Seattle Mayor Proposes Tolling Cars Downtown

SEATTLE, WA - Driving to Seattle might get a little more expensive pretty soon.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is proposing "congestion pricing" for the downtown area. In other cities, congestion pricing tolls vehicles that use city streets during peak driving times.

Durkan did not have specifics immediately available Wednesday. The Seattle Department of Transportation will study how tolling might affect the downtown area. The results of that study will provide guidance on whether to implement congestion pricing.

If Durkan's congestion pricing goes into effect, Seattle would be the in the U.S. to enact such a toll.

Durkan pitched the congestion pricing as part of a larger plan to curb carbon emissions. She said Wednesday she will work with City Council on legislation to encourage electric vehicle infrastructure development. Other ideas include phasing out city vehicles that run on fossil fuel, and creating a program to replace oil heat in Seattle homes.

“Seattle can lead the world by taking bold action to reduce our carbon footprint while protecting our communities from the worst impacts of climate change. We are already seeing these impacts – from wildfires that choke our air to extreme rain events flooding our streets – and they are being disproportionately felt most in communities that are already disadvantaged,” Durkan said in a press release Wednesday. “Our actions to reduce emissions from transportation and buildings will help create a healthier and more just city, with a stronger economy.”

File photo by Neal McNamara/Patch