MTC approves e-tolling upgrade for Bay Area bridges

The 343 Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) intends to replace cash lanes with the electronic FasTrak tolling system at seven bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A report by <%$Linker:2External<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary />000link-external Fox 2 KTVUfalsehttp://www.ktvu.com/news/7-bay-area-bridges-to-go-cashless-eliminating-toll-takers-jobsfalsefalse%> says the MTC is hoping the $4 million upgrade will speed up traffic flow and save money on operations on the following bridges: Carquinez, Antioch, Benicia, Richmond-San Rafael, San Francisco-Oakland Bay, San Mateo and Dumbarton.

For drivers without a FasTrak system, cameras will capture the number plates of their vehicles and a bill will be sent in the post.

John Goodwin of the MTC says: “We are going to have a model where all the bridges function kind of like the far left-hand side of the Benicia-Martinez bridge where you can zip through at highway speeds. You don't have to slow down to squeeze through a toll booth. Toll booths will be removed.”

The project does not include the Golden Gate Bridge, which has been using electronic tolling since 2013.

According to the <%$Linker:2External<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary />000link-external San Francisco Examinerfalsehttps://www.sfexaminer.com/news/no-more-digging-for-change-plan-to-make-bay-area-bridge-tolls-all-electronic-approved/falsefalse%>, 6666 WSP USA is overseeing the conversion to electronic tolling in collaboration with Fagan Consulting.