No traffic, no problem?

Bridge answers safety, congestion problems but tolls could rise faster than expected

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

The construction of the new Narrows bridge solved two key problems: It greatly improved safety along the state Route 16 corridor, and it untied traffic congestion during peak hours.

The numbers tell the story.

State Department of Transportation figures show 158 collisions in the three-year period from April 2004-07. Going back even further, there were 284 accidents — three fatal — from 2002-06.

Figures since the new bridge opened are just as staggering: From August 2007 to April 2008, just 12 collisions have been recorded.

“It was a concern for motorist safety,” said Claudia Cornish, WSDOT bridge spokesperson. “There has been a history of pretty severe head-on accidents on the 1950 bridge.”

The two-fold benefit not only added capacity, it allowed free-flowing traffic on separate spans, which has translated into fewer collisions.

Before the new span was finished, the average eastbound commute speed on SR 16 from 6 to 10 a.m. was about 20 mph, said Janet Matkin, communications consultant for the Narrows Bridge project. Average speeds rose to about 60 mph once the bridge was complete.

“People write to us and say they got to work ahead of schedule,” Matkin said. “The time savings for the new bridge has been significant. Not only did it benefit commuters on a number of different fronts, but it linked the Kitsap Peninsula and Tacoma’s future HOV system.”

“WSDOT plans to extend the HOV out to Purdy,” Cornish added. “The bridge was a key component to that extension. It was built as a package deal.”

One factor that has relieved traffic congestion is the Good to Go! electronic tolling program. Matkin said about 85 percent of morning commuters use it.

“The key to the success is that so many people are using the electronic toll lanes,” she said.

Good to Go! previously hadn’t been used in the state, but it now has more than 100,000 accounts and 266,000 transponders.

And while commuters have benefited from the construction of the bridge, there are others who believe the price to cross it could increase at a much faster rate than WSDOT has projected — and it could be linked to a dipping number of users.

The average number of trips from August 2007 to August ’08 fell considerably, from 1,332,000 vehicles to 1,249,000, a difference of 90,000 vehicles.

“We’re seeing a drop in traffic statewide and nationwide,” Matkin said. “It’s certainly going to figure into the Transportation Commission’s decision on what toll rates are going to be in the future.”

Tolls began at $3 for non-transponder users and $1.75 for those with Good to Go! stickers. On July 1, the toll increased to $4 and $2.75, respectively.

Logically, if fewer cars cross the bridge, it could result in a quicker increase in toll rates, because the state’s bond repayment schedule won’t decrease along with traffic.

Randy Boss, an opponent of tolls on the bridge, said it will be a struggle for the life of the bridge to make sure tolls aren’t more expensive than they should be.

“People changed their lifestyle,” Boss said. “We had a four-year window of opportunity to make changes in our daily lives.”

Boss added that, because of the recent retail and commercial development, peninsula residents don’t have nearly as many reasons to visit Tacoma. A Costco, YMCA and other amenities — all of which previously weren’t available on the peninsulas — are keeping local residents on the west side of the bridge.

Growing pains

To read Part Three of our series on growth, pick up a copy of next week’s paper.