"Your weekday commute is about to get a whole lot better!" the 101 Express Lanes Twitter account wrote last week. Carpools, vanpools and motorcycles must have a FasTrak Flex toll tag (set in the proper position) to travel toll free or at a discount. The opening last week marks the second of a two-phase project that began in February 2022, when a paid express lane opened between Redwood City and Palo Alto. "The Express Lanes were designed to maintain speeds of 45 miles per hour or greater, resulting in reduced and more reliable travel times," CalTrans says on its site, adding that the project aims to reduce traffic congestion and encourage carpooling. When a vehicle goes by a gantry that reads the transponder, there’s a light that illuminates that this person is saying they are single or a carpool.”Ī map shared by CalTrans shows the new 22-mile stretch of Express Lanes on Highway 101 in San Mateo County. “To use an express lane in the Bay Area, you have to have a transponder so you can self declare that you’re a carpool. E-ZPass lanes move more people by providing a designated lane that is free for buses, motorcycles, and vehicles with two or more people including children and infants (HOV 2+). “Express lanes rely on a combination of good faith on the part of motorists and the California Highway Patrol to enforce it,” said Rebecca Long, director of public affairs for MTC. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission told SFGATE last year that one in five drivers violate the toll system. (FasTrak Flex tags have a switch on the back for a motorist to select one, two or three vehicle occupants.) And if a motorist is driving solo in the lane with their FasTrak Flex set at two or more riders, they can expect a $491 carpool violation fine. That penalty starts at $10, plus the toll fee, for those entering the lanes without a working FasTrak tag. Metro ExpressLanes will begin testing the system along the I-10 and I-110 ExpressLanes starting June 1, 2020. Outside of peak hours, all motorists can use the E-ZPass lanes. Solo drivers pay a fee when they choose to use E-ZPass during peak hours in Minnesota. One of the most important things to know about the new stretch of road is that any motorist entering the express lane without FasTrak will be fined. E-ZPass lanes move more people by providing a designated lane that is free for buses, motorcycles, and vehicles with two or more people including children and infants (HOV 2+). The charge will be applied to their bill.įor those carpooling with two people in the car, or those in a DMV-certified clean air vehicle, the cost is 50% of the current toll rate. Motorists traveling solo with a FasTrak tag can choose to take that price and enter the lane. That one-time charge - anywhere from 50 cents to $12, though typically between $1.50 and $3 during peak commute times - will be displayed on electronic signage above the lane. The cost to enter the express lane is constantly changing, depending on traffic.
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