November 7, 2011 - Study: New tolls reduce Bay Bridge rush hour congestion. Click HERE for full article in the Contra Costa Times.
September 20, 2011 - Bay Area I-680 Express Lane celebrate its first year anniversary with rising usage. Click HERE for more details.
September 9, 2011 - The Metropolitan Transportatino Commission (MTC) Planning Committee unanimously approved MTC Resolution No. 4030, which authorizes the Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority (BAIFA) to submit an application to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) for authority to develop and implement an express lane facility on portions of l-80, I-880, I-680 and the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridge approaches. The resolution now goes to the full MTC Commission, which will consider the item at its monthly meeting on September 28, 2011.
May 1, 2011 - California hybrid "yellow" decal program will expire after June 30, 2011. DMV will mail out a 60 days notification to all registered decal owners. Zero emission "white" decal will remain valid until January 1, 2015. For more information on the types of vehicles that qualify for clean air decals, please visit the California Air Resource Board web site at http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm.
September 20, 2010 - The first Express Lane in northern California will open on I-680 between Highway 84 in Sunol to Highway 237 in Milpitas. This 14-mile facility will now allow solo drivers to pay a toll (via Fastrak transponder) to utilize extra capacity in the carpool lane anytime between 5am and 8pm. The toll will vary according to demand ("congestion pricing") to make sure the Express Lane keeps moving and motorists get time savings. In fact, since solo drivers can choose to take the Express Lane or the general lanes, congestion should be improved on all lanes due to this project. This is an exciting project that is only the first of what is planned to be a network of Express Lanes in the Bay Area.
August 30, 2010 -Senate Bill 535 (2010) was signed into law to extend the current expiration date of "Yellow" Decal for hybrids to July 1, 2011, extends the current expiration of "White" Decal for SULEV/ILEV (including electric vehicles) to January 1, 2015, and calls for a new decal program for 40,000 Enhanced AT-PZEVs ("plug-in hybrids") beginning January 1, 2012 through January 1, 2015. This new decal program, which would be administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles, will not go into effect until California receives federal approval and the Air Resources Board certifies which vehicles qualify.
July 6, 2010 -Assembly Bill 1500 (2010) is signed into law to extend the expiration date for "White" Decals for SULEV/ILEV(i.e. electric & natural gas vehicles) until January 1, 2015.
