511.org/fastrak/faq.asp
Violation Collections FASTRAK GENERAL INFORMATION What is FasTrak? FasTrak is an electronic toll collection (ETC) system that allows you to prepay your bridge tolls, eliminating the need to stop at the toll plaz a The system has three components: a transponder, which is placed insid e your vehicle; an overhead antenna, which reads the transponder and col lects the toll;
Download an application form from this Web site and submit it by mail, fax or in person to the Customer Service Center * Contact the Customer Service Center directly by phone (888-725-TRAK/8 88-725-8725). If you apply for a FasTrak account online or by mail or fax, you will re ceive your transponder within 10 business days. If you apply for a Fa sTrak account in person, you will receive your transponder at the sa me time you apply. Is there a charge for the transponder or for opening a FasTrak account? There is no fee for the transponder and no service charge to open and mai ntain a FasTrak account, but you must keep a minimum balance in your pr epaid account. Your account can be automatically kept above this minimum by authorizing regular payments from your credit card. A FasTrak-only lane can process almost three times as many vehicles per hour as a lane in which tolls are collected manually. As your vehicle enters the toll lane, sensors detect the vehicle. The two-antenna configuration reads a transponder mounted on the ve hicle's windshield. As the vehicle passes through the exit light curtain , it is electronically classified by the treadle based on the nu mber of axles, and the ETC account is charged the proper amount. Feedbac k is provided to the driver on an electronic sign . If the vehicle do es not have a transponder, the system classifies it as a violator and ca meras take photos of the vehicle and its license plate for processin g What exactly is a transponder? A transponder is a small battery-powered device, programmed with specific customer account information, which is read by an antenna mounted above the toll plaza. On which Bay Area bridges can FasTrak transponders be used? All seven state-owned toll bridges in the region, as well as the Golden G ate Bridge, are equipped with FasTrak.
State legislation ensures that all toll facilitie s in California have compatible FasTrak technology. What is the amount of the FasTrak toll paid on the state-owned toll brid ges?
Can I use my FasTrak transponder on all lanes of every Bay Area bridge o r only certain ones? All toll booths on all eight bridges in the Bay Area (the seven state-own ed bridges and the Golden Gate) are equipped with FasTrak toll tag read ers. All of the seven state-owned bridges have at least one FasTrak-only lane in operation. More FasTrak-only lanes will be added on the state-owned toll bridges over the next year. The Golden Gate Bridge has up to four FasTrak-only lanes in operation at a time. Can I drive in the carpool lane even if I am dri ving across the bridge by myself? The current law only allows eligible electric and alternative fuel powered vehicles to d rive in a carpool lane regardless of the number of occupants. When will single-occupant hybrid vehicles be able to drive in carpool lan es across the bridge? In September 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger signed legislation to allow hy brid vehicles access to the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, but California Clean Air Vehicle decals cannot be issued until the federal government acts to approve the use of carpool lanes by hybrid vehicles regardless o f the number of occupants. In order to drive my hybrid vehicle in a carpool lane in the future, do I need to open a FasTrak account? When, or if, the federal government approves the use of carpool lane s by hybrid vehicles, Bay Area drivers of hybrid vehicles will need to o pen a special FasTrak account. They must then provide proof of this spe cial FasTrak account to the Department of Motor Vehicles before the DMV can issue a special decal, label, or other identifier that will allow t hem to drive in a carpool lane regardless of the number of occupants in their hybrid vehicle. Until the federal government acts, no special FasT rak accounts are being opened. FASTRAK ACCOUNTHOLDERS USING FASTRAK Why does my FasTrak account now reference the Bay Area Toll Authority as well as Caltrans? In April 2004, the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) began to oversee the Fa sTrak customer service center previously run by Caltrans. BATA was crea ted by the California Legislature in 1997 to administer the toll revenue s generated by the first dollar of the $2 toll on the Bay Areas seven s tate-owned toll bridges.
If a FasTrak account is established using a credit card, there is no deposit for the first three transponders. For cash/check accounts and for the fourth or more transponders for a credit card account, there is a $30 deposit, which is refunded when the account is closed and the transponder is ret urned in good condition. If the display in the toll lane remains blank, or if the transponder does not beep as you drive through the lane, these are indications that may also mean there is a problem with your transponder or with your account. If you notice these problems, call the Customer Service Center at (888) 725-TRAK (8725).
mount the transponder as described in the installation instructions; and keep current account name, address and vehicle information upd ated on your FasTrak account by calling the Customer Service Center imm ediately as changes occur.
We r equest that the vehicle information including license plate numbers for each vehicle to be used be on file with the Customer Service Center. If I travel through a carpool lane with my transponder, will I be charged on my FasTrak account? however, you will h ear two beeps as the system recognizes the transponder. If the carpo ol lane you use is staffed by a toll collector, we recommend that you te ll the toll collector that you are a carpool vehicle. Another option is to place your transponder in a Mylar bag that will prevent the transpond er from being read. The Mylar bags can be requested from the Customer Se rvice Center, if one was not provided when you opened your account. For the toll lanes dedicated to exclusive use by FasTrak on the state-ow ned toll bridges, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour and enforced by t he California Highway Patrol. For toll lanes that share facilities for F asTrak and cash paying motorists, FasTrak users should proceed with ex treme caution, being alert for stopped vehicles and toll collectors. FASTRAK ACCOUNTHOLDERS MAINTAINING FASTRAK ACCOUNTS How do I keep track of my account? The FasTrak system tracks your usage and account balance. A quarterly st atement itemizing your bridge use and account balance will be sent to yo u through the mail. You may also check your account balance using the au tomated response telephone system at the FasTrak Customer Service Cente r In addition, a toll fare display at the bridge will display messages, such as low balance, when your account reaches a pre-set threshold. I f there is no message or the display is blank, contact the FasTrak Cust omer Service Center. How can I update the information for my FasTrak account?
If you are adding a new vehicle to your account, be sure to include the license plate number, make, model, year, and color of the vehicle. Plea se include your FasTrak account number in communications. If you do not have your account number available, you can also include the series of numbers located on the upper left side of your transponder.
Each time the prepaid toll balance drops below the low-balance threshold amount, cash/check accounts will receive a letter in the mail requesting payment. Credit card accounts will be automatically charged for the rep lenishment amount. Why does my replenishment amount change from time to time? After the account has been established for six months, replenishment amounts are re-evaluated each month and adjusted, if necessary, to refle ct current use patterns. Replenishment amounts are calculated to equal t wo months of average use, based on use over the previous six months. Acc ounts will receive a letter in the mail identifying ...
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