Tolled Drivers on 520 Can Have Day in Court

The Legislature has approved a bill that lets drivers plead their cases with a judge if they think they were unfairly penalized for not paying a toll on time on the state Route 520 bridge.

“This bill gives us an opportunity to advance both due process and consumer protection in our tolling system,” Rep. Cyrus Habib, D-Kirkland, said in a release Tuesday announcing final passage of House Bill 1941.

The measure, which heads next to the governor for his signature, includes requirements for clearer markings on envelopes containing payment notices that are mailed to drivers and for annual reports on the penalty-appeals process.

Currently, judges in the state’s special “toll court” don’t have the authority to reduce or waive penalties assessed for late payment of tolls on the bridge, regardless of circumstances. The new measure gives the judges the leeway to do that after hearing from the penalized driver.

 “Most drivers pay the tolls,” said Habib, who proposed the bill that was co-sponsored by committee chair Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, and Larry Springer, D-Kirkland. “And those that try to avoid payment on purpose should of course be penalized. But sometimes, it’s not their fault–and everyone should have a chance to make their case.”

Tolls were first imposed on the 520 bridge last spring. Electronic sensors either detect a special electronic windshield indicator, which drivers have acquired in advance and have linked to a prepaid or online account, or the sensors record the license-plate number of the vehicle and the owner is billed by mail for the toll.

But so far the system has been plagued with problems. In some cases the bill never arrived in the mail or was not forwarded to the vehicle owner’s new address, triggering penalties for delays in making payment: $5 after a 15-day lapse, and another $40 after an 80-day lapse, for each crossing of the bridge.

In one case, a .