Bay Area bridge tolls increase today, January 1, 2026. With more to come.
San Francisco Chronicle
Bridge tolls will rise by 50 cents, from $8 to 8.50. The following year a tiered tolling system will take effect, with the rate rising to $9 for people with FasTrak tags, and $10 for those who simply pass through and receive an invoice in the mail.
By 2030 tolls will increase to $10.50 for drivers with FasTrak, $10.75 for people with a pre-registered license plate account, and $11.50 for everyone else.
The seven state-owned spans affected are the Bay Bridge, San Mateo Bridge, Dumbarton Bridge, Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Carquinez Bridge, Benicia-Martinez Bridge and Antioch Bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge, which is owned and operated by an independent district, has already raised its tolls to $9.75 to $10.75, depending on how the toll is paid. The district plans to raise tolls to $11.25 to $12.25 by 2028.
LINK (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/bridge-tolls-rising-21216954.php
Why? Maintenance costs, according to the link. The Bay Bridge alone: coats of paint on her peeling towers, new fenders at the base of each pier, cables turned inside out for inspection.
Meanwhile, the Chronicle is also reporting that BART and MUNI (SF) face budget crises of around $400 million and $307 million, respectively. In November, voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara will be asked to increase sales taxes to help defer deep cuts in service.
San Francisco residents will also weigh a parcel tax specifically for Muni.
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