Toll Authority to Host Public Hearing On Proposed 2026 Toll Hike, Carpool Policy Changes

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) will host a public hearing in San Francisco tomorrow, Nov. 20, at 9:35 a.m. to hear testimony from Bay Area residents, businesses and other interested parties about the toll increase proposed last month for the Bay Area's seven state-owned toll bridges as well as about proposed updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to these bridges. Members of the public may participate in the hearing — which is being held as part of BATA's regular monthly meeting — in person or via Zoom. If approved by BATA in December, the toll increase would be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, with the additional revenue used only to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges.

Public Hearing Details

• Date: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024
• Time: 9:35 a.m.
• Location: Ground floor Boardroom, 375 Beale Street, San Francisco
• Attendee Link: https://bayareametro.zoom.us/j/86534600606
• Join by Phone: 1-877-853-5247

BATA is required by state law to fund projects to preserve and protect the Bay Area's seven state-owned toll bridges. The proposed toll hike is separate from the $3 increase approved by Bay Area voters in 2018 through Regional Measure 3 (RM3) to finance a comprehensive suite of highway and transit improvements around the region. The first of the three $1 Regional Measure 3 toll increases went into effect in 2019, followed by another in 2022. The last of the RM3 toll hikes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, bringing the toll for regular two-axle cars and trucks to $8.

The proposal for which the public hearing will be held tomorrow calls for tolls for all regular two-axle cars and trucks to increase to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2026. Tolls for customers who pay with FasTrak tags would then rise to $9 in 2027; to $9.50 in 2028; to $10 in 2029; and then to $10.50 in 2030. Tolls for customers who use a pre-registered license plate account would rise to $9.25 in 2027; to $9.75 in 2028; to $10.25 in 2029 and to $10.75 in 2030. Tolls for customers who return payment with an invoice received by mail would rise to $10 in 2027; $10.50 in 2028; $11 in 2029; and $11.50 in 2030.

Members of the public may participate in tomorrow's hearing to provide testimony about proposed updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the Bay Area's state-owned toll bridges. These updates also would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. BATA's existing toll schedule allows vehicles with three or more occupants (HOV 3+) a discounted toll, with a two-person (HOV 2) occupancy requirement for half-price tolls at the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. BATA staff proposes to establish a uniform three-person occupancy requirement for half-price tolls during weekday commute periods at all seven bridges. Carpool vehicles at all state-owned bridges must use a dedicated carpool lane and pay their tolls with FasTrak to receive the 50 percent discount available weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The proposed carpool policy changes also would allow vehicles with two occupants and a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the '2' position to use the carpool lanes on the approaches to the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael  and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. These two-occupant vehicles would not receive the 50 percent carpool discount but would be able to use the carpool lanes to save time traveling through the toll plazas. Use of the carpool lanes on approaches to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge still would require a minimum of three occupants.

BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), administers toll revenues from the Bay Area's seven state-owned toll bridges. Toll revenues from the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which joined with BATA to operate a single regional FasTrak customer service center in San Francisco. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission