Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Toll Plaza Projects Boost FasTrak^® Advantage,
May Mean Longer Delays for Cash Payers

Free Tolls for New Customers, No Changes at Golden Gate Bridge

CONTACTS:
John Goodwin, MTC, 510.817.5862
Lauren Wonder, Caltrans, 510.286.6120

OAKLAND, Calif., June 28, 2007 – Motorists who use FasTrak to pay their tolls on Bay Area bridges will soon be able to zip faster than ever through most of the region’s toll plazas, while drivers who pay cash may face significantly longer lines. The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) and Caltrans this week will begin converting more lanes at the region’s state-owned toll bridges to FasTrak-only lanes and will start construction on a series of other improvements to the freeway approaches and toll plazas. In addition, new customers who open FasTrak accounts from July 1 through Aug. 31 can receive up to $10 in free tolls. The changes are part of a comprehensive plan adopted last year to increase toll plaza efficiency and expand use of electronic toll collection.

As more toll lanes are reserved exclusively for FasTrak-equipped vehicles, drivers will find fewer available lanes accepting cash. This may mean longer delays for cash payers, especially during peak traffic hours. Noting that FasTrak-only lanes can process three times as many cars per hour as lanes where drivers stop to pay cash, Marin County Supervisor and BATA member Steve Kinsey said, “The extra FasTrak-only lanes will make it faster, safer and more convenient for FasTrak users. As more drivers sign up for FasTrak, it will reduce congestion and pollution from cars creeping through the toll plaza lines."

Improved Signage, Extended Lanes

In addition to the new FasTrak-only lanes, BATA and Caltrans also will install new overhead signs and pavement markings to direct drivers to the correct lanes at each toll plaza. “We’re greatly extending the length of the FasTrak-only lanes to separate FasTrak customers and cash payers," explained Kinsey.

New changeable message signs at the toll plazas will give BATA the flexibility to switch FasTrak-only lanes to cash/FasTrak lanes and back again as traffic demand warrants. The combination of new signs and extended lane markings will help eliminate the weaving between lanes that often adds to backups.

FasTrak improvements will be completed first at the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge on July 9, and later in July at the Antioch Bridge. Toll plaza reconfigurations will continue through August at the Carquinez, Dumbarton and Richmond-San Rafael bridges. Starting in September, eight of the 20 lanes at the Bay Bridge toll plaza will be reserved for drivers who pay tolls electronically. The new Benicia-Martinez Bridge, which is slated to open to northbound traffic in late August, will introduce open-road tolling to the Bay Area, allowing motorists whose vehicles are outfitted with FasTrak toll tags to safely drive through the toll area at highway speeds via twin FasTrak Express lanes.

FasTrak-only lanes at the Bay Bridge will be strategically placed to allow easy access for vehicles approaching the bridge from Interstates 80, 580 or 880. At all other state-owned toll bridges, FasTrak-only lanes will be to the left as drivers approach the toll plaza, and cash/FasTrak lanes will be on the right. For diagrams of the new configurations at each toll plaza — and a tentative schedule for the lane conversions, visit www.mtc.ca.gov/services/fastrak. The toll plaza configuration at the Golden Gate Bridge, which is owned by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, will not be changed.

Kinsey advises drivers who haven’t already enrolled in the FasTrak program to do so before the mid-July start date for lane conversions. “FasTrak isn’t just for everyday bridge commuters. Anyone who crosses any of the Bay Area toll bridges, even just occasionally, should get a toll tag.”

Free Toll Incentives

To convince more motorists to sign on, BATA is offering $5 in free tolls to all new customers who open FasTrak accounts from July 1 through Aug. 31. Drivers who pick up their toll tags at select Safeway or Costco stores and activate their accounts during July or August can qualify for even bigger savings — including free tolls offered by partner American Express for customers who opt to use an American Express® Card to replenish their accounts. FasTrak toll tags are available at 55 Safeway stores and 20 Costco warehouses around the Bay Area. For a complete list of participating locations, visit 511.org.

There is no fee to open or maintain a FasTrak prepaid toll account, and no deposit is required for customers who use a credit card to open their account and request three or fewer toll tags. FasTrak can be used in all lanes at all Bay Area toll bridges, and on toll roads in Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties in Southern California. FasTrak enrollment is rising rapidly, with over 650,000 accounts now open in the Bay Area — up by nearly 100,000 since late 2006.

Caltrans owns, operates and maintains the state highway system, including seven Bay Area toll bridges. BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), administers toll revenues from the region's state-owned toll bridges. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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