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Tolls will be charged on the new I-580 Toll/Express lane in the westbound direction starting at 5 a.m. Monday, following the beginning of tolls Friday on two eastbound lanes.
This will mark the completing of the $55 million project designed to ease traffic congestion on the busy freeway.
The new lanes through the Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore corridor will give carpool drivers a chance to skirt heavy commute-hour traffic and, for solo drivers, the same opportunity for a fee.
The new lanes will feature “near-continuous” access so drivers can enter and exit at almost any point instead of waiting for dedicated entry and exit zones.
The lanes will be free for carpools, van-pools, clean-air vehicles, buses and motorcycles who use a new version of the FasTrak transponder, called a FasTrak Flex toll tag, and set the transponder to 2 or 3+. That will send a signal to overhead monitors not to charge that vehicle.
Solo drivers can also use the toll lanes, using their current FasTrack transponders or by setting the new ones to 1. They will be charged at the solo driver rate, which totals up to $9 for the full length in the eastbound direction and up to $13 in the westbound direction.
The new FasTrak Flex toll tags can be purchased at Costco, Safeway or Walgreens stores or online at www.bayareafastrak.org/
Operated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission and enforced by the California Highway Patrol, the express lanes feature two eastbound lanes and one westbound express lane through the Tri-Valley corridor between San Ramon Road/Foothill Road and Greenville Road. They will operate Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Drivers may enter or exit the express lanes anywhere there is “skip striping” but must not cross the portions of the express lanes where there are double white lines.
Drivers in the westbound express lane will need to exit the toll lane before Hacienda in order to access I-680.
A period of adjustment and associated delays are expected as drivers familiarize themselves with the new lanes. Ongoing testing is anticipated during the first weeks of operation. Speeds are expected to normalize as drivers adjust to the lanes.
“We understand that it might take time for drivers to become accustomed to the new lanes,” said Art Dao, executive director of the ACTC.
He added, “We are working on making this new facility operate as smoothly as possible and will make adjustments along the way to address real-time traffic conditions to make the corridor move more efficiently.”
I drive east to Stockton two times each week between 0830 and 0930 hours.
There is never a bottle neck or traffic congestion at this time of the day going east.
The bottle neck and traffic congestion is always west bound, often well after 1000 hours each morning.
Why not open the west bound lanes first to trouble shoot the problems?
Problems? What problems? The memo from the Alameda County Transportation Commission stated that the only problems they can foresee are “uneducated” drivers. Much like the memo they put out for the i680 Express Lane, which said it would take one month for drivers to adjust. Then it was two months, then three months. Well its been over five years and I guess all us drivers all still uneducated.
I wish this article would have listed the associated costs for the solo driver or where to find.
UNDER THE HEADLINE IS THIS SENTENCE
“$55 million project designed to ease congestion on heavily-traveled freeway”
What I want to know is why do they call it a “Freeway”?
You’re not gonna like it Charlie Brown, but the reason why they call freeways freeways is because they are free of signals and intersections.
That will be 5 cents.
By the way, I too wish that they didn’t charge for it. But they do, so that they can let a little more traffic in without adding more normal lanes and encouraging even more growth in Tracy, etc., than the freeways can handle. Can’t say that this is going to make a difference, though.
All lanes are open! Both directions:)
I am wondering — can someone tell me if my Fasttrack I use to cross bridges will work?
Hi Wondering: Your fastrack works on ALL bayarea bridges as well as down south in LA area. Just need to get a new one (Flex) for 580 HOV lane use or access.
Hi Others: WHo paid for the HOV lanes to be built? Was it a bond measure? If we funded it, why should should we be taxed again for using the new lanes? This is double taxation.
Koliphornya, the liberal socialist land of “Taxways” that get you nowhere fast!!
To Nancy:
Solo drivers can also use the toll lanes, using their current FasTrack transponders or by setting the new ones to 1. They will be charged at the solo driver rate, which totals up to $9 for the full length in the eastbound direction and up to $13 in the westbound direction.
To Citizen (Koliphornya):
Have you ever considered moving outside of CA??? Maybe it’s time.
Our taxes paid for these roads – and all of us should just get in them and drive. Why should the wealthier get that privilege when all of our tax dollars provided the tax money to fund such. Improvements to the auto grid should be shared by all who paid into it. Not just the wealthy who find the surcharge to be negligible. Just remember many of our govt employees and leaders are over paid in salary and pension and under performing in almost every regard to other states. I KNOW THIS FROM OUR TRAVELING.
Bob12,
Is this separation of the classes?
The haves, verses the have not’s.
No matter, we all pay the same taxes.
Move to the back of the bus!
Very dangerous and poorly designed stretch of highway. Cars cut in and out. Was driving it this afternoon just as a fatality happened there on a motorcycle.
Bob12,
“Why should the wealthier get that privilege when all of our tax dollars provided the tax money to fund such.”
Because the Democrats in California want you to be punished. They want you to pay more for driving that stinky, polluting vehicle that you rely on to drive to work. Ironically they need you to drive so that you can go to work and pay more taxes which they will then use in other ways to extract even more money from you.
If you’re a Democrat complaining about taxes and fees, the real question you should be asking yourself is:
“Why are I a Democrat?”
Edit to my post above:
“Why AM I a Democrat?”
ugh!