Toll Authority Approves 2026 Toll Hike, Carpool Policy Changes

The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) today approved a toll increase for the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges that will be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. The Authority at its December meeting today 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. 

BATA is required by state law to fund projects to preserve and protect the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. The newly approved toll hike is 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 toll 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.

Tolls for all regular two-axle cars and trucks will increase to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2026. Tolls for customers who pay with FasTrak tags will then rise to $9 in 2027; to $9.50 in 2028; to $10 in 2029; and then to $10.50 in 2030. Tolls for customers who use a pre-registered license plate account will rise to $9.25 in 2027; to $9.75 in 2028; to $10.25 in 2029 and to $10.75 in 2030. Tolls for customers who return payment with an invoice received by mail will rise to $10 in 2027; $10.50 in 2028; $11 in 2029; and $11.50 in 2030.

Carpool policy updates approved by BATA today include establishment of a uniform three-person occupancy requirement for half-price tolls during weekday commute periods at all seven bridges. Carpool vehicles at all state-owned bridges must use a dedicated carpool lane and pay their tolls with FasTrak to receive the 50 percent discount available weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The carpool policy changes also will allow vehicles with two occupants and a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the ‘2’ position 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 50 percent carpool discount but will be able to use the carpool lanes to save time traveling through the toll plazas. Use of the carpool lanes on approaches to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will continue to require a minimum of three occupants.

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.