up the lanes to all drivers, free of charge, between 7:00PM and 5:00AM.
In 2003 and 2005, state lawmakers increased the fuel tax to pay for highway projects, promising new general purpose lanes on I-405. But in 2011, Governor Christine Gregoire signed House Bill 1382, giving the Washington State Department of Transportation authority to convert the new lanes, and the old HOV lanes, to toll lanes.
Their proposal would also eliminate the revenue requirement of the express toll lanes, allowing transportation officials to change their tolling algorithm toward maximizing traffic flows instead of generating toll revenue.