WTF Fastrak?!

[Wldr]

So I've been riding the Bay Area highways for years and never had a problem with Fastrak. I've always just entered my license plate into my account and they were able to distinguish when I was on a motorcycle and charge me appropriately. I never carried a transponder on my motorcycles or my cars because their system could figure it out.

Bring on January 1st. 2026 and now at least the Richmond bridge no longer recognizes motorcycle plates. Looking back at my account after 3 months, and I've got a ton of $8.50 charges because it sees my plate but it doesn't recognize it as a motorcycle even though I'm in the carpool lane during carpool hours.

WTF was the technology too good and not making them enough money so they had to turn it off? How many unsuspecting people are going to be charged for crossing bridges at full price on motorcycles now? I've had three separate conversations with Fastrak reps as well as submitting disputes to my charges and so far nothing has changed. No refund offered. The system worked before - now I have to fight for my fair price to pay for riding two wheels and reducing carpool traffic.

 

[budman]

Sounds like an issue where some political power is needed.

Keep up the good fight.

 

[elbacalao]

In the past if we were actively escorting a funeral procession across a bridge, the escorts wouldnt get dinged. Apparently that has changed, at least this year. Both the Bay bridge and Golden Gate charged us while actively escorting.

 

[gixxerjeff]

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[greenmonster]

CA needs more money for that wonderful high speed rail system that’s going so well?

 

[ctwo]

I always interpreted it as transponder required.

 

[moto_rider]

Find you local representative from this web sight and contact them . they have a lot of authority over fasttrack. As fasttrack is a private company and contracted with this agency https://mtc.ca.gov/about-mtc/authorities/bay-area-toll-authority-bata.
This is what I had to due to get my money back when they closed my account and would not refund me my money. fasttrak said they could not find my account and would not refund me my money back which was about $95

 

[tuxumino]

I had to contact fastrak the end of last year, CC expiring, and was told they're getting rid of the toll booths and the cameras. I was informed that I would need a transponder set to the 3 position to get the motorcycle rate. They sent me an additional transponder for free. I used it on Easter on the RSR bridge. We will see if it got read.

 

[mackdaddy]

They can't get rid of the cameras. How are they going to collect on out of towners?

 

[mackdaddy]

CA needs more money for that wonderful high speed rail system that’s going so well?

It's going very well. There's loads of drone footage showing all of the new over/underpass construction in the valley & track laying should ramp up any day now.