Customers can set up prepaid accounts linked to a Good To Go! Pass that is installed in your vehicle or linked to your license plate.  Automatic replenishment allows you to never have to worry about running low in your account.  Simply link a bank account or credit card to the account and your Good To Go! account is automatically replenished when you run low. 

As you drive under electronic sensors on the east high rise of the 520 bridge, the toll will be automatically deducted from your prepaid account.  If the driver does not have a prepaid account, a photo will be taken of the vehicle’s license plate, and a bill will be sent in the mail to the vehicle’s registered owner.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has launched an extensive outreach campaign to educate drivers about electronic tolling on the SR 520 Bridge.  To reach as many bridge users as possible, WSDOT is on the radio, in newspapers, online and out in the community.  WSDOT is also meeting with community and business groups throughout the region to answer questions about the SR 520 Bridge electronic tolling program. 

The message is simple:  You can get ready for all-electronic tolling on the SR 520 Bridge by joining the interest list at www.goodtogo520.org, and be among the first to sign up for a Good to Go! Pass in January 2011.  Subscribers will also receive regular updates about rates, account options, special offers and customer service resources.

As the bridge tolling approaches, now is a great time to reconsider your commute options. Although exact toll fares have not yet been set, getting across the bridge other than driving alone (i.e. bus, carpool or vanpool) will drastically cut your overall tolling costs.

Have more questions? Contact WSDOT!

• Leave a message at: 1-888-G2G-WSDOT (1-888-424-9736).  A customer service representative will return your call as soon as possible.
• Email: goodtogotolling@wsdot.wa.gov
• Website: www.goodtogo520.org

Learn about the project and detour routes here: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i405/SR515Interchange/closure.htm

WSDOT says that drivers can expect to see more traffic on the region’s highways this weekend, with peak travel times from noon to 9 p.m. Friday and early Saturday. Monday afternoon travel back into the Puget Sound area will peak just before noon and continue into late evening. Work at most construction projects around the state will move off the highway from noon Friday until Tuesday morning.

Also be aware that some of Bellevue’s downtown streets will be closed Sunday evening to accommodate Symetra Bellevue Family 4th event traffic. The street closures will start at 9:30 p.m. and will reopen at 10:05 p.m. Link to an article posted on the Seattle Times Bellevue Blog to learn more.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

What causes traffic?
The easiest way to think about traffic is to imagine rice flowing through a funnel.  Like cars, pieces of rice are objects that act in unpredictable ways (unlike water).  If you pour rice into a funnel, the amount of the rice (cars) exceeds the capacity of the funnel opening (roads).  The rice gets denser, runs into other pieces trying to advance through the funnel and gets stuck- just like cars on the road get closer together (and sometimes collide).

Even when there doesn’t appear to be any problems, traffic can seem to come to a stop on its own and then clear up for no reason.  But there actually is a reason.  Traffic jams often act like waves.  When one car stops or significantly slows down, it requires the other cars behind it to all do the same.  Like a spring, the back end must wait for the front end to move again before it can.  When the front does move, each section must have some space to move before the very end, which must wait a significant time to move.  This is what happens with traffic jams you do not see.  Even after the front is moving again, it can be a long time before the back is able to do so.

Are late mergers cheaters?
Picture a three lane highway with a work zone.  You are in the far left lane and there is a large warning sign stating that your lane is closed ahead and traffic must merge right.  A “queue” forms in the lane and there is significant back up in the middle lane (where you will be merging).  At this point, people usually fall into two camps: 1) the early mergers- where people think that it is proper and polite to merge over at the first sign of needing to do so; and 2) late mergers- who stay in their lane until it actually ends and are forced to move over.  Early mergers view late mergers as “cheaters” that are trying to get ahead of all the drivers that “played by the rules.”  However, late merging actually leads to less traffic congestion.  

The problem with early merging is that it creates a number of disruption points where traffic is entering.  Vehicles do not follow a natural flow and create a series of small traffic jams that add up to a larger problem.  Late merging compresses hundreds of merge maneuvers into one single point- sort of like a zipper.  It maximizes use in both lanes, reduces the chance of collisions, and is less stressful to drivers.  In fact, studies show that when areas require late merging, there is a 15% improvement in traffic flow.  The lesson is clear: if you see that you have to merge, just stay in the lane you are in all the way to the merge point and take your turn.

Conclusion
So why don’t ants in a colony- with so many merging and going to various locations – get into traffic jams like people?  The answer, with many others, is answered in the book.  It is an entertaining read that everyone can relate to.  Pick it up and find out how your driving habits can help traffic for everyone!

-Michael

Delays – Bus travel times are expected to be delayed because all vehicles will be using the HOV express lanes across the lake into Seattle. This restriction does not end until you reach the west side of the Mount Baker Tunnel.

WSDOT anticipates delays will be most disruptive westbound from 6-11 a.m. and 3-7 p.m., or when there are major events in Seattle. Also, eastbound traffic in the afternoon is expected to be slower than normal, because there will be no HOV lanes in that direction across the lake until the project is completed. There could be related slowdowns on State Route 520, Interstate 405 and Interstate 5.

Metro will make every effort to add buses to maintain departure schedules on east-west routes across I-90. Still, bus travel times are expected to take longer than normal due to anticipated traffic delays and backups. Most buses serving the Eastside make multiple trips across the lake in a single day, and congestion on one leg of the trip will create ongoing delays for individual buses.

There are more than 19 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes operating in the I-90 corridor, including routes: 111, 114, 202, 205, 210, 211, 212, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 225, 229, 981, and 989, plus Sound Transit Express routes 550, 554, 555 and 556. But, the congestion could also delay other routes and transit service.

Bus travel is still a good option for crossing I-90. Transit service, vanpools and carpools will be subject to delays, but at least you help get one more car off the road and can relax while someone else does the driving.

Bus riders are encouraged to travel early in the commute if possible. Use existing schedules to plan your trip and give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.

Reroutes – Because westbound traffic congestion is expected to be severe, Metro is planning to reroute all Seattle-bound service that travels westbound on I-90 from Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah and Eastgate. This will have little impact on bus boarding locations, except for two inbound stops.

Westbound buses that are headed for the I-90 floating bridge will be routed off of I-90 at 142nd Place Southeast at Eastgate and re-enter near Bellevue Way. This will divert buses around several anticipated I-90 choke points and give them a queue jump onto Mercer Island.

Routes 111 and 114 coming from the Renton Highlands will also avoid some portions of I-90. Mercer Island routes 202 and 205 will have a short reroute on the island to enter I-90.

Eastgate boarding – The reroutes could cause some confusion for people who board buses either in the bays at the Eastgate Park-and-Ride or the Eastgate freeway station above I-90 just west of 142nd Place Southeast.

All buses that currently serve bays at the Eastgate Park-and-Ride will continue to do so. The bus routes detouring around Eastgate will not stop at the bays.

Two bus stops will not have Seattle service during the reroutes: the westbound Eastgate freeway station above I-90; and the stop southbound on 142nd Place Southeast near the Eastgate skybridge.

Passengers who use the westbound freeway station should board northbound on 142nd Place near the back entrance to Bellevue College. Watch for signs directing you to that stop, and please use caution crossing the street. The eastbound freeway station stop will have regular service.

The buses serving the southbound 142nd Place stop will board all passengers in the bays on the main level of the Eastgate Park-and-Ride.

South Bellevue traffic – Many routes will be detouring without stopping through the bus lanes at the South Bellevue Park-and-Ride in order to access I-90. But, only the regularly scheduled service will board passengers there.

Both pedestrians and motorists are urged to use caution traveling to and from the South Bellevue lot because of the increased traffic.

Other disruptions – Bus passengers should be aware of other projects and events that could slow I-90 bus service from July 5-20.

The city of Seattle continues repaving Second Avenue in the central business district. Most of the I-90 routes travel on Second Avenue when leaving Seattle, and continue to experience delays downtown particularly during the afternoon commute.

I-90 routes that normally use the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be affected by closures of the tunnel due to preparations to start up Link light rail service. The tunnel will be closed to all transit at 7 p.m. each night from July 6-10, and then closed to buses on the weekend of July 18 and 19.

Special events in Seattle are expected to attract more westbound I-90 traffic July 6-12 for the Mariners, July 11 and 18 for the Sounders soccer matches, July 18-19 for the opening of light rail, and July 17-19 for the Bite of Seattle.

NEW TOOLS – Both WSDOT and Metro are offering new tools for tracking travel conditions during the I-90 lane closures.

King County’s “Eye on Your Metro Commute” offers commute-time updates on transit disruptions Monday through Friday from 6-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. For more significant widespread disruptions, Metro customers can subscribe to KCMetro-Alerts.

WSDOT recently added new tools to its Web site to help drivers plan their commutes and help avoid severe congestion on Puget Sound freeways in July. They include new traffic cameras, estimated travel times, travel-planning guides, and real-time traffic updates.

• Alter your work schedule – Talk to your employer about coming to work earlier (WSDOT suggests 6 a.m. or earlier) or choose to telework for a portion of the construction period (July 5 – 20).
• Take a vacation – You know you deserve it!
• Group up with neighbors or co-workers in a carpool or vanpool – WSDOT is offering a $20 MasterCard Gift Card to those who sign up to at RideshareOnline.com and create a commuter profile. Current RideshareOnline members who log-on and pull up a new match list will also receive the reward.
• Try riding your bike across the bridge – July is the best month in our region to try a new outdoor commute. Get exercise and wiz by cars stuck in congestion on the bridge. Construction crews have built temporary bridges across the Westbound I-90 floating bridge to keep bikers cycling.

Visit WSDOT’S I-90 Homer Hadley Bridge Repair site for more information on the project. See estimated travel times, employer toolkits, commute option ideas and much more!

Watch a short YouTube video about the project here:

Choose Your Way Bellevue invites you to tell us about your experience with the May I-90 HOV lane closure. Post your comments to the blog to share with us and other commuters!