All-electronic toll taking begins on Golden Gate Bridge
Starting Wednesday, drivers crossing the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco will encounter no human toll takers. The bridge has switched to an all-electronic system.
For those with FasTrak passes, nothing changes. For others, cameras will capture your license plate number, and you will have to pay up later.
Officials estimate that about 70% of vehicles crossing the bridge already use FasTrak accounts, which are good on all Bay Area bridges and express lanes. The toll for passenger cars is $5 for FasTrak holders, $6 for others.
FasTrak accounts can be opened online at www.bayareafastrak.org. Drivers can also open a license-plate account where each crossing is captured by a camera and charged to a credit card.
One-time crossings can be paid for 30 days in advance or 48 hours after, either by phone, online or in person.
If you do nothing, the cameras will still find you, snapping a photo of your license plate. An invoice will arrive in the mail.
If motorists did not take action yet to open a FasTrak Account or use the new Pay-By-Plate License Plate Account or One-Time Payment, DO NOT PANIC, DO NOT FRET, DO NOT STOP--YOU WILL GET A TOLL INVOICE (with no added fees) MAILED to the registered owner of the vehicle. - See more at: https://goldengate.org/tolls/readyforcutover.php#sthash.oiPvMmYY.dpuf
DO NOT PANIC, DO NOT FRET, DO NOT STOP--YOU WILL GET A TOLL INVOICE (with no added fees) MAILED to the registered owner of the vehicle. - See more at: https://goldengate.org/tolls/readyforcutover.php#sthash.oiPvMmYY.dpuf
A news release from the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District urges motorists not to stop at the toll plaza.
“DO NOT PANIC, DO NOT FRET, DO NOT STOP -- YOU WILL GET A TOLL INVOICE (with no added fees) MAILED to the registered owner of the vehicle,” the statement read.
Over half of the bridge’s 28 full-time toll collectors have retired or found other positions within the agency, according to another release. Toll collectors who are not reassigned will receive separation packages, the agency said.
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