TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma woman is warning the public after she has been overcharged to use the Narrows Bridge for the past two years, according to her bills.
Rachel White drives across the bridge at least once a month to make sure her beloved dog receives care and treatment.
However, the trip has come with additional challenges.
“Their cameras are faulty,” said White. “It’s extremely frustrating because they (WSDOT) know there’s a problem and they just ignore it.”
KIRO 7 News looked at White’s bills, which showed the mother had been charged an additional 25 cents every time she drove through toll lanes seven, eight and 10 on the Narrows Bridge since 2023.
“To me, it’s only 25 cents, but when you’re talking about hundreds of thousands of people, that’s a lot,” she said.
White said she has called the Washington State Department of Transportation multiple times to report and fix the issue.
At first, the state initially had blamed her license plate frame and her Good-To-Go pass, she said, however, after taking the state’s advice, the issues continue to persist.
“They said, ‘Oh, thanks I’ll let someone know. That’s all I ever got,” White said.
White’s bills show the state has refunded her for each overpayment, however, the mother said she believes the problem is a systemic issue that could be affecting thousands of other drivers across the region.
If so, this could result in millions of dollars in overpayments.
“I go over State Route 99, probably ever couple months, I’ve never been overcharged. It always works perfectly. The 520 Bridge works perfectly. I have never been overcharged. But every time I use this particular exit or entrance, I always get overcharged every time,” she said. “I’m positive it’s a systemic issue.”
“It’s losing the trust in the systems that are being built that claim to be serving you. To me, that’s the biggest impact,” she added.
KIRO 7 News has investigated other similar issues in the past few years.
We reached out to the Washington State Department of Transportation to get its response.
A spokesperson shared the following statement:
“For context, drivers with a Good To Go! account and pass may be charged a 25-cent Pay By Plate fee for a number of reasons. If the pass is old, it could be beyond its shelf life and require replacement. It’s also possible other elements in the windshield are interfering with the pass (this is usually due to special features like heated windshields, infrared light blockers, or certain kinds of driver-assistance technologies).
We encourage drivers to review their Good To Go! accounts at least once a month. If account holders notice they’re being charged an extra 25-cents, they should contact us as soon as possible so we can determine the cause and work towards a resolution. We’ll work with the account holder on a case-by-case basis to figure out why the pass isn’t working and how we can resolve the issue.”
We also asked the state how often the cameras are reviewed along with the latest status and condition and how the department is making sure the issue is not impacting other drivers.
We’re still waiting to hear back as of Thursday evening.
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