Section 468-305-001. Definitions.

The following terms and acronyms shall have the meanings set forth as below.

"Active account" means an open Good To Go!™ toll account with a positive balance sufficient to cover tolls and fees to which may be recorded by the customer service center system.

"Administrative fee" means the fee imposed by WSDOT for toll collection processing and other activities as set forth in chapter 468-270 WAC.

"Administrative hearing" means an in-person or written hearing before an administrative law judge to contest WSDOT's written decision in response to a notice of dispute regarding a notice of civil penalty.

"Administrative law judge" means a judge provided by the office of administrative hearings authorized to conduct administrative hearings.

"Automatic replenishment" means the addition of money to an active toll account using a customers' predesignated payment method according to the Good To Go!™ terms and conditions.

"Branded debit card" means a debit card that can be used as a credit card.

"Civil penalty" means the penalty assessed for any unpaid tolls.

"Closed account" means a toll account that has been closed.

"Commercial account" means a uniquely identifiable type of account for a toll customer who requests more than six Passes for their account.

"Commission" means the transportation commission appointed by the governor of the state of Washington. The commission is responsible for setting toll rates, fees and schedules.

"Customer service center (CSC)" means the place that customers can contact by phone, mail, in person, fax or the internet to open and manage a toll account, and receive services regarding their account and information about state toll facilities.

"Department" means the Washington state department of transportation (WSDOT).

"Department of licensing (DOL)" means the agency that maintains vehicle registration information.

"Dishonored check" means any check returned to WSDOT by a financial institution for any reason, including nonacceptance, nonpayment, nonsufficient funds or stop payment, unless a justifiable stop payment order exists.

"Dishonored credit card transaction" means a credit card transaction that is not approved by the entity that issued the credit card.

"Dynamic toll pricing" means varying the toll rate charged to toll customers based upon live traffic conditions to maintain specific performance standards of traffic management.

"Eligible toll facility (toll facility)" means any portion(s) of the state highway system upon which tolling has been specifically identified by the legislature including, but not limited to, transportation corridors; bridges; crossings; interchanges; on-ramps; off-ramps; approaches; bi-state facilities; and interconnections between highways.

"Express toll lanes" means one or more highway lanes that can be used by authorized high-occupancy vehicles, and by toll-paying vehicles, where toll rates are set to maintain travel speed and reliability.

"Final order" means the decision provided by the administrative law judge (ALJ) in response to an administrative hearing.

"Flex pass" means the Good To Go!™ Pass used to declare status to qualify as a toll-free carpool as defined by the commission.

"Good To Go!™" means the name of the department's toll collection system and is a registered trademark.

"Good To Go!™ customer" means a toll customer who participates in the department's Good To Go!™ tolling program.

"Government agency transponder account" means a uniquely identifiable type of account for a public agency.

"Hearing Request Form" means the form provided with the initial order which outlines the process for an individual to request a hearing to dispute the initial order given by the department in response to a notice of dispute.

"High occupancy vehicle (HOV)" means a bus, vanpool or a carpool vehicle with minimum occupancy requirements depending upon the posted roadway HOV signage and as further described in WAC 468-510-010 and RCW 46.74.010.

"High-occupancy toll lanes (HOT lanes)" means one or more lanes of a highway that charges tolls as a means of regulating access to or the use of the lanes in order to maintain travel speed and reliability. HOT lane supporting facilities include, but are not limited to, approaches, enforcement areas, improvements, buildings, and equipment as defined in RCW 47.56.401 and 47.56.403.

"Inactive account" means a toll account that has had no toll transaction activity during a predefined period of time as defined by the Good To Go!™ terms and conditions.

"Initial order" means the written decision provided by the department or its designee in response to a notice of dispute.

"Insufficient funds account" means a toll account with a balance less than the single toll rate or fee at the time the customer's transaction is processed.

"Nonsufficient funds" means a dishonored check presented to WSDOT in payment of any toll transaction.

"Notice of civil penalty (NOCP)" means the notice that is sent to notify the registered vehicle owner of a toll violation for failure to pay a toll by the toll payment due date, and for which a civil penalty is assessed.

"Notice of dishonored credit card transaction" means a transaction authorized by a toll customer that is not honored by the financial institution for any reason except for the existence of a stop payment order.

"Notice of dispute" means a customer's contact with the department, by phone or in writing, to dispute a fee and/or notice of civil penalty.

"Notice of nonsufficient funds (NSF)" means the notice sent to a toll customer who presented a nonsufficient funds check to WSDOT in payment of any toll transaction or fee. This notice will be mailed to the toll customer at the address noted on the check returned from the financial institution.

"Pass (Good To Go!™ Pass)" means the transponder device used on WSDOT toll facilities.

"Pass toll transaction" means a toll transaction that has been posted in the customer service center system based on a pass number.

"Pay By Mail" means the method used to pay a photo toll when a toll bill is mailed to the vehicle's registered owner.

"Pay By Plate" means the method used to pay a photo toll by a customer who has a toll account through the use of a photo toll system.

"Payment transaction" means a record of activity created by the customer service center as a result of a customer payment.

"Photo toll" means a charge associated with a particular vehicle that is identified by its license plate and includes Pay By Mail, Pay By Plate and Short Term Account.

"Photo toll system" means a camera-based imaging system that uses digital video or still image formats to record license plate images of vehicles using toll lanes for the purpose of collecting photo tolls.

"RCW" means the Revised Code of Washington.

"Registered toll account" means a toll account that contains customer contact information.

"Short Term Account" means the method used to pay a photo toll when there is no regular toll account and the customer pays the photo toll no later than three days after the toll transaction.

"State" means the state of Washington.

"Statewide tolling program" means the single, integrated tolling operations used by all eligible state toll facilities and includes both toll collection and toll enforcement processes.

"Tacoma Narrows Bridge" means the toll facility located on SR 16 in Pierce County, Washington.

"Toll" means the charge for the use of a state toll facility that may be paid by Good To Go!™ Pass, Pay By Plate (or a registered license plate account), Short Term Account, Pay By Mail, or cash (where available).

"Toll account (Good To Go!™ toll account)" means an account that is linked to a Pass or license plate, or both, in order to pay a toll by automatic debit.

"Toll bill (Pay by Mail toll bill)" means a bill that is sent to the registered owner of a vehicle which has incurred a photo toll. A toll bill will state the amount due including photo tolls at the Pay By Mail rate and all associated fees.

"Toll collection system (TCS)" means any system that creates a toll transaction and includes both electronic and photo toll collection systems, and cash (where available).

"Toll customer" means anyone who passes through a toll transportation facility.

"Toll enforcement office" means the division within WSDOT responsible for toll enforcement activities associated with the notices of civil penalty (NOCPs) as well as the written disputes and administrative hearings.

"Toll enforcement officer" means any person authorized by WSDOT to review and certify notices of civil penalty (NOCP).

"Toll facility" means a toll transportation facility.

"Toll payment due date" means the date when a toll bill must be paid to avoid a civil penalty. The toll payment due date is eighty days from the date the vehicle uses the toll facility and incurs the toll charge.

"Toll transaction" means a record of activity created by the toll collection system as a result of a vehicle traveling through a tolling point.

"Toll violation" means the violation of statutes requiring that a toll be paid by the toll payment due date which is eighty days from the toll transaction date.

"Transponder disabling device (shield)" means an authorized WSDOT device that is used to render inoperative the radio transmission of the vehicle identification code from a transponder to a roadside transponder reader.

"Transponder (Good To Go!™ Pass)" means a device attached to a toll customer's vehicle that automatically identifies the toll customer's vehicle as it passes through the toll facility.

"Unregistered toll account" means a uniquely identifiable type of account that does not contain customer name, address, or vehicle information and requires the use of a pass and manual replenishment.

"Variable toll pricing" means a method of varying a toll rate by time of day in order to maximize the performance of the highway facility being tolled.

"WSDOT" means Washington state department of transportation, any division, section, office, unit or other entity within Washington state department of transportation, and any of the officers or other officials lawfully representing Washington state department of transportation.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 47.01.101(5), 46.63.160, 47.46.105, 47.56.785, 47.56.790, and 47.56.880. WSR 15-24-123, § 468-305-001, filed 12/2/15, effective 1/2/16. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.63.160, 47.46.105, 47.56.010, 47.56.030(1), 47.56.070, 47.56.403, 47.56.785, 47.56.795. WSR 11-07-039, § 468-305-001, filed 3/14/11, effective 12/3/11 at 12:00 a.m. per WSR 11-24-042.]

RCW 47.01.101(5), 46.63.160, 47.46.105, 47.56.785, 47.56.790, and 47.56.880. WSR 15-24-123, § 468-305-001, filed 12/2/15, effective 1/2/16. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.63.160, 47.46.105, 47.56.010, 47.56.030(1), 47.56.070, 47.56.403, 47.56.785, 47.56.795. WSR 11-07-039, § 468-305-001, filed 3/14/11, effective 12/3/11 at 12:00 a.m. per WSR 11-24-042.

Rules

468-270,468-510-010,