San Francisco Bay Bridge Toll Increasing To $7 On New Year's Day

OAKLAND (CBS13) — A trip to the city by the Bay is going to cost a little more for drivers starting next year.

On New Year's Day, Bay Area bridge tolls will be increasing by $1.

This means that the regular toll for crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will soon be $7.

The Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridge toll will also be increasing to $7.

Drivers who got toll violation notices from FasTrak for unpaid invoices since the beginning of 2021 will also see a sharp reduction in penalties. This means that the penalty for a first violation drops to $25 from $25 and from $70 to $15 for the second violation notice.

The Bay Area Toll Authority came under fire for its harsh penalties, with critics pointing out how the penalties disproportionately affected disadvantaged people.

Voters and the state legislature approved the toll increases several years back.