‘California is Trippin’ CA Toll Road Hikes Prices Up To $20 During Morning Commute
A California commuter captured a shot of a Bay Area express lane sign showing a $20.00 trip. Frankly, Golden State drivers are less than pleased with the huge price tags for a trip down Highway 101.
Bay Area commuters are pissed at toll road express lane prices of over $20 for single trips
Commuters in the Bay Area are stunned and outraged at the skyrocketing express lane fees. On average, Americans pay between $0.04 and $0.20 per mile to use toll roads and express lanes. But a recent viral photo shows commuters paying as much as $2.20 per mile for stretches of Bay Area highway.
A social media user recently snapped a picture of the sign, which read $20.00 for a stretch of Highway 101. Needless to say, the user was shocked at the obscene expense for the express lane. “$20 for 10 miles, the Instagram user posted. “California is trippin’.”
The Highway 101 stretch in question is one spanning from San Carlos to part of Palo Alto. But $20.00 isn’t the limit. Some drivers told ABC7 News that they’ve seen that leg of Highway 101 reach an eye-watering $22.00.
So, where does the toll money go?
“Funds from the 101 Express Lanes go right back into the community through our Equity Program, helping residents access more affordable and sustainable ways to get around,” San Mateo County Transit District Public Information Officer Randol White said in a statement.
And he’s right. A once-per-year $200 GoCard is available for commuters making less than $81,000 per year. But at $20 or more per trip, pricey stretches like San Carlos to Palo Alto could expire that GoCard balance in fewer than 10 trips.
But the San Mateo Transit District doesn’t seem phased. “The $200 in GoCard credit stretches a long way-covering nearly 100 SamTrans rides-and can also be used on Caltrain, where riders can bypass the 101 traffic entirely,” White added.
According to SamsTrans, a day pass for the bus is $2.25 for an adult between the ages of 19 and 64. For full-time, twice-per-day commuters, that means the annual GoCard could be exhausted in just 44 days.
