Solid Work FasTrak

Whaaaat?  It's not cost effective to have someone there to collect cash all day?

Nothing worse than organizations that make it difficult to give them money.

Not even close to cost effective to have a human, and slows traffic. Most folks just get the transponder, that is filled like a debit card. You can actually use it to pay for parking in some lots as well...super duper easy.

I'm not so sure...they probably paid those employees min wage. How much do you think FasTrak/the gubment is paying for all this glitchy software, new hardware/cameras, and additional employees to work in a call center? Plus, it sounds like they are waiving a lot of toll fees due to system & billing errors.

Whaaaat?  It's not cost effective to have someone there to collect cash all day?

Nothing worse than organizations that make it difficult to give them money.

Not even close to cost effective to have a human, and slows traffic. Most folks just get the transponder, that is filled like a debit card. You can actually use it to pay for parking in some lots as well...super duper easy.

I'm not so sure...they probably paid those employees min wage. How much do you think FasTrak/the gubment is paying for all this glitchy software, new hardware/cameras, and additional employees to work in a call center? Plus, it sounds like they are waiving a lot of toll fees due to system & billing errors.

I think they are looking at the long-term savings.  No way to make the savings right off the start with this program.  The cameras have been there for quite some time, from what I remember.  Heading South on the GGB is much faster now that there is no need to stop/pay.  They had toll booth workers with something like 20+ years service time so I doubt he/she was making min. wage.

If they REALLY want to make some easy money, they need to charge per person to walk/ride bike on the bridge!

I think I double paid a late payment fine last year.  I'm too lazy to go back and check, but I do remember getting 2 notices and at the time of the 2nd notice, I really thought I had paid the first.

-Allen

What really sucks is if you miss the payment and have multiple trips across the bridge.  They charge the $25 fee PER trip, not per invoice!   

What really sucks is if you miss the payment and have multiple trips across the bridge.  They charge the $25 fee PER trip, not per invoice!   

Ess see ehh emm, I'm tellin ya! The bridge gets the 'lil 7 bux and F-Trak gets all the xtra fees + dbl payments.

Take your license plate off the front. You might get a ticket if you get pulled over, but the likelihood of that is small, I know lots of people that do not have a plate on the front for this and also for red light cameras. Is it wrong? yes. Am I going to do it? No. Do I think the bridges should be free? No, I think the tolls should be higher and completely self sustaining for their construction and maintenance without dipping into the General Fund or other tax revenues. Also, I think more people should be allowed to toss stupid drivers off the bridges to better humanity and preserve the American Dream for people that know how to drive. Fastrack genocide!

Take your license plate off the front. You might get a ticket if you get pulled over, but the likelihood of that is small, I know lots of people that do not have a plate on the front for this and also for red light cameras. Is it wrong? yes. Am I going to do it? No.

Brilliant!  I've gotten at least three tix for this reason, ML350 doesn't come installed with a front license plate holder.  But I pay the fine each time, rather than deface the vehicle with a fugly front plate and a bunch of tap holes on bumper!!  BTW none of tix resulted from getting pulled over - all issued by meter maids while car parked in SF FiDi!  SF DPT = Satan!!! 

I hate using tech to put people outta work, still refuse to use a self-check, when the lone helper tries to get me to use it I tell'em it's against my religion,,,,,,,,,,

But seeing how the Fastrak lanes move made me do it,  at least 8 years ago. Drank the koolaid,

Now I have one acct and one transducer, I don't use the bridges often but love it when I do, have my car, my truck, my trailer, and even the GFs car all on one acct, works great, if I forget to pull the transponder outta the glove box, no bigge, it's all so automatic the pic/plate system just charges it to my acct and I never hear about it, there isn't even a transponder int the GFs car, still no problem.

My experience may be different than some, but you're being pushed into the Fastrak world whether you want to or not.

I've only had to call 2 twice in 8 yrs, got good service both times.   

Drink that Koolaid.

Take your license plate off the front. You might get a ticket if you get pulled over, but the likelihood of that is small, I know lots of people that do not have a plate on the front for this and also for red light cameras. Is it wrong? yes. Am I going to do it? No.

Brilliant!  I've gotten at least three tix for this reason, ML350 doesn't come installed with a front license plate holder.  But I pay the fine each time, rather than deface the vehicle with a fugly front plate and a bunch of tap holes on bumper!! 

You're such a boss Dottie.  On this side of town CHP likes to hang out at freeway onramps that have  metering lights.  Then they just snag everyone without the front plate and issue tickets.  I've also had friends that got them for having a plastic cover over the plate (to prevent tag theft) and excessive lighting around the plate. The odds are not small.  Besides, I think if you don't have a front plate they also get an image of the rear plate, that goes for red light cameras also.

I've made multiple trips over the GG since October 31.

The day I got my new truck. Still haven't put the plates on it yet! 

I drove my mustang for 4yrs without a front plate (looked cooler without it haha) before finally getting pulled over for a fix-it ticket. I thought you could simply display the plate on your dash but no dice...it must be affixed to your front bumper. 

The thing we forget here is that all the technology was already in place on the bridges. There was a plate reader, and fastrak and ALSO human toll takers. So we're only talking incremental costs of adding the additional fastrak lanes, probably beef up hardware for through put on the system, disaster recovery, etc. Maintenance is likely the same or close enough to be a rounding error.

so for an incremental increase you get a big savings (16 - 19M over 8 years). Unfortunately, its people that you are saving on. Luckily, a third of them (at least at the reporting that i can find- got jobs in the district or retired).

A toll-taker's base annual salary starts at $48,672 and tops out at $54,080.



: http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_21575637/electronic-tolls-coming-golden-gate-bridge-february

True enough. And I understand it's a long-term savings plan.
But now we don't get any of this...language warning!

 

  My new Electric Ford Focus doesn't have a mounting place on the front for license.  So, guess what's not put on up front?

I've made multiple trips over the GG since October 31.

The day I got my new truck. Still haven't put the plates on it yet! 

That is the best one yet!