Transportation News

Public Input Sought on Bridge Toll Hike Proposed for Earthquake Safety

October 2009
The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) is considering a toll increase on the seven state-owned Bay Area toll bridges: the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, San Francisco-Oakland Bay and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. (The toll proposal does not affect the Golden Gate Bridge, which is owned and operated by an independent authority.) The proposed toll hike — which likely would be effective July 1, 2010 — comes in response to the need to raise an additional $160 million in annual revenues. The chief reason the additional revenue is needed is to finance the estimated $750 million cost of necessary seismic retrofit projects on the Antioch and Dumbarton bridges. Other factors include a slow but steady decline in toll-paying traffic on the state-owned bridges during each of the past five years, increasing operational expenses and rising debt, due in part to the upheaval in the municipal bond markets over the past two years.

Currently the toll on state bridges for autos and vans is $4, while carpools pass for free during commute hours. Trucks and trailsers pay from $6 to $13.50, depending on the number of axles. Three options for raising these tolls were presented at the October 14, 2009, BATA Oversight Committee meeting, all of which would raise the needed $160 million annually. For Options 1 and 2 (detailed below), BATA would raise the base toll on automobiles by $1 (to $5), and in so doing raise the first $100 million of additional new revenues. The remaining funds would be generated by a combination of increasing the per-axle toll for trucks and/or introducing a toll for carpools, which would be collected electronically via FasTrak® toll tags.

Also under consideration (Option 3) is the introduction of peak-hour congestion pricing on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Preliminary analysis shows that such pricing could reduce morning peak delay on the Bay Bridge by 15 to 30 percent.

• Option 1: $5 toll for autos and motorcycles, $3 for carpools and $6 per each additional axle for trucks;
• Option 2: $5 toll for autos and motorcycles, $0 for carpools and $10 per each additional axle for trucks; or
• Option 3: Same as Option 1 for six bridges except for San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which would charge $6 for autos and motorcycles in peak hours and $4 for autos in non-peak hours (M-F), and $5 for autos on weekends.

Four public hearings will be held in November and December to take public comment on the options. BATA Commissioners will weigh this public comment in their decision on a toll increase, scheduled for January 2010. The hearings will be held on:

Wednesday, November 4, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.
Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter — Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium
(across from the Lake Merritt BART Station)
101 Eighth Street, Oakland, California

Tuesday, November 17, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.*
San Mateo City Hall — City Council Chambers
330 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo, California

Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.*
Concord Senior Center — Wisteria Room
(located in John F. Baldwin Park)
2727 Parkside Circle, Concord, California

Monday, December 7, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.*
San Francisco State University — Downtown Campus
835 Market St., Room 609
San Francisco, CA

*Note: This hearing will feature a short open house (from 6:30 to 7 p.m.) and a staff presentation (beginning at 7 p.m.) prior to taking public testimony.

Accessible Meetings: Sign-language interpreters or readers will be provided if requested at least three business days in advance; every effort will be made to provide interpreters for non-English speakers if requested at least five business days in advance. To make your request, please call 510.817.5757.

Written comments will be accepted until 4 p.m., December 21, 2009; written comments should be submitted to the BATA Public Information Office at 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, California, 94607-4700; or faxed to BATA at 510.817.5848; or sent via e-mail to tolls@mtc.ca.gov.

After receipt and review of public comment, BATA is scheduled to consider the adoption of a revised toll schedule at its January 2010 meeting. View an updated list of meeting dates (meetings are posted to the schedule approximately one month prior). For more information, call the BATA Public Information Office at 510.817.5757.