Express lane tolls on some Bay Area highways to resume as traffic increases, MTC announces

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tolls will resume on express lanes in the Bay Area next week as traffic volumes have increased amid the easing of restrictions in the region's shelter-in-place orders related to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission announced Wednesday.

Beginning at 5 a.m. Monday, express lanes on Interstate Highway 580 in Alameda County, Interstate Highway 680 in Contra Costa County, state Highway 237 in Santa Clara County and southbound Highway 680 over the Sunol grade in Alameda and Santa Clara counties will resume weekday tolling that has been suspended since March 20.

According to the MTC, weekday traffic in most Bay Area highway corridors is now at least 60 percent as high as the levels reported during the same period last year.

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FasTrak responders are necessary to use for drivers on most of the express lanes, although carpoolers and motorcyclists can still use the southbound Highway 680 without a FasTrak device.

All vehicles using the I-580 Express Lanes, the State Route 237 Express Lanes and the 680 Contra Costa Express Lanes during weekday operating hours must be equipped with a FasTrak toll tag or an adjustable FasTrak Flex tag.

Between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., signs over the lanes will display toll rates, which can rise or fall depending on the level of congestion on the highway.

ABC7 News contributed to this report.

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