Big-rig drivers will soon be paying more to cross San Francisco Bay Area bridges, as the second phase of a two-phase toll increase targeting multi-axle vehicles goes into effect on July 1.
Tolls for vehicles or trucks with three or more axles will be charged $5 per axle for most Bay Area bridges, and $6 per axle for the Golden Gate Bridge (FasTrak customers on the Golden Gate will be charged $5 per axle).
The toll increases were approved to help offset the increase cost of debt in the depressed economy and to counter revenue losses caused by a drop in motorists crossing the bridges, as well as to pay for seismic retrofits of the Antioch and Dumbarton bridges, according to a report in the Times-Herald.
Toll hikes went into effect in July 2010. Implementation of the tolls on commercial vehicles was delayed and introduced in stages to help trucking companies to incorporate the cost of higher tolls in contracts with shippers, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
