Ribbon cutting, speeches highlight milestone for Brentwood section including bridge over creek

Bike lanes will have bridges

By Allen D. Payton

The City of Brentwood hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Sand Creek Road Extension, on a cold Tuesday morning, January 28, 2025, in anticipation of the road being open to the public in the coming weeks. This milestone project marks a major step forward in enhancing connectivity, reducing traffic congestion, and fostering economic growth at the Brentwood Innovation Center and the region overall. Due to limited parking at the event site and the road not being open to the public at this time, the ceremony will be an invitation-only event.

The ribbon cutting was held less than 18 months after the project’s groundbreaking ceremony on August 8, 2023.

“We’ll open it as soon as we can…once we get the traffic signal activated,” said City Manager Tim Ogden. “The City will release a public update on its website once the road is open and we hope everybody enjoys driving it.”

A variety of current and former officials attended the ceremony, including Brentwood Mayor Susannah Meyer, Vice Mayor Pa’tanisha Pierson, Councilman Tony Oerlemans and Councilwomen Jovita Mendoza and Faye Maloney, former Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant and Antioch Mayor Ron Bernal. In addition, representatives from the offices of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier and Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis were attended the event. Ogden thanked a variety of key as well as City of Brentwood staff members who were instrumental in getting the project completed, including Director of Engineering Allen Baquilar.

The Sand Creek Road Extension, an approximate $13 million infrastructure investment, expands Sand Creek Road westward from Highway 4 to Heidorn Ranch Road, which serves as the boundary line between Brentwood and Antioch. This essential addition will provide a southern access to the City’s Innovation Center—home to a future 100+ acre Business Park and Town Center and the highly anticipated Costco on Heidorn Ranch Road near Lone Tree Plaza Drive. It also provides a more direct access from the east to Kaiser Hospital and Medical Center on Deer Valley Road in Antioch. By easing traffic on key routes such as Lone Tree Way, Balfour Road and Deer Valley Road, the project aims to enhance both safety and accessibility for residents of Brentwood and Antioch, and other visitors to the area.

“We’d like to thank the city council for their funding support of this project on the construction approvals,” Ogden stated. “Our regional partners and other agencies who were very involved in this project, including ECCRFFA, or the East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority who contributed $4.1 million towards the project. All of the other funds…have been paid for from development credits.”

“We also appreciate the City of Antioch and Tri Pointe Homes and Caltrans, who were very instrumental also in all the approvals, reviews and inspections,” he continued. “We worked extensively with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, particularly with this creek, here, so we could put the bridge over it, ensuring that the native wildlife and the creek were minimally affected during construction. So, we appreciate everyone following those protocols and protecting the wildlife.”

Ogden also thanked the contractors saying, “So, I want to recognize the joint venture of Good Fellows and Sequoia…for diligently working on this project. And lastly my city staff who are recognized for managing, overseeing and inspecting the project.”

Reading from prepared remarks, Brentwood Mayor Susannah Meyer expressed her enthusiasm for the project’s completion, stating, “This has been a long time coming. This is a very exciting day for Brentwood but also for Antioch and the entire region…This is going to be really good for connectivity. It’s going to provide final connection to our upcoming Innovation Center…Lone Tree Plaza and our new Costco.”

“Sorry, Antioch,” she added with a laugh. (The Costco store in Antioch will remain open).

“We are going to provide residents with an alternate route to Kaiser, too. This is one of the things we hear about a lot from residents,” Meyer stated. “We don’t have a hospital in town. But now we have much closer access to Kaiser. That’s going to be very helpful.”

“There’s no current timeline as far as completion of the last segment to connect with Deer Valley Road. But it will be a top priority once the development is approved in Antioch,” the mayor continued. “This is only the first phase of Sand Creek Road with the rest of it to be completed by the adjacent development when it does occur. An additional travel lane will be added in each direction and sidewalks on both sides and a traffic signal at the Bridal Gate Drive intersection.” That will be located on the Brentwood side.

“The Sand Creek Road Extension is a shining example of Brentwood’s dedication to building a thriving and connected community,” Meyer added. “This new roadway will provide residents and first responders with improved access between two major roadways – great for both convenience and safety. It’s projects like these that make Brentwood an exceptional place to live.”

Ogden emphasized the long-term vision behind the extension, adding, “This is more than just a road; it’s a vital connection that will pave the way for economic growth and innovation in Brentwood. Extending Sand Creek Road from Highway 4 to Heidorn Ranch Road has been a strategic effort to alleviate traffic on Lone Tree Way and support new opportunities within the Innovation Center. Costco’s arrival marks just the beginning of exciting opportunities ahead for our community.”

With this new extension, residents will benefit from reduced travel times and strengthened economic and community development. The City of Brentwood looks forward to celebrating this achievement with the community and continuing to prioritize projects that enhance quality of life.

Antioch Mayor Bernal spoke last before the officials cut the ribbon saying, “We want to be a good neighbor with Brentwood and our neighboring communities. So, seeing this open, seeing Costco, the different economic development opportunities that are opening for both of our communities.”

“Richland Communities over to the west of us, they’re going to be starting this year, I’m told, on their subdivision that’s going to build that final link between Sand Creek Road, where it terminates right now, and Deer Valley Road,” he stated. “So, that’s going to be able to get residents and folks over to Kaiser. Which is important, getting people off of Deer Valley Road. So, we’re excited about seeing that happen and we’ll keep people updated on that.”

“Mostly, I want to let everyone know Antioch is working towards becoming a community that’s safer and a better neighbor for Brentwood,” Bernal shared. “So, we’re excited for our neighbors, here and grateful to be part of this ceremony.”

The sidewalk is wider on the bridge than next to the other sections of the roadway. Asked about that, Ogden said, “They’re for bridges for bicyclists.”

The new roadway is anticipated to open to the public within the next few weeks once the traffic signals controlled by outside agencies at both ends of the project are activated to control traffic within the two expanded intersections. Sand Creek Road will eventually connect to Dallas Ranch Road in Antioch, on the west side of Deer Valley Road.

Darin Gale, Brentwood Assistant City Manager contributed to this report.

Contra Costa Health (CCH) announced Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, that it has received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for continued support of its Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program.

The program will promote safety among pedestrians and bicyclists and emphasize the drivers’ responsibility to look out for people using roads and paths. The grant program runs through September 2025.

Local data show an increase of nearly 30% in fatal crashes involving pedestrians over the past decade in Contra Costa County, and that pedestrians and bicyclists are 2.4 times more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a traffic crash compared to drivers. The OTS grant funds multiple efforts to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

“The safety of people walking and biking on our roads is a top priority for our office,” OTS Director Stephanie Dougherty said. “Everyone moves, and not always by car. It’s important that we invest in efforts to protect people walking, biking and rolling that helps establish a strong traffic safety culture where everyone on California roads can travel to and from places safely.”

Grant funds will support various activities focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety:
• Support for local jurisdictions to include public health principals in road safety plans and address the community conditions that create unsafe environments for non-motorized road users.
• Promote the CCH traffic safety campaign, “Slow Roads Save Lives.”
• Community bicycle and walk “audits” of streets with high rates of pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities and serious injury crashes.
• Bicycle training courses that teach youth skills to help them stay safe on the road.
• Community events that promote bicyclist and pedestrian visibility and the importance of sharing the road, slowing down, and staying alert to bicyclists and pedestrians while driving.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Be entered to win a $100 gift card

By Mike Blasky, CCTA Communications

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is inviting residents to provide feedback on the future of transportation in the county through the Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) survey. This plan will guide improvements for roads, public transit, bike lanes, pedestrian pathways, and more. Your input is vital to creating a safer, more connected, and sustainable transportation system for everyone.

Take the Survey Today: [Countywide Transportation Plan – Survey]

Don’t miss your chance to help shape the way Contra Costa moves—every voice matters!

Includes reckless driving & sideshow enforcement, electric bicycle safety, autonomous vehicles, retail theft, more

SACRAMENTO – As we head into the new year, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is highlighting the new public safety laws that were passed during this year’s legislative session and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Unless otherwise noted, the laws referenced below take effect on January 1, 2025.

Tools to Address Reckless Driving and Sideshows:

Vehicles: Speed Contests (AB 1978, Sanchez)

Assembly Bill 1978 permits storing a vehicle when an individual is arrested but not taken into custody for obstructing or placing a barricade a highway or off-street parking facility for purposes of aiding a speed contest or exhibition of speed.

Vehicles: Impoundment (AB 2186, Wallis)

Assembly Bill 2186 permits the arrest and custody of individuals engaged in an exhibition of speed in an off-street parking facility. It also permits the impounding of the individual’s vehicle for not more than 30 days.

Vehicles: Sideshows and Street Takeovers (AB 2807, Villapudua)

Assembly Bill 2807 defines a “sideshow” and a “street takeover” as the same type of event.

Vehicles: Removal and Impoundment (AB 3085, Gipson)

Assembly Bill 3085 provides authority to seize and impound a vehicle with a warrant when the vehicle was used in violation of a speed contest or exhibition of speed (including aiding or abetting). This bill also permits electronic service of the notices of impoundment and storage hearings. 

Emergency Alert Information Sharing:

Electronic Toll Collection Systems: Information Sharing: Law Enforcement (AB 2645, Lackey)

Assembly Bill 2645 allows transportation agencies operating electronic toll collection systems to share real-time license plate data with law enforcement during active emergency alerts, such as AMBER, Ebony, or Feather Alerts. This legislation eliminates the need for a search warrant in such situations, enabling quicker responses to locate suspect vehicles linked to emergencies, such as child abductions.

Electric Bicycle Safety:

Electric Bicycles, Powered Mobility Devices and Storage (SB 1271, Min)

Beginning January 1, 2026, SB 1271 focuses on improving the safety standards for electric bicycles (e-bikes), powered mobility devices, and related lithium-ion batteries. It requires these devices and their components, such as batteries and charging systems, to be tested by accredited laboratories to meet specific safety standards. The bill also mandates labeling these products to show compliance with safety regulations, ensuring consumers are informed. Furthermore, it prohibits distributing, selling, or leasing e-bikes and related equipment unless they meet these standards, aiming to reduce risks like fire hazards and electrical malfunctions. Beginning January 1, 2028, the bill would prohibit a person from renting or offering for rental an electric bicycle, powered mobility device, charging system, or storage battery unless it has been tested to the specified safety standard.

Vehicles: Electric Bicycles (AB 1774, Gipson)

Assembly Bill 1774 prohibits modifying an electric bicycle’s speed capability to an extent it no longer meets the definition of an electric bicycle.  Also, it prohibits selling a product or device that can modify the speed capability of an electric bicycle to an extent it no longer meets the definition of an electric bicycle.

Vehicles: Electric Bicycles (AB 1778, Connolly)

Assembly Bill 1778 authorizes a local authority within the County of Marin, or the County of Marin in unincorporated areas, to enact an ordinance or resolution prohibiting a person under 16 years of age from operating a class 2 electric bicycle or requiring a person operating a class 2 electric bicycle to wear a helmet.

Vehicles: Electric Bicycles (AB 2234, Boerner)

Assembly Bill 2234 establishes the San Diego Electric Bicycle Safety Program and authorizes a local authority within the County of San Diego, or the County of San Diego in unincorporated areas, to enact an ordinance or resolution prohibiting a person under 12 years of age from operating a class 1 or 2 electric bicycle.

Photo Enforced Speed Enforcement Pilot Program:

The City of Malibu’s Speed Safety System Pilot Program (SB 1297, Allen)

Senate Bill 1297 establishes a five-year Speed Safety System Pilot Program in the City of Malibu. The bill defines a ‘speed safety system’ as a fixed or mobile radar or laser system, or any other electronic device that utilizes automated equipment, to detect a violation of speed laws and obtains a clear photograph of a speeding vehicle’s license plate. The bill establishes mandates regarding policy, enforcement, implementation, public notification, and a system evaluation report.

Clean Air Vehicle Sticker Extension:

Vehicles: High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes (AB 2678, Wallis)

Assembly Bill 2678 permits vehicles with a Clean Air Vehicle decal to drive in High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes until January 1, 2027, if federal law permits.

Autonomous Vehicles:

Vehicle Equipment: Driver Monitoring Defeat Devices (SB 1313, Ashby)

Senate Bill 1313 prohibits using, possessing, or selling devices designed to interfere with driver monitoring systems in vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems or autonomous technology. These systems monitor driver alertness and help ensure safety when automated features are used. Violating this law is classified as an infraction. Exceptions are provided for manufacturers testing new technology, vehicle repairs, and updates compliant with safety standards or modifications for disability accommodations. This law aims to enhance road safety by preventing tampering with critical monitoring systems.  

Autonomous Vehicles Interactions with First Responders and Traffic Violation Notices – AB 1777 (Ting)

Upon the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) adoption of necessary regulations, AB 1777 creates new authority for a law enforcement officer to issue a “notice of autonomous vehicle (AV) noncompliance” to an AV manufacturer for an alleged traffic violation committed by one of their vehicles.  Beginning July 1, 2026, AB 1777 establishes additional requirements for how AVs that operate without a human operator in the vehicle interact with first responders, including a requirement for manufacturers to provide a two-way device in the vehicles to communicate with first responders.  

Pedestrian Safety Around Buses:

Transit buses: Yield Right-of-Way Sign (AB 1904, Ward)

Assembly Bill 1904 authorizes a transit agency to equip a transit bus with a “yield” right-of-way sign on the left rear of the bus.  The sign may be a static decal or a flashing light-emitting diode (LED).

License Plate Manipulation:

License Plates: Obstruction or Alteration (AB 2111, Wallis)

Assembly Bill 2111 prohibits any alteration of a license plate’s reflective coating to avoid detection from any entity, not just law enforcement.

Property Theft from a Vehicle:

Crimes: Theft from A Vehicle (SB 905, Wiener)

Senate Bill 905 creates the crime of Unlawful Entry of a Vehicle, which addresses unlawfully entering a vehicle with the intent to commit a theft or any felony. It also adds the crime of Automotive Property Theft for Resale, which addresses possessing stolen property obtained from a vehicle with the intent to sell or exchange the property for value. The property’s value must be over $950.00 and not for personal use. The value of property can be combined within two years of separate acts. 

Combating Retail Theft:

Crimes: Organized Theft (SB 982, Wahab)

Senate Bill 982 makes the crime of organized retail theft permanent and strengthens measures to address retail crime. The bill eliminates the expiration date for specific provisions targeting organized retail theft, ensuring long-term tools for law enforcement to combat this issue.

Crimes: Fires (SB 1242, Min)

Senate Bill 1242 amends Penal Code Section 452 regarding the unlawful setting of fires. It updates penalties and legal language to clarify offenses, including circumstances involving organized retail theft.

Sentencing Enhancements: Sale, Exchange, Or Return of Stolen Property (SB 1416 Newman)

Senate Bill 1416 focuses on combating organized retail theft by increasing penalties for those involved in the resale of stolen goods, often referred to as “fencing.” The bill, until January 1, 2030, creates sentencing enhancements for individuals who sell, exchange, or return stolen property for value, particularly when the property exceeds specific thresholds. Punishment increases from one year to four years based on a property value scale ranging from $50,000 to over $3 million.

Theft: Jurisdiction (AB 1779, Irwin)

Assembly Bill 1779 addresses the issue of organized retail theft by streamlining the prosecution process. Specifically, it allows district attorneys to consolidate charges for theft offenses committed across multiple counties into a single trial, provided all affected county district attorneys agree.

Crimes: Organized Theft (AB 1802, Jones-Sawyer)

Assembly Bill 1802 ensures that the crime of organized retail theft remains permanently defined in state law and extends the CHP’s Property Crimes Task Force indefinitely. This bill eliminates the “sunset” clause that would have otherwise allowed the statute and the task force to expire.

Regional Property Crimes Task Force (AB 1972, Alanis)

Assembly Bill 1972 expands the scope of the CHP’s Regional Property Crimes Task Force to include cargo theft as a property crime for consideration and requires the task force to provide logistical and law enforcement support for railroad police.

This bill emphasizes cargo theft as a specific priority and aims to strengthen resources for law enforcement agencies to combat these issues. As an urgency statute, AB 1972 went into effect immediately upon its passage in August 2024 to address these concerns promptly.

Crimes: Shoplifting (AB 2943, Zbur)

Assembly Bill 2943, also called the “California Retail Theft Reduction Act,” strengthens measures to combat organized retail theft by creating a specific crime for serial retail theft, allowing the aggregation of property value for thefts committed within 90 days to qualify as grand theft. It empowers law enforcement to make arrests using video evidence or sworn statements, shields businesses from lawsuits for reporting crimes and promotes rehabilitation through diversion programs for minor offenders. The bill aims to dismantle theft rings while balancing public safety and criminal justice reforms.

Crimes: Theft: Retail Theft Restraining Orders (AB 3209, Berman)

Assembly Bill 3209 creates a retail crime restraining order.  A court may issue a restraining order when sentencing an individual for specific retail theft-related crimes, including vandalism of a retail store and assaulting a retail store employee.  The restraining order prohibits the individual from entering or being on the grounds of the establishment and may include parking lots adjacent to and used by the establishment.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

Last of three voter-approved increases takes effect Jan. 1st; failed in Contra Costa

BATA board also voted last week to increase tolls to $11.50 by 2030 for bridge maintenance and repairs

By John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications & Rebecca Long, Director, Legislation & Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) reminds drivers that tolls at the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges will go up by $1 next Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. This will be the third of the three $1 toll increases approved by the California Legislature in 2017 through state Senate Bill 595 and by voters through Regional Measure 3 (RM3) in June 2018 which passed by 55.07% to 44.93%. The first of these toll hikes went into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, and the second on Jan. 1, 2022. It funds $4.45 billion slate of highway and transit improvements but did not include bridge maintenance and repairs.

Regular tolls for two-axle cars and trucks (as well as for motorcycles) at the Antioch, San Francisco-Oakland Bay, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges will rise to $8 from the current $7 on Jan. 1, 2025.

Tolls for vehicles with three or more axles also will rise by $1 on Jan. 1, 2025, at all seven of the state-owned toll bridges: to $18 for three axles, $23 for four-axles, $28 for five axles, $33 for six axles, and $38 for combinations with seven or more axles.

Contra Costa Voters Opposed Ballot Measure

According to Ballotpedia, RM3 raised bridge tolls in the Bay Area—excluding tolls for the Golden Gate Bridge—by $3 over six years to fund the Bay Area Traffic Relief Plan, including a $4.5 billion slate of transportation projects. It was on the ballot for voters in the city and county of San Francisco and the following counties: Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma.

Voters in two of the counties most affected by the bridge tolls rejected RM3. The vote in Contra Costa County was 44.54% opposed to 55.465 in favor and Solano County voters overwhelmingly opposed it 30.03% to 69.97%. But voters in the other seven counties approved the measure. Alameda County where voters and commuters are also most affected by bridge toll increases passed RM3 by 53.89% to 46.11% The vote margin was closest in Napa County, where voters approved the measure 50.7 percent to 49.3 percent.

Regional Measure 3 continues the peak-period toll discount for motorcycles, qualifying carpools and qualifying clean-air vehicles crossing any of the state-owned toll bridges on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The discounted toll will rise to $4 on Jan. 1 from the current $3.50. To qualify for this discount, carpoolers, motorcyclists and drivers of clean-air vehicles must use FasTrak^® to pay their tolls electronically and must use a designated carpool lane at each toll plaza.

Senate Bill 595 and Regional Measure 3 also established a 50-cent toll discount for two-axle vehicles crossing more than one of the state-owned toll bridges during weekday commute hours of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. To be eligible for the toll discount, which is to be applied to the second toll crossing of the day, motorists must pay their tolls electronically with FasTrak^®. Carpools, motorcycles and qualifying clean-air vehicles making a second peak-period toll crossing in a single day will qualify for an additional 25-cent discount off the already-discounted carpool toll. 

New FasTrak^® customers can obtain toll tags at Costco warehouse stores and select Walgreens stores around Northern California. A complete list of participating locations — as well as an online enrollment and registration feature — is available on the FasTrak^® Web site at bayareafastrak.org. Customers also may enroll in the FasTrak^® program by phone at 1-877-229-8655; by calling 511 and asking for “FasTrak” at the first prompt; or in person at the FasTrak^® customer service center at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco. FasTrak^® can be used in all lanes at all Bay Area toll plazas. 

Major projects in the Regional Measure 3 expenditure plan include improvements to State Route 37 in the North Bay, freeway interchange improvements in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties, the purchase of more new BART cars, extension of the BART system from Berryessa to downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, extension of the Caltrain corridor to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco, expansion of Muni’s transit vehicle fleet, expansion of San Francisco Bay Ferry service and more frequent transbay bus service, an improved connection between northbound U.S. 101 and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in Marin County, upgrades to the Dumbarton Bridge corridor, and extension of the SMART rail system to Windsor and Healdsburg in Sonoma County.

In Addition to Recently Approved Toll Hikes Beginning Jan. 1, 2026

The Regional Measure 3 toll hike that takes effect next week is separate from the 50 cents per year toll hikes approved by BATA earlier this month, which will be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the seven state-owned toll bridges. It will increase tolls by 2030 to $11.50 for those who don’t use FasTrak and $10.50 for those who do. BATA this month also approved updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the state-owned bridges, which will similarly go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. (See related article)

BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), administers toll revenues from the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Toll revenues from the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which joined with BATA to operate a single regional FasTrak^® customer service center in San Francisco. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

For $2 billion in maintenance, preservation and operation of Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges.

Contra Costa’s representatives voted in favor of 50-cent annual increases beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

By Allen D. Payton

After extending the period for public input, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Board of Directors voted 15-0-1 to approve toll increases and other toll policy changes for the Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Tolls will increase to as much as $11.50 by 2030.

According to BATA spokesman John Goodwin, the vote passed “by all 16 members present save one abstention from a brand-new commissioner, Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy-Ashcraft, who represents the cities of Alameda County.”

The board consists of 21 members, with 18 voting members, he shared. Pleasant Hill Mayor Sue Noack, who represents the cities of Contra Costa, and Contra Costa District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover, who represents the County, both voted in favor of the toll increases.

A phased toll increase starting in 2026 is proposed to fund the Toll Bridge Capital Improvement Plan, which includes almost $2 billion of investment which will be used exclusively for the maintenance, preservation and operation of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Richmond-San Rafael, Carquinez, Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges.

The Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges are structurally sound and in good repair. State law requires BATA — working in partnership with Caltrans — to keep them that way.

The toll increases are separate from the $3 increase approved by Bay Area voters in 2018 through Regional Measure 3 to finance a comprehensive suite of highway and transit improvements around the region. The first of the three $1 Regional Measure 3 increases went into effect in 2019, followed by another in 2022. The last of the RM 3 toll hikes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, bringing the toll for regular two-axle cars and trucks to $8.

Summary of the 2026 Toll Increase

Toll rates include the last voter-approved Regional Measure 3 (RM 3) toll increase that goes into effect January 1, 2025.

To encourage electronic toll payment with FasTrak® tags, tolls and help recoup the increased costs of collecting tolls via pre-registered license plate accounts or invoices, on Jan. 1, 2027 will also rise by 25 cents for customers who pay with a pre-registered license plate account and on January 1, 2027, will rise by $1 for tolls paid by invoice.

Toll Increase: Two-Axle Vehicle Toll

The toll rate update includes an increase of 50 cents a year from 2026 through 2030 for two-axle vehicles. This phased-in approach is similar to the Golden Gate Bridge’s recent multi-year update to its toll schedule.

*HOV rate is 50% of two-axle FasTrak rate.

Toll Increase: Three-Axle or More Vehicle Toll

Tolls for multi-axle vehicles also will rise by 50 cents per axle per year from 2026 through 2030.

Multi-axle differential pricing:

• Invoices: +$1.00 per transaction starting January 1, 2027
• License plate account: + $0.25 per transaction starting January 1, 2027

A Precedent for Tiered Pricing

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District has used a tiered pricing schedule at the Golden Gate Bridge since 2014.

Golden Gate Bridge tolls by July 2028 will range from $11.25 for FasTrak to $11.50 for license plate accounts to $12.25 for invoice customers.

Summary of the Changes to High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Policies

BATA is also making changes to HOV policies. To provide regional consistency and to support the future deployment of open-road tolling at the state-owned bridges, the changes will establish a uniform three-person occupancy requirement for the discounted toll during weekday commute periods at all seven bridges. It will also allow vehicles with two occupants to use the carpool lanes on the approaches to all bridges except the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. These two-occupant vehicles will not receive the discounted toll but will be able to use the carpool lanes to save time traveling through the toll plazas. 

BATA’s existing toll schedule allows vehicles with three or more occupants (HOV 3+) a discounted toll (half-price), with a two-person (HOV 2+) occupancy requirement for the discounted tolls at the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. To provide regional consistency and to support the future deployment of open-road tolling at the state-owned bridges, the new policy will establish a uniform three-person occupancy requirement for the discounted toll during weekday commute periods at all seven bridges. The discounted toll rate is available weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. 

The policy changes will also allow vehicles with two occupants to use the carpool lanes on the approaches to the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. These two-occupant vehicles will not receive the discounted toll but will be able to use the carpool lanes to save time traveling through the toll plazas. There will be no change at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, where volumes of vehicles with three or more occupants are much higher than those at other bridges. Use of the carpool lanes on approaches to the Bay Bridge will still require a minimum of three occupants. 

In addition to establishing region-wide consistency for the carpool toll discount, the policy changes are designed to: 

• Improve safety on the toll bridge approaches by minimizing “weaving” between lanes. 
• Optimize lane configurations as now-obsolete toll booths are removed as part of the bridges’ transition to open-road tolling. 
• Increase person-throughput by prioritizing access for buses and carpools. 

See 2026 Toll Increase Proposal Fact Sheet.

Read more about the BATA toll increases, here.

See BATA Board meeting agenda items 24-1571 through 24-1575. Watch meeting video.

While working to increase ridership currently averaging on weekdays about 40% of pre-COVID figures

By Bay Area Rapid Transit District

As BART strives to increase ridership, which is averaging about 40% of weekday pre-COVID figures, BART fares will increase January 1, 2025, to keep pace with inflation so that the agency is able to pay for continued operations and to work toward restoring financial stability. BART’s current funding model relies on passenger fares to pay for operations. 

Fares will increase 5.5 percent on New Year’s Day. The increase is tied to the rate of inflation minus a half-percentage point. It’s the second such increase – the first took effect January 1, 2024.

The average fare will increase 25 cents, from $4.47 to $4.72. BART’s fare calculator and Trip Planner have been updated with the new fares for trips with the date 1/1/25 and beyond. Riders can learn how the increase will affect their travels by entering a 2025 date for their trip.

“We understand that price increases are never welcome, but BART fares remain a vital source of funds even with ridership lower than they were before the pandemic,” said BART Board Vice President Mark Foley. “My Board colleagues and I voted in June 2023 to spread necessary fare increases over two years rather than catching up all at once. At the same time, we voted to increase the Clipper START means-based discount from 20 percent to 50 percent to help those most in need.”

The fare increase is expected to raise about $14 million per year for operations. Combined with the previous year’s fare adjustment, BART will use this $30 million per year to fund train service, enhanced cleaning, additional police and unarmed safety staff presence, and capital projects such as the Next Generation Fare Gates project. 

Discounts available for those who are eligible

The regional Clipper START program is an important resource for low-income riders of BART and other Bay Area transit systems. The program is for adult riders with a household income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less. Administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, program participants receive a personalized Clipper card that cuts half the cost of fares on more than 20 transit systems.

• Limited income riders get 50% off with Clipper START.
• Youth 5-18 years old get 50% off with a Youth Clipper card. 
• Seniors 65 and over get 62.5% off with a Senior Clipper card. 
• The RTC Clipper card is a version of Clipper created for passengers under 65 with qualifying disabilities to provide 62.5% off.  

Regular, predictable increases a long-term strategy 

January’s fare increase is the latest adjustment in a strategy to provide BART funding while providing riders predictable, scaled changes to the costs of riding. In 2004, BART first implemented this inflation-based fare increase program that calls for small, regular, less-than-inflation increases every two years, allowing fares to keep up with the cost of providing reliable and safe service. 

BART is also much less expensive than driving on a cost per mile basis. The Internal Revenue Service standard mileage rate for driver is 67 cents per mile; BART riders pay an average of 27 cents per mile, 60% less than the cost of driving.

Outdated funding model

BART’s current funding model relies on passenger fares to pay for operations. Even with the fare increase, BART is facing a $35 million operating deficit in FY26 and $385 million in FY27. Since BART’s outdated model of relying on passenger fares to pay most operating costs is no longer feasible because of remote work, the agency must modernize its funding sources to better match other transit systems throughout the country that receive larger amounts of public funding. BART needs a more reliable long-term source of operating funding and continues to advocate at the federal, state, and regional levels for the permanent funding needed to sustainably provide the quality transit service the Bay Area needs.  

Addressing BART’s ongoing financial crisis will take a variety of solutions including securing new revenue and continuing to find internal cost savings. BART costs have grown at a rate lower than inflation, showing we have held the line on spending. We have implemented a service schedule that better matches ridership, and we are running shorter trains, reducing traction power consumption and maintenance costs.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Marc Joffe

As if the $1 toll hike on January 1, 2025, is not enough, commissioners at the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) plan to approve a series of five fifty cent increases starting in 2026. By 2030, tolls on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges will reach $10.50 for FasTrak users and $11.50 for drivers paying by invoice. Included in the increase are these four bridges with landings in Contra Costa County:

• Antioch (Senator John A. Nejedly) Bridge
• Benicia-Martinez (George Miller) Bridge
• Carquinez Bridge
• Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Aside from toll hikes, motorists are facing a gasoline price increase arising from the California Air Resources Board’s recent imposition of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. According to a research center at the University of Pennsylvania, LCFS could cost drivers up to 85 cents extra per gallon. And this is on top of California’s highly elevated fuel prices, driven by taxes that rise annually under SB1 (2018).

Despite increasing maintenance costs, the Bay Area bridges are quite profitable. BATA expects total revenue of $1.058 billion this year. The costs of operating the bridges, running FasTrak, and paying debt service are projected to total just $757 million, leaving $300 million to spare.

As BATA admits in its own FAQ on the toll increase, $3.00 of the current $7.00 toll is already being siphoned off for purposes other than bridge operations, maintenance, and seismic safety (this will increase to $4.00 of $8.00 on January 1). For example, almost $6 million is diverted annually to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority to operate its empty bus terminal and to pursue its hopeless plan to bring high-speed rail trains into the Salesforce Transit Center. Bridge toll money is also being used to subsidize Bay Area ferries, SF Muni, AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, and the NAPA Vine bus service.

The toll hike on the Antioch Bridge is especially egregious. BATA is charging the same tolls on all its bridges despite their vastly different lengths. The Bay Bridge is 8.4 miles long while the Antioch Bridge is just 1.8 miles long. Also, unlike all other Bay Area bridges, the Antioch Bridge has just one lane in each direction.

And then there is the question of income. While many Bay Area drivers are wealthy enough to easily absorb the toll hike, that is less true of people living near the Antioch Bridge. According to Census Reporter, Antioch’s per capita income is only 56 percent of the average for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro region. Rio Vista, the first sizable community on the north side of the bridge, clocks in at just 67 percent of the metro area’s income per person.

At minimum, BATA should exempt the Antioch Bridge from its planned toll hikes. But better yet, the Authority should shelve its entire toll increase plan, stop siphoning off toll money for other purposes, and live within its means.

Marc Joffe is President of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.