KIRO 7 Investigates: License plate readers going in on SR-167
Like it or not, those license plate readers are beginning to go up!
For 17 long years, drivers without a Good-To-Go pass were driving in the HOT lanes on State Route 167 for free, likely costing the state's taxpayers millions.
Hardly anyone knew until KIRO 7 reported it nearly two weeks ago. That is about to change.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) says the work started 20 days ago, and there are at least five more months to go.
But they are already beginning to pop up. License plate readers have long been missing from State Route 167.
'Right, they're just now putting cameras up, we've seen,' Tom Walls from Eatonville.
Indeed, the state has not been able to read license plates on this highway between Renton and Sumner since it installed HOT toll lanes back in 2008. So, for 17 years, drivers without the Good-to-Go transponder could drive in the HOT lanes for free.
It was news to us when we learned about it nearly two weeks ago during an interview with Carl See, Deputy Director of the Washington State Transportation Commission.
He was asked if there is an estimate of how much the state is losing because of that.
'I'd have to refer you to WSDOT on that to talk about those kinds of things,' See told us March 18. 'But it certainly is a problem with evasion or leakage, however you want to talk about that.'
Yet, a spokesman for WSDOT's tolling division later insisted that the state lost no money without the new technology. That same official emailed Monday that they are in line with their schedule and will do some testing before going live. They could go live 'as early as the fall.'
Tom Walls was asked if he was surprised. 'Nothing surprises me,' Walls said.
'And what about now?' he was asked.
'It doesn't surprise me because they figure out a way to get more money out of us,' he said.
'Well, if they're maintaining the highways, they're maintaining the roads,' said Julia Singh, Federal Way. 'I think a little toll doesn't hurt.'
'I think tollings are great,' said Joe 'Superfly' Superfisky from Bothell. 'It works everywhere else in the country, like back east and stuff. But it has to be fair. It has to be right,' he said.
The state is apparently trying to make it right.
As it happens, WSDOT is holding its quarterly virtual meeting on Thursday at noon. You will need to sign up if you'd like to weigh in on the changes coming to SR 167.
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