The Bay Area Toll Authority announced Wednesday that fines for toll violation notices will be reduced for anyone who received them on the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges dating back to the start of 2021.
The BATA, the agency tasked with administering toll revenues from the Bay Area’s toll bridges, announced that the penalty for first violation notices is dropping effective immediately from $25 to $5, and the penalty for second violation notices will drop from $70 to $15.
People who paid the penalties dating back to Jan. 1 will receive a refund starting in February 2022, according to the toll authority.
The changes, approved by the BATA in October, are part of its tolling equity action plan announced earlier this year.
Other changes set for implementation later in 2022 include dropping the cost of a FasTrak toll tag deposit for those who do not link their account to a credit card from $20 to $5 and reducing the minimum opening balance for a FasTrak account for customers who pay with cash or check from $50 to $25.
The BATA encourages anyone using the bridges to open FasTrak accounts that automatically deduct toll amounts from their account and allow them to avoid violation notices and penalties. People can sign up by visiting www.bayareafastrak.org or calling (877) 229-8655, or by buying the FasTrak tags at certain Costco and Walgreens stores.
People can also open a License Plate Account that links a license plate to an account and allows people to pay a toll online up to 30 days ahead of a bridge crossing or within 48 hours after it.
People who do not have either option are required to return invoices with payment within 21 days or will receive the now-reduced penalties on new invoices.
Those who do not return payment after the second notice may have the DMV put a hold on their vehicle registration or have the amount owed referred to a collection agency, according to BATA.
24 comments
Why doesn’t Fastrak offer a discount to people for using it?
They should because it’s cheaper for them then sending an invoice. That’s the big problem with California it’s bureaucracy just makes it all too complicated. At least it’s better than Texas which made me stop every time I went thru a toll booth or worse banned me from using certain highways unless you had a pass.
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Instead of a discount, the “reward” for using a transponder was not having to wait in line.
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Cause it would not be ‘equitable’. So tired of this crap … you do the crime, you pay the fine/time. They broke the law and now we are going to retroactively give the money back for the violators … Seriously, how much more screwed up can we get in this state? I am not throwing down a challenge … that was a rhetorical question!
How about doing away with bridge and freeway tolls throughout the Bay Area?
For how many years during the 90s did we suffer dealing with traffic jams on the 680 while they built a new lane? Everyone thought it was great to have a new lane. So, what do they do? They make it a diamond lane. I remember seeing the diamond lane empty while traffic in the other lanes got worse.
Now they have toll lanes on 680? What kind of BA is that?
No bridge tolls and no toll lanes. It’s time for this BS to end.
It has long been known that the ‘diamond/Fastrak’ lanes are put in place to make things ‘inconvienient’ for drivers to get them to use mass transit.
Most or all of these tolls were set up with a explicit time period which passed years ago, yet the toll remains.
… consistent with current DA and lack of legal prosecution lately – why not invite the violators to come back and do it again? maybe give them a gift card?
Everyone should take advantage of the first violation as it’s cheaper than the bridge tolls, save yourself a dollar or more…
(Russ takes out paper and pencil. Scratches out a few numbers: so it’s $6 to cross, but only $5 if you don’t have a toll tag???)
The toll is still $6, then you will pay an additional $5 for the fine, so total is $11.
Even less reason now for toll evaders to reform their ways.
+1
Something smells rotten here.
There must be something bad coming.
… there’s a $1 toll hike eff. 1/1/22 will be $7
Is it just me or does it seem like those that play by the rules are usually the ones that get bent over the most paying for those that give a middle finger to the system?
No, it’s not just you.
-Stealing under $950 now not a felony (prop 47)
-BART keeps it’s minimum fares low to accommodate homeless passengers who sleep on the trains.
-Benefits and stimulus money to undocumented residents (can’t say illegal aliens anymore).
And now this toll booth stuff. Government in California is designing its laws to fit the lowest common denominators of society (law-breakers). However, in order to funds this experiment, they need to milk employed and law abiding citizens.
When the pendulum gets too out of whack, said law-abiding citizens vote for people like Trump. It’s like we just can’t be a sensible and moderate society anymore.
Talking on a cell phone while driving and getting caught if ever = $20
Driving with less than 3 people in the commuter lane going to San Francisco in the morning close to $500.
Who the hell is in charge?
I remember when I was a kid, in the 70s…. the bride toll was 35 cents and the state government promised that the tolls would only be in place until the bridge construction costs were payed for.
Well, ..gee wiz. How many times have we now payed for the bridges???
In reality, it’s another example of California government parasites bleeding middle class working citizens.
Leftists. Always Lie.
Remove or obscure your plates and it’s all free! Equitee!
I paid $75 for a late toll the other day. Gimme my money back!!!!!!!!
Just keep re-electing the same politicians and they’ll keep screwing you.
You don’t like the ongoing taxes and fees, then blame the idiot looking at you in the mirror.
bridge tolls aren’t used to just do ongoing mtc and asssociated bridge costs. They also subsidize other modes of transportation such as ferry costs.
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