KING

Drivers over the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge can pre-pay for a sticker that will automatically deduct the toll every time they drive over the bridge.

TACOMA, Wash. – More and more drivers who cross the new Tacoma Narrows bridge are finding themselves parked in front of a judge these days.

They're attending special mediation hearings for people who think they unfairly got tickets after going through the bridge toll plaza.

One of the biggest problems the court is seeing involves "Good to Go" – the transponder placed on car windshields that automatically deducts from the drivers prepaid account.  The problem is some of these accounts suddenly don't have any money because their automatic withdrawal never kicked in.

A lot of people say they were confused about how to give the okay for money to be taken out of their checking, savings or credit card accounts.

That's what happened to the Bennetts of Gig Harbor. -- the automatic withdrawal issue, as well as apparent scanning problems at the toll station.  They have received a staggering 50 tickets.

"It just wasn't reading correctly, and they take pictures of your car, and if it doesn't read your transponder or it doesn't think you have one, and then it just gives you one of these (tickets)," said Dwight Bennett.

At $49 a pop, that comes out to nearly $2,500 in citations.

"Going through the toll place is one thing because you know somebody is taking your money.  But, going under these machines that are taking pictures of you and the brother next to you, that's a little kinda iffy," said Theresa Bennett.

Pierce County district court says, since the new Narrows Bridge opened up, about 37,000 tickets have been issued.  Of that number, about 6,600 have been contested. That breaks down to about 18 out of every 100 tickets.

The Department of Transportation says it's pleased with how toll collections are going along, and that if drivers have concerns, that's why the appeal process is in place.

"We're always looking to continually improve, but the system is working well.  I can't see of any major changes that are coming along in the near future," said Greg Selstead, director of toll operations.

Still, for drivers like Adam Olson, a visit to court can be a real inconvenience, but he's trying to get rid of 6 tickets.

"300 is a lot of money," said Olson.

Transponders adding to bridge cost

The popularity of the "Good to go" transponders has added $5 million to the cost of operating the new bridge.

The bridge operator gave out 200,000 transponders -- four times the expected number.

The toll operations director, Greg Selstead, told an advisory committee meeting Wednesday night that the state also has to pay a 3 percent fee when drivers use a credit card to recharge their toll bridge accounts.

State officials are looking for money in the bridge's budget to offset the unexpected expenses.