Reed explained how it works. First of all, while driving in the express lane on I-580, every half mile or so you will pass through electronic check points that will read your transponder. Officers will be sitting there watching these lights that will flash as you go through. "As you go through, it will give us a 1, 2 or 3 on the lights.
What are the rules for the 580 express lane?
A few rules are lane-specific, so learn how each express lane works: 580, 680, 880 , 101, 237 . On all express lanes, drivers must have FasTrak, and carpools must have a FasTrak Flex toll tag in the vehicle set to the 2 or 3+ position to get carpool toll discounts.
What is the I-580 Express Lanes project?
Alameda CTC formed a partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to develop and implement the I-580 Express Lanes Project. Electronic toll system installation began Spring 2015 and the new express lanes opened in February 2016.
How do express lanes work?
Express lanes use FasTrak for the electronic collection of tolls. Overhead electronic pricing signs display the toll rate to use the express lanes to specific destinations. There are no tollbooths or traffic gates, and you don't need to slow down or stop to provide a toll payment.
How do I travel toll-free on the I-580 Express Lane?
In order to travel toll-free on the I-580 Express Lane, carpoolers need to have a FasTrak Flex® toll tag set to 2 or 3+. Get a toll tag today.
What happens if you use Express lane without FasTrak?
If you use an express lane without a valid FasTrak toll tag, you will receive a violation notice. The following is a schedule of toll evasion penalties: First notice issued: $25 penalty. Second (delinquent) notice issued: $70 ($25 penalty plus $45 late fee).
How does FasTrak work on express lanes?
Express lanes use FasTrak for the electronic collection of tolls. Overhead electronic pricing signs display the toll rate to use the express lanes to specific destinations. There are no tollbooths or traffic gates, and you don't need to slow down or stop to provide a toll payment.
How does the California express lane work?
Express Lanes. Express lanes are specially designated highway lanes that offer a new and faster commute option for highway drivers. For solo drivers who cannot use the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane (also called a "carpool lane"), express lanes give the option to pay a per-use toll to use the lane.
How much is the toll on i580?
Bridge Facts At-A-GlanceLocation:Interstate 580 between Contra Costa and Marin countiesTower Height:325 feetOpened:September 1956Cost:$66 millionAuto Toll:$710 more rows•Jan 1, 2022
Is 580 a toll road?
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge crosses the San Francisco Bay along Interstate 580 (I-580) and links the cities of Richmond and San Rafael. Drivers pay tolls in the westbound direction, on the eastern side of the bridge.
How does fast track it work?
Cameras take pictures of the vehicle license plates as they pass through. In case a toll tag is not detected, the pictures are used to identify your vehicle. If you have an account with FasTrak, your account will be charged.
What happens if you accidentally get on the express lane in California?
You will be in violation of the California Vehicle Code and subject to a citation and fine if caught by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
How do I pay my express lane in California?
Sticker transponders can be used to pay tolls on every tolled bridge, lane and road in California. Drivers with sticker transponders pay the full toll regardless of eligibility. A switchable transponder can be obtained by opening up an account with one of California's other tolling agencies.
How much is the express lane in California?
Tolls on the I-15 Express Lanes vary between 50 cents and $8, depending on distance traveled and traffic in the lanes. The 50 cents minimum and $8 maximum tolls are set by the SANDAG Board of Directors, and cannot change without prior approval from the Board.
Is FasTrak and carpool the same?
FasTrak offers toll discounts to carpools, motorcycles and eligible clean air vehicles during designated commute hours on all Bay Area bridges and toll-free travel for carpools and other qualified vehicles in express lanes throughout the day. Learn more about carpool requirements for Bay Area bridges and express lanes.
How do I know if I owe a toll in California?
Alternatively, to enquire about any toll violation in California toll roads, bridges or express lanes, call 877-229-8655. Use FasTrak Toll Calculator to calculate your tolls and fuel cost to travel across California — before the trip.
Is the Bay bridge toll both ways?
Memorial (Bay) Bridge, tolls are collected in the eastbound direction only.
How far is the I-580 Express Lanes?
Resources. The I-580 Express Lanes span approximately 10 miles from Hacienda Drive in Pleasanton to Greenville Road in Livermore in the eastbound direction, and approximately 12 miles from Greenville Road to just before the I-680 overpass in Dublin in the westbound direction.
What toll tag is required for I-580?
How to use the I-580 Express Lanes? A FasTrak® toll tag is required for ALL I-580 Express Lane users. In order to travel toll-free on the I-580 Express Lane, carpoolers need to have a FasTrak Flex® toll tag set to 2 or 3+. Get a toll tag today.
Does FasTrak charge tolls?
A toll is assigned based on the first and last location at which the vehicle was detected. If you leave and then re-enter an express la ne, FasTrak will charge you a single toll as though you travelled continuously in the lane. It is unlikely that weaving in and out of the express lane will decrease your toll.
Do you need a FasTrak Flex to use the express lanes?
Carpoolers and those eligible to use car pool lanes (motorcycles, clean air vehicles with a white or green sticker) must have a FasTrak Flex (switchable) toll tag to use the lanes toll-free. It is the only way to travel toll-free in the express lane.
What is express lanes?
Express lanes are specially designated highway lanes that offer a new and faster commute option for highway drivers. For solo drivers who cannot use the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane (also called a "carpool lane"), express lanes give the option to pay a per-use toll to use the lane. Express lanes utilize additional HOV/carpool lane capacity, ...
Who operates the express lanes on SR-237?
These express lanes are operated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC). In the southern part of the Bay Area, express lanes on SR-237 eastbound and westbound are operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).
What is an open access lanes?
In open access lanes, drivers can freely enter and exit the express lanes wherever they choose, just like today's high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes (also called "carpool lanes") in the Bay Area. Limited access lanes have specific entry and exit points.
Is a FasTrak tag required for Vanpool?
If you are a vanpool, you may use Bay Area Express Lanes toll free. I-680 Sunol Express Lanes. A FasTrak toll tag is not required. If you have a FasTrak toll tag, put it in the Mylar® bag that came with the tag to travel toll free. If you have a FasTrak Flex toll tag, set it to position 3+ prior to starting your trip.
Do you need a toll gate in FasTrak?
There are no tollbooths or traffic gates, and you don't need to slow down or stop to provide a toll payment. Only a valid FasTrak account and a properly mounted and set toll tag are required to use the express lanes. The toll system is fully electronic.
Can you use express lanes in California?
If you qualify as a carpool, California Vehicle Code allows you to use Bay Area express lanes toll free depending on the lane location. SR-237 Express Lanes. Solo drivers in eligible clean air vehicles (CAVs) must pay a toll in the SR-237 express lanes.
Is there an express lanes in the Bay Area?
Yes. There are express lanes throughout the Bay Area, and more are planned. Express lanes are currently open on I-680 southbound over the Sunol Grade and on I-580 eastbound and westbound through Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore. These express lanes are operated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC).
What time does the I-580 open?
Operating hours. Both the I-580 and the I-680 Sunol Express Lanes operate Monday - Friday 5am-8pm. All other times (nights and weekends) the express lanes are open to all with no toll and no toll tag requirements.
How are express lanes separated from general lanes?
The express lane is separated from general- purpose lanes by double solid lines, except at entry and exit points. Motorists can enter the express lanes at designated places. An overhead electronic sign displays the current toll being assessed to travel to the destination (s) shown. The operation is fully electronic.
What does "limited access" mean in the express lane?
Where necessary, due to operational or safety issues, sections of the express lanes will have limited access, meaning that entry and exit to/from the express lane is allowed only at certain locations. Where access is limited, special signage and lane striping will help direct drivers about where to enter and exit.
Where is the Sunol Express Lane in San Francisco?
In the San Francisco Bay Area there are three express lanes in operation: The I-680 Sunol Express Lane located on a 14-mile stretch of southbound I-680 between SR 84 in Pleasanton to the north and SR 237 in Milpitas to the south, operated by Alameda CTC;
Can you use FasTrak on I-680 Sunol?
Only valid carpools and eligible clean air vehicles can use the lanes during operating hours. In fall 2021, a valid FasTrak toll tag will be required for ALL I-680 Sunol Express Lane users. Get a toll tag. Check back soon for updates about the new express lane rules coming in 2021.
Do express lanes allow toll free travel?
In the Bay Area, express lanes allow toll-free travel for carpools, vanpools, motorcycles, transit buses and eligible zero- and low-emission vehicles, while giving solo drivers the option to pay to use the lane (s) to avoid congestion and have a reliable commute time.
When will I-880 open?
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission opened the Interstate 880 (I-880) Express Lanes on October 2, 2020. To learn everything about how to use the I-880 Express Lanes, go to expresslanes.511.org. Available resources include a video playlist, FAQs and maps. Overview.
Where is the express lane on Highway 101?
This is the most ambitious express lane project thus far in the Bay Area, but not the last. That will occur on Highway 101 in the South Bay, where double carpool/express lanes will someday run from Redwood City south to Morgan Hill.
How many people use the 237-880 interchange in Milpitas?
The best example locally is the 237-880 interchange, in Milpitas, which for three decades has been one of the nastiest commutes in the region. Now, about 10,000 solo drivers use the 237-880 express lanes each week.
How much down do you need to put down for a FasTrak Flex transponder?
Motorists will need to put $25 down for a FasTrak Flex transponder to drive in them. Operated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission, these lanes were funded with federal, state, regional and local dollars, including a voter-approved sales tax.
Is there a double white marking on the 680 Express Lane?
Caltrans says it may remove the double-white markings in a few years when a northbound express lane is built. Yet there’s a downside.
Can free access to carpooling lanes cause jams?
Free access can lead to jammed carpool lanes. “What happens today on Bay Area carpool lanes is that when the regular lanes get slower and slower, so do the HOV lanes,” said Bob Poole, director of transportation policy for the Reason Foundation.
What is an express lane in the Bay Area?
Bay Area Express Lanes have sections where access into or out of the lane is restricted and sections where it is unrestricted. Unrestricted sections are marked with dashed lines separating the express lane from regular traffic, and cars can enter or exit the express lanes in these sections. Restricted sections are marked with double white lines.
How many miles of express lanes are there in the Bay Area?
Today, there are about 130 miles of open Bay Area Lanes and there are plans for over 600 miles of express lanes by 2035.
Do you pay tolls for 2 person carpooling?
On some Bay Area Express Lanes, 2-person carpools are toll free, while on others 2-person carpools pay half-price tolls. See " For Carpools .". Solo-driver clean air vehicles travel toll-free or pay half-price tolls depending on the express lane, but by the end of 2021 solo-driver clean air vehicles will pay half-price tolls on all Bay Area Express ...
How can express lanes reduce congestion?
Express lanes can decrease carpool lane congestion by allowing 3+ carpools to travel toll- free and encouraging 2-person carpools and clean air vehicles with partial tolls. Raising the occupancy requirement to 3+ without tolling would likely lead to unused carpool lane capacity and more crowded general purpose lanes.
Can I 880 express lanes be used for carpooling?
Today, Bay Area carpool lanes, including I-880’s lanes, rarely provide the speedier trips that carpools and buses deserve. Express lanes can decrease carpool lane congestion by allowing 3+ carpools to travel toll- free and encouraging 2-person carpools and clean air vehicles with partial tolls.
