Green Stickers on HWY 680 South Express Lanes

I thought that monkey business with excluding the green decals only was in the LA area. Is there any definitive reference for this kind of information? Both the 237 and 680 lanes are of the same nature: they have variable tolls during the times they are in effect, and car pools (2+) are free.

Curious that http://www.680expresslane.org/Home.asp says that the white decals are valid in the 680 Express lane. (Note: there is a link to this site from https://www.bayareafastrak.org/ .) I thought that the white and green decals behaved identically with respect to what privileges they conveyed.

 

this is terrible and i hope it is a mistake. i've had CHP give me the evil eye when running with my yellow stickers years after the program started.

 

wait - i thought that some state senator or other had put forward a bill that guaranteed that stickered vehicles could use these toll lanes. i need to go dig that up.

how do these express lanes work? for the bridges, if you cross without your toll tag, cameras take a picture of your license plate. if your plate # is in your fastrak account, no harm, no foul - you are simply charged for the toll as though you used the toll tag.

do the express lanes also have cameras, or are you in violation of the law if you do not have your toll tag (or for some reason it does not register)?

i wonder if this prius was simply pulled over for speeding or for entering the lane at the wrong place.

 

Unlike the bridges, the express lanes are enforced solely by a police officer noting that a FasTrak payment did not register, and then visually checking to see if the vehicle qualifies for free passage (like with 2 or more passengers, or the appropriate clean-air decal). If you had the Fastrak out but for some reason it did not register, they would pull you over, and you would have to convince the officer that you attempted in good faith to pay with the transponder, but there was some problem with it.

On the bridges, you always have to pay toll, so using an automated camera to get the license plate works. On bridges with reduced tolls for carpools in certain lanes during certain times, I think eligibility to be in that lane is verified by a police officer. The camera clicks if no transponder is detected, but it doesn't try to sort out carpool eligibility.

 

yeah that's true, i had forgotten that actual carpools are supposed to be free in the express lanes.

i think this sucks, to be honest, because maybe 1/2 the time my fastrak transponder does not register when going over the bridge.

 

Wow, you mean in Northern California the CHP actually do something??

Down in SoCal, on the 91 to be exact, I see people using the HOV free lane entrance at the toll station when they are obviously all by themselves. It's a pretty common occurrence, that and hit and runs. There seems to be a lack of integrity/morals in the SoCal crowd.

 

I hope this is not the case. I've been using 680 south for the last month without incident so far.

 

Did some research this am after seeing your posts. Bill AB2405 passed in the assembly last month, and is awaiting senate approval. Hopefully that will pass and be signed into law to officially allow Greenies into the Toll/express lanes without charge.

I called both CHP (Dublin Office) and Fastrak this am to clarify what "eligible hybrid" means, and whether or not the Green HOV stickers have free access to 680 south and SR237 express lanes. Both clearly said "yes". I asked "are you sure"? Both had to double check and came back with "yes, for sure".

Any thougts or experience sharing would be helpful to all.

 

So far, I have seen at least two cruisers sitting on the side of the freeway without being pulled over.

 

Maybe they were going too fast?

 

That's funny. This morning, I was going 75 with an Odyssey on my tail. I keep thinking that I wish there was a CHP around to pull the clown over for speeding and tail gating! In fact, I can't imagine not speeding while in the car pool lane.

 

It was made clear on the 237 web site the green work

VTA Silicon Valley Express Lanes Program

Since 2008 the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has been implementing the Silicon Valley Express Lanes Program to provide congestion relief through more efficient use of existing roadways. The Express Lanes program is a countywide conversion of 180 miles of existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV or carpool) lanes.
Express lanes (also known as High Occupancy Toll or “HOT†Lanes) allow solo drivers the option to use the lanes for a fee. All eligible carpool vehicles including clean air vehicles with applicable decals , motorcycles, and transit buses will continue to use the lanes free of charge. Fees from solo drivers are collected electronically using FasTrak electronic toll collection technology already used on San Francisco Bay Area Bridges and elsewhere in California. Tolls are based on the level of congestion and are adjusted to maintain a free flow of traffic. Enforcement will be provided by the California Highway Patrol.
VTA has converted existing HOV lanes on State Route (SR) 237 and I-880 direct connectors which opened on March 20, 2012. VTA is actively developing project studies and environmental documentation for the proposed conversion of HOV lanes to express lanes on SR 85 and US 101.

For specific express lane project information, scroll over the interactive map below and select the highlighted link to be redirected to the project page.

The applicable sticker list links to the DMV website.

 

If You Drive 680 Print This and Carry It In Your PIP

FAQ & Brochure

and this

Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) Decals - High Occupancy Vehicle HOV Lane Usage


What is FasTrak®?
FasTrak® is a registered trademark and is the standard for electronic toll collection in the state of California. Interoperable on all toll roads and bridges statewide, FasTrak® allows solo drivers to pay a fee on the Alameda County Express Lanes through electronic tolling. To participate, solo drivers must have a prepaid FasTrak® account and toll tag properly mounted on their vehicle’s windshield when they use the Express Lanes. Carpools, vanpools, motorcycles and permitted clean air vehicles (e.g., eligible solo hybrids) can use the Express Lanes for free. However, on the Bay Area toll bridges, all vehicles are charged a toll.


Hopefully showing a CHP officer these documents would stop them from writing a ticket and you having to go to court to fight such a ticket.

It would be great if someone could get the 680 Expresslane people to update the front page of their website to call out green stickers like white ones get a free toll.