Bay Bridge Congestion Pricing May Spread

San Mateo County's congestion management agency, known as C/CAG "released the new San Mateo Countywide Transportation Plan, which includes support for congestion pricing on the two bridges that connect the Peninsula and East Bay."

The plan is to do for the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge what congestion pricing has done for the Bay Bridge.

However, there may not be enough congestion on the two southern bridges to warrant the congestion-reducing strategy. The Bay Bridge had queue times of 27 minutes (reduced by 4 minutes after congestion pricing was applied) while the southern bridges average only two minutes during rush hour according to data supplied by the Bay Area Toll Authority. C/CAG feels the payoff would also be in congestion reduction on Hwy 101 though.

The proposal has to clear two county agencies and then the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.