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Press Room

July 29, 2010

Golden Gate Bridge Carpool Use Down Since New Toll Rate Went into Effect July 1, 2010

 

On July 1, 2010, the carpool toll on the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB) was increased from $0 to $3. During the transition period, Thursday, July 1 to Friday, July 16, 2010, cash was accepted as payment for the $3 carpool toll in lieu of carpoolers who did not yet have a valid FasTrak account and tag. Beginning Monday, July 19, 2010, only carpool customers with a valid FasTrak account and tag were eligible for the $3 carpool toll, and cash was no longer accepted.

The number of carpools crossing the GGB during carpool hours (5 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 6 pm, weekdays except seven observed holidays) is down by 68% for the period of July 1 to July 28, 2010. It is too early to say there that there is a trend and staff is undertaking a more extensive evaluation of what is occurring and will know more in several months. The possible reasons that the carpool crossing are down are multifaceted:

1. Summer traffic patterns are highly variable and summer vacation patterns are moving into July as more schools return to session by mid-August.
2. Carpoolers are typically daily commuters, many of whom take vacations in the summer while schools are out of session. For this reason, vacation season has a greater impact on carpools than on other types of traffic. Also, carpools are composed of students traveling to school. With school out of session, summer carpool numbers are typically lower than at other times of year.
3. Some people could be going through a FasTrak only lane and paying the full FasTrak toll ($5) instead of going through a staffed lane and paying the carpool toll ($3 FasTrak). Total traffic during the carpool hours is nearly the same as last year; we have not experienced a dip in overall traffic.
4. Some carpoolers may be very likely be shifting to transit. See 2nd chart below.

 

Summary of Carpool Traffic & Carpool Hour Traffic on Golden Gate Bridge

Date 2010	Total Carpools (am and pm commutes) 2010	Date 2009	Total Carpools (am and pm commutes) 2009	Change from 2009 to 2010	% change 2009 to 2010	Total Southbound Traffic during CARPOOL HOURS 2009	Total Southbound Traffic During CARPOOL HOURS 2010
Thursday, July 1	959	Thursday, July 2	1,978	-1069	-51.5%	20,481	20,369
Friday, July 2	1,058	Friday, July 3	2,624	-1566	-59.7%	13,411	17,421
Tuesday, July 6	762	Tuesday, July 7	1,949	-1187	-60.9%	22,138	21,226
Wednesday, July 7	862	Wednesday, July 8	1,914	-1052	-55.0%	21,471	21,492
Thursday, July 8	629	Thursday, July 9	2,093	-1464	-69.9%	22,334	19,716
Friday, July 9	702	Friday, July 10	2,085	-1383	-66.3%	20,115	20,636
Monday, July 12	630	Monday, July 13	2,016	-1386	-68.8%	21,471	21,120
Tuesday, July 13	656	Tuesday, July 14	1,987	-1331	-67.0%	22,381	21,582
Wednesday, July 14	652	Wednesday, July 15	1,955	-1303	-66.6%	22,156	21,670
Thursday, July 15	702	Thursday, July 16	2,075	-1373	-66.2%	22,196	21,995
Friday, July 16	673	Friday, July 17	2,104	-1431	-68.0%	20,824	20,245
Monday, July 19	545	Monday, July 20	2,001	-1466	-73.3%	21,590	21,812
Tuesday, July 20	566	Tuesday, July 21	2,082	-1516	-72.8%	22,088	22,009
Wednesday, July 21	533	Wednesday, July 22	2,001	-1468	-73.4%	21,958	21,343
Thursday, July 22	544	Thursday, July 23	2,093	-1549	-74.0%	22,254	21,358
Friday, July 23	498	Friday, July 24	2,258	-1760	-77.9%	20,556	19,333
Monday, July 26	558	Monday, July 27	2,151	-1593	-74.1%	21,991	21,224
Tuesday, July 27	531	Tuesday, July 28	2,230	-1699	-76.2%	22,443	21,138
Wednesday, July 28	584	Wednesday, July 29	2,030	-1446	-71.2%	22,150	21,744

To receive the carpool toll rate of $3, carpoolers must do ALL of the following:

• Have a FasTrak account in good standing and a valid FasTrak tag. The FasTrak tag must be mounted in the vehicle per instructions.
• GGB DOES NOT HAVE a dedicated CARPOOL roadway lane or tollbooth lane. Carpooler must stop at a staffed lane so that the toll collector may validate the vehicle as a carpool.
• NOT use a FasTrak ONLY toll lane (you will be assessed the full $5 FasTrak toll if you use a FasTrak ONLY toll lane).

 

To Open a FasTrak Account

• Call: (877) BAY-TOLL (1-877-229-8655)
• Online: www.bayareafastrak.org
• In Person: FasTrak Customer Service Center, 475 The Embarcadero (at Broadway); extended summer hours: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm, daily.
• In Person: Purchase a FasTrak tag at select Walgreens, Safeway, and Costco locations and register the tag online or over the phone.

 

Carpool Eligible Vehicles & Carpool Hours

Eligible Carpool Vehicles:

1. Vehicles with three or more persons
2. Motorcycles, as defined and designated by the California Dept. of Motor Vehicles, and includes three-wheeled motorcycles
3. Buses
4. Two-seat vehicles and vehicles with rear axle dual tires do not qualify as a carpool on the Golden Gate Bridge

Carpool Hours: 5 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 6 pm, weekdays except seven observed holidays – New Year's Day, Presidents' Day (third Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

 

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