Bay Area Express Lanes

Express Lanes 101: Everything You Need to Know

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Get FasTrak Flex to use the Bay Area Express Lanes!

Image of FasTrak Flex toll tag

All express lane drivers must have a FasTrak account. Carpools and eligible Clean Air Vehicles get free or discounted tolls with a properly set FasTrak Flex or FasTrak CAV toll tag in the vehicle. 

What You Need To Know

  • How Each Express Lane Works

    A few rules are lane-specific. Click to learn how to drive in each lane.

    Find Your Lane: 580680 Contra Costa, 680 Sunol880101, 237

     

    Diagram of how express lanes work
  • Free and Discounted Tolls

    See this at-a-glance view of each lane's toll discounts. Carpools and eligible Clean Air Vehicles get free or discounted tolls.

    Image of people in a carpool
  • Understanding Tolls

    The price to use the lane goes up or down every few minutes depending on traffic. This PDF explains how to read express lane pricing signs.

    View this video about understanding express lane tolls.

  • Getting In/Out

    Bay Area Express Lanes have sections where access into or out of the lane is restricted (separated with double white lines) and sections where it is unrestricted (separated with a dashed white line). 

    Learn more about "Restricted Access," "Mostly Open Access," and "Open Access" (PDF)

  • Enforcement

    The California Highway Patrol (CHP) performs enforcement for all Bay Area Express Lanes. CHP enforces all laws within the California Vehicle Code while patrolling Bay Area Express Lanes, including:

    • Carpool occupancy requirements
    • Clean air vehicle requirements
    • Proper mounting of valid license plates
    • Illegal lane and buffer crossing
    • Proper mounting of a valid FasTrak® toll tag
    • Proper switch position setting on a FasTrak Flex® toll tag

    License plate cameras identify vehicles in the express lane without a valid FasTrak® toll tag. The registered vehicle owner receives a violation notice for the toll amount plus a $10 penalty. If unpaid, a second notice is sent and an additional $20 penalty is assessed. 

    A CHP officer issuing a citation to a driver in vehicle pulled over from the I-680 Contra Costa express lanes.

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