A rendering of what the new toll plaza will look like on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Construction is set to begin in January. The technology will eventually be rolled out to all of the state-owned bridges in the Bay Area. Courtesy of Kimley Horn and Associates

The price motorists will pay to cross state-owned bridges in the Bay Area will go up by 50 cents as 2026 dawns, but supposedly you’ll be able to get where you’re going faster, transportation officials said, thanks to new toll collection systems that are being installed. The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is first in line for the upgrade.

The 50-cent toll hikes will take effect on Thur., Jan. 1, on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the Bay Bridge, the Carquinez Bridge, the Benicia Bridge, the Antioch Bridge, the San Mateo Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge.

The toll for two-axle cars and trucks on state bridges that use the FasTrak system will increase from the current $8 to $8.50. There will also be annual 50-cent toll increases every New Year’s Day until 2030. On the final increase, the toll for cars and trucks will be $10. (The Golden Gate Bridge is not state-owned, so its separate 50-cent toll increase went into effect in July.)

The extra money is being used for maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the seven Bay Area bridges.

Richmond bridge is first to get technology upgrade

Transportation officials hope to relieve congestion on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge by installing technology that collects tolls at freeway speeds. Credit: Maurice Tierney for Richmondside

There’s a potential bright side ahead though, as the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is the first in the Bay Area to get a new toll collection system, known as Open Road Tolling (ORT), according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

ORT can read FasTrak® toll tags at highway speeds, the MTC said in a post on its website.

The old equipment, which hasn’t been used since 2020, will be replaced by overhead structures, and lanes will be re-striped. It’s expected the project will reduce congestion and improve safety.

Drivers should expect some delays and possible closures, mainly overnight, when the bulk of the work takes place starting in January, depending on the weather. Visit the Caltrans District 4 website for construction updates.

Related stories

Kari Hulac is the Editor-in-Chief of Richmondside.

What I cover: As Editor-in-Chief, I oversee all Richmondside's journalism.

My background: A Bay Area resident for most of my life, and an East Bay reporter and editor for 13 years, I have worn many hats in a journalism career spanning more than 20 years. I held several editorial leadership positions at the Bay Area News Group between 1997 and 2010, including editor of The (Hayward) Daily Review and features editor of The Oakland Tribune. I was a senior editor based in the East Bay at local online news network Patch, and a fill-in breaking news editor at Bay City News.

David Mills writes feature articles for Richmondside, as well as its weekly What's Up column of things to do and know in and around Richmond.

A longtime Bay Area journalist, David most recently worked for Healthline, an information resource on physical and mental health.

Join the Conversation

2 Comments

  1. I think the technology upgrade is great.

    We already spend a lot of time on the road, especially the home service trades, plumbers, electricians, appliance repair technicians, delivery services, freight carriers, etc. who can all lose a good chunk of their workday if then can’t move at decent speeds between customers.

    So the less time spent in traffic jams, the less economic drag a region will suffer.

    Reply

  2. Awesome! Now we just need to figure out the red tape in reopening the third lane to motorists full time.

    Reply
Leave a comment
Richmondside welcomes thoughtful and relevant discussion on this content. Please review our comments policy before posting a comment. Thanks!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *