Union City Mayor Endorses Express Lanes Pilot Program

UNION CITY, CA — The government agency that oversees the Express Lanes along the Interstate 880 corridor in Alameda County have launched a pilot program intended to help travelers from lower-income households take advantage of lanes.

Union City households with an income is no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, about $60,000 for a family of four, are eligible to participate in the Express Lanes START program and qualify for reduced toll charges in the I-880 Express Lanes.

Toll discounts are based on the number of people in the car. Solo drivers enrolled in the Express Lanes START program will receive a 50 percent discount off the posted toll and two-person carpools will receive a 75 percent discount. All Express Lane customers in carpools with three or more people travel toll free.

The Express Lanes START pilot does not apply to other Bay Area Express Lanes, nor does it apply to the region’s toll bridges.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission "has a long history of serving low-income residents through community-based planning and other outreach programs," said Commission member and Union City Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci. "Express Lanes START demonstrates an expanding commitment to make commuting in the Bay Area more affordable to a wider group of people, and we want to get the word out so those who qualify take advantage of this pilot program."

You may apply for the pilot program at expresslanesstart.org or by mailing or faxing a paper application. Both the website and the paper application are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

The agency is partnering with four ‘hub’ organizations to help those requesting assistance with the application progress. These include the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), Fremont Family Resource Center, Roots Community Health Center, and Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation (VIVO).

"The Fremont Family Resource Center is a welcoming hub serving families and individuals in the Tri-City community, and we are pleased to partner with BAIFA to help those who qualify reduce the financial burden of traveling to and from work or school along the I-880 corridor by participating in the Express Lanes START program,” said Fremont Mayor Lily Mei.

The Express Lanes START pilot program will run for 18 months and then will be evaluated for effectiveness. Once the evaluation is complete, a decision will be made on whether to continue the program. The I-880 Express Lanes extend about 20 miles in the northbound direction from the Alameda-Santa Clara county line to Lewelling Blvd. in San Lorenzo, and about 25 miles in the southbound direction from Hegenberger Road in Oakland to the Alameda-Santa Clara county line.

MTC is the regional transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.