Press Releases

Media Advisory

Public Hearing on a Proposed Temporary Bridge Toll Discount

For Release: April 8, 2004

CONTACT:

Randy Rentschler, MTC/BATA
510.817.5780

Rod McMillan, MTC/BATA
510.817.5860

WHAT:

Public hearing to receive testimony from Bay Area residents on a proposed temporary toll discount for two-axle vehicles using the FasTrak® electronic toll collection system on the region’s seven state-owned bridges

(The seven state-owned bridges are the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, San Mateo-Hayward and San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridges. The discount proposal does not include the Golden Gate Bridge.)

WHEN:

10 a.m., Wednesday, April 14, 2004

WHERE:

Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium
Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter
101 Eighth Street
Oakland, Calif.

WHO:

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) – the nine-county region’s transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency – in its role as the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA)

WHY:

As a result of voter approval of Regional Measure 2 (RM 2) on March 2, 2004, tolls on the seven state-owned bridges in the Bay Area will be raised by $1 effective July 1, 2004, to fund a package of transportation improvements in the bridge corridors. BATA – which was created by the state Legislature to administer the base toll revenues from the seven bridges and named in RM 2 to oversee the toll increase – is required to amend the existing toll schedule to reflect the increase. A temporary toll discount for FasTrak® users could encourage greater use of the FasTrak® system and thereby help reduce backups at the bridge toll plazas by speeding the flow of traffic past the tollbooths.

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