Solano County’s new I-80 Fastrak lanes to start tolling mid-December

By Ashley Sharp

Drivers who live in or travel through Solano County are about one month out from seeing tolling start on the newly constructed express lanes in both directions of Interstate 80.

As CBS Sacramento first reported in July, Caltrans wrapped up construction of a brand new express lane this summer in Vacaville that stretches down to Fairfield, where an existing HOV lane was converted to an express lane. The project took about a year and a half to complete.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced the tolls will be operational starting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and will run daily from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., including on weekends.

Caltrans wants drivers who have been using the new lanes for free over the past few months to be aware that the changes are coming soon.

“Currently, it’s running as an HOV lane and nobody’s being charged for it. So the big thing drivers need to be aware of is that as soon as it’s the 16th, if you’re in that lane, you’re going to be charged,” said Sabrina Martinez, a Caltrans spokesperson.

The project came about through a partnership between MTC, Caltrans and the Solano Transportation Authority. The daily operations will be overseen by MTC’s Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority affiliate.

“Designed to enhance mobility through the heart of Solano County, the new express lanes will improve transit reliability and access for emergency response vehicles, and provide time savings and reliability for Solano County residents and others traveling through the county,” an MTC spokesperson said in a statement.

Caltrans wants to be clear: the toll is not required for all drivers. It is optional for those who want to race through this often gridlocked stretch of I-80.

“You’re paying to get through faster so you’re not stuck in the slower traffic,” said Martinez. “The ultimate plan is getting all of California connected to make it easier for consumers, commuters to get around easily.”

Drivers must have a FasTrak toll tag to use the lane. They can be purchased in-store at retailers like Costco and Walgreens and ordered online.

Here is the breakdown of how the tolls are tallied, according to MTC:

• Carpools with three or more people, vanpools, buses and motorcycles travel toll-free with a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the “3+” position.
• Two-person carpools pay half-price tolls with a FasTrak Flex tag set to “2”.
• Solo drivers may pay the full toll to use the Express Lanes with either a standard FasTrak toll tag or a FasTrak Flex tag set to the 1 position.

Those car passenger totals include the driver of the vehicle.

How much will it cost? It depends on how far you drive and how heavy traffic is at that time.

“Tolls rise as traffic increases and fall as traffic declines. Digital signs over the roadway display the toll rates for various destinations. Customers always pay the toll displayed when they enter the Express Lane, even if toll rates change during their trip. Toll-paying customers pay for each toll zone they enter. The I-80 Solano County Express Lanes feature four toll zones in each direction,” an MTC spokesperson said.

The cost for one zone can range anywhere from 50 cents to $15. MTC told CBS Sacramento in July that those costs are, on average, relatively low.

“For reference, the most recent data for average toll assessed on the I-680 express lanes in Contra Costa County was about $4.00 and over 60% of paid trips cost drivers less than $3.00,” an MTC spokesperson previously told CBS Sacramento in a statement.

For drivers who use the lane without paying, they will be mailed a bill for the toll invoice plus a $10 penalty.

This project is not just about Solano County bumper-to-bumper traffic. Caltrans is eyeing regionwide upgrades. Plans are already in the works for an express lane from Davis to Downtown Sacramento, as CBS13 has previously reported.

Caltrans says there is also “the gap” from Dixon to Davis that they would want to fill in.

“We want to extend express lanes all the way into downtown Sacramento,” said Vince Jacala, a Caltrans spokesperson.

Meaning, the future of freeway traffic could look like an express lane that drivers can take all the way from downtown Sacramento to the Bay Area and everywhere in between.

See more frequently asked questions regarding express lanes at this link.