Bay Area inches closer to higher bridge tolls

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Bay Area moved one step closer to paying higher bridge tolls Wednesday.

RELATED: Would you pay $9 to cross the Bay Bridge?

ABC7 News was in San Francisco when a committee of the Bay Area Toll Oversight Authority approved increasing tolls on bridges by Caltrans.

Another vote later this month could put the proposal on the June ballot.

Backers plan to use the money to fund transit and highway projects across all nine Bay Area Counties.

RELATED: As traffic increases, lawmakers call for possible new bridge to help Bay Area traffic

"If voters approve the measure, that allows us to begin selling bonds to finance these projects right away," said John Goodwin of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

If approved, tolls would increase by $1 next year, then twice more in 2022 and finally in 2025.

RELATED: Bay Area commuters may have to pay up to ease traffic congestion

So the rush hour toll at the Bay Bridge eventually would be $9.

Money from higher tolls would help BART buy hundreds of railcars to keep up with increasing ridership.

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