The Bay Area Toll Authority voted today to suspend weekday congestion pricing on the Bay Bridge indefinitely during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Vehicle traffic has dropped significantly across all seven state-owned toll bridges in the Bay Area due to the pandemic and the resulting local and state shelter-in-place orders. Traffic on the Bay Bridge specifically has fallen by about half compared to last year since the Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order took effect March 17.
Effective at the start of the day Thursday, tolls for two-axle vehicles crossing the bridge will remain at $6 all day and at all times.
Previously, the bridge’s congestion pricing had reduced to $5 from midnight to 5 a.m., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight and raised to $7 during peak hours from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The BATA and Caltrans encourage people traveling across the Bay Bridge and other toll bridges around the region to purchase a FasTrak toll tag. Last month, staffing of tollbooths was suspended at the seven state-owned bridges in the region to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Motorists can open a FasTrak account at bayareafastrak.org or by calling 877-229-8655.
So are essential workers who have been going to work over the bridges going to get a refund ? ? ?
An why wasn’t this done a month ago ? ?
It’s called abridge toll increase and they know it.
This is off the subject, so not sure it will get posted, but just saw on Yahoo, that KGO TV is doing a story about Max the stolen puppy, they have a video, and Max’s owner is an ER Nurse. Disgusting still home he get found and returned to his owner.
YAY!! Thanks Hanne, that made my day!
This story made the National News…Wow
The Bay Bridge has been a cash cow for far too long. For more than 20 years, the toll was approx. equal to a quarter hour’s pay at minimum wage. It started increasing significantly around Y2K, which coincides with the explosion of the tech industry in San Francisco, and now hovers around two-thirds of an hour’s pay at minimum wage. Starting in 2019, the toll will increase $1 every three years. Jeez.
Wizard, It wasn’t the national news it was KGO TV, still they reach a lot of people. I found out about it because it was listed on my Yahoo front page.
Hanne – it DID make national news. I read about it on IBT (International Business News). Just because you read it locally and others read it internationally doesn’t mean it’s just “local news.” It’s a national story because she’s an ER nurse, and we are experiences a pandemic.
Interesting how they did drop it to $5 all the time but to $6, which it doesn’t take a math wiz to gogure out essentally gives them same toll money. Cal trans is sneaky like that… lets do some math… 150 cars @ 5= $750… 150 cars @ 6 = $900so in their slow periods they would have taken in $150 less… now 150 cars @ 7 = $1050… so they lose nothing.. but gain $150 they would have lost during slow times… break even… you aren’t getting any kind of deal
As tolls increased, the number of toll takers decreased, and electronic toll collecting became more widely used. More income, lower expenses. I haven’t driven across the Bay Bridge in ages; do they still use human toll takers?
How benevolent of our Kalifornistan dictators. Maybe this will appease the peasants a little. What a joke.
Yes, get rid of people, replace with technology!
I like a good burrito
Indeed. Favorite burrito spot?
With the reduction in driving should come a reduction in employees at Caltrans, BART, and a whole lot of other agencies. But you just know that they will spend every dine they already took from us, and then come back with new taxes to make up the difference. But hey, Public Administrators invented corruption, so no one should be surprised!
I just heard on the TV this morning that CALtrans is ahead of schedule on several projects and maybe more in the future depending on traffic. But that doesn’t fit your hate the government message does it? So keep the lies flowing!
ZZ, The Golden Gate Bridge has no toll takers. So if you have to drive over the GG you have to find a place to buy a temporary pass or get FastTrack. I have FastTrack now, but I didn’t always. When I lived on the Peninsula I would go to Marin ever so often. FastTrack’s website is a pain to navigate.