New Year’s Day will usher in a $1 increase in tolls on seven bridges around the Bay Area.
Starting Jan. 1, tolls will rise from $6 to $7 for two-axle vehicles and motorcycles on seven state-owned spans: the San Francisco-Oakland Bay, Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges.
For vehicles with three or more axles, tolls will also rise by $1, to $17 for three axles, $22 for four-axles, $27 for five axles, $32 for six axles, and $37 for combinations with seven or more axles, according to the Bay Area Toll Authority.
The increase is the second of three $1 toll hikes approved by the state Legislature in 2017 through state Senate Bill 595, and by voters through Regional Measure 3 in June 2018.
A peak-period toll discount will be continued for motorcycles, carpools and qualifying clean-air vehicles crossing any of the state-owned toll bridges on weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. The discounted toll is scheduled to increase to $3.50 on Jan. 1, 2022, from the current $3. To qualify for the discount, carpoolers, motorcyclists and drivers of qualifying clean-air vehicles must use FasTrak to pay their tolls electronically and must use a designated carpool lane at each toll plaza.
Senate Bill 595 and Regional Measure 3 also established a 50-cent toll discount for two-axle vehicles crossing more than one of the state-owned toll bridges during weekday commute hours of 5 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.
To be eligible for the toll discount, which is to be applied to the second toll crossing of the day, motorists must pay their tolls electronically with FasTrak. Carpools, motorcycles and qualifying clean-air vehicles making a second peak-period toll crossing in a single day will qualify for an additional 25-cent discount off the already-discounted carpool toll.
A legal challenge to SB 595 and Regional Measure 3 is pending before the California Supreme Court, and the new toll increase, when collected, will be placed into an escrow account managed by an independent trustee.
Revenue from the 2019 toll increase also is being held in escrow. If the toll authority prevails in the litigation, the funds will be applied to programs that include improvements to State Route 37 in the North Bay, freeway interchange improvements in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties and the purchase of more new BART cars.
Other projects that would recieve the funding include extension of the BART system from Berryessa to downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, extension of the Caltrain corridor to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco, expansion of Muni’s transit vehicle fleet, and expansion of San Francisco Bay Ferry service.
34 comments
When these bridges were proposed this wasn’t part of the deal.
This is extortion!
Fraud!
Literally, highway robbery.
I can remember when the toll on the BB was.25 cents–
Pay more money to go watch people crap in front of you, watch shoplifters walk out of stores with arms full, and get your car broken into?
Count me in!
That’s it take it out of the middle class citizen that has to commute to work.The plan to do away with middle class and have poor people and rich politicians.Thanks Democrats!Time to get rid of the useless Biden and his side clown Harris.
I’m old enough to remember when the toll was fifty cents. Hamburgers were five for a buck and gasoline was twenty-nine cents a gallon. Glad I don’t live in California anymore. You can get out too. Just leave.
Masked Poster–There is no connection. I don’t know how old you are, but even making less money in those days, living in California was much more affordable than it is today. Back then, husbands went to work while the wife stayed home and took care of the home and kids. They were able to purchase a house, a TV, and a new car on one income.
This slush fund is a violation of the States contract to Maintain THE ACTUAL BRIDGES……..Not use the tolls for their other Pet projects.
And now that they’re No longer using toll collectors…..they’re saving all of that money as well.
I remember driving through the toll booth and you just threw a few coins in the basket. With modern technology they can charge whatever they want.
Ask not for whom the bridge tolls. It tolls for thee
Going to cross the bridge today to save the $
I look forward to going into the city even less then!
Yes must really suck being a commuter having to go across a bridge everyday..
It’s quite unfair to the residents of the bay area, we have 7 toll bridges and I believe So. Cal has 1.
Dr. Jelly is correct. It’s highway robbery.
. It’s their way to get you to take public transportation and go bankrupt.
Dr. Jelly and Old Timer are both correct.
ah yes….Old Timer is definitely correct!
It’ll be $10 by 2025 mark my words.
Originally, the tolls were implemented to pay for construction and nothing else. The toll increases were approved by the Bat Area voters a while back – but it impacted East Bay commuters much more than peninsula residents. East Bay residents voted against it, but the more populous peninsula residents approved it…
Or the dems just do what they do best. Cheat.
Time for the James Bond hideaway license plate.
Nope simple splatter of mud across half the plate and no toll paid or tracked down. Mud has been saving people money for decades.
How about an honest financial report on where our toll money goes.
How about a complete and clear financial report for all state business including the unfounded debt that they never talk about. Also a break down of how much and where our money is actually going, Every dime of the stupid train to nowhere. Who’s pockets have been lined with that one
Thanks for the laugh, Ricardoh.
I’ve only seen one toll road removed on time as told it would be by the voters. The politicians of course fought to keep the toll but the governor vetoed them and had the toll booths removed. That state was Georgia and it was State Hwy 400 that is now toll free as it should be.
I would like to know, now that we have gotten rid of our toll takers how much has been lost in the way of income since people now go thru for nothing but are “billed” (postage cost)? I would think the pay and benefits for toll takers would more than pay for what we are probably losing by free loaders in tolls…
The California State slush fund go to slogan of the 2020’s:
“It’s for the Roads”
I remember when it used to be:
“It’s for the kids”
But they seem to have worn that one out…
.. more $$ skimmed off the top to pay for pet projects not approved by voters.. even though the bridge has been paid for 10x over
$7 to cross a bridge! Ha ha!
You think the Bridge tolls are fake where our money goes. try our state lotteries.
When I was a little girl my grandfather told me there would only be tolls until the cost of the building the bridge was paid.
.. that’s the way it was supposed to be but then the politicians got used to the revenue they would skim off for their pet projects or mistakes in budgeting in other areas… very sad
Thank Goodness….only 9 more months before my Hubby ends his commute from Concord to Benicia.
Will almost save enough $$$ from gas & tolls to put towards addition coverage that Medicare does not cover…. yeah, that’s a surprise!
It’s not a win-win, but with the price of everything going up, every $ counts.
Yes we voted on this but that was for the tolltakers that no longer work the bridges so stop with the increases already.
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