The 580 "Experss Lane" is open.
Posted Feb 24, 2016, 5:57 PM UTC
321103
Always shout "HOV" in my best Jay-Z voice when I see these signs. How do they expect me not to?
39
H to the izz-O...V to the izz-A...
16
... bitches in the left lane driving too slow on the freeway
36
Spot on.
5
They call it experss because they legally cannot call it express because it would imply that is faster all the time. This does not guarantee a faster lane so it is marked as such. Source: my ass
25
I just realized: I can ALSO use my ass as a source for proof that the Fastrak lanes do not always mean express. It has been sat on through many of those lanes.
4
Source: my exprass
FTFY
3
Yay... I have very low expectations of it helping in any way.
18
HOV lanes are actually wonderful when they're painted solid for miles. Me and some friends were hitting hard traffic in the evening heading north out of LA and the diamond lanes kept us going at 65mph while everyone else looked like they were going bumper to bumper.
23
Until you get to the asshole that drives 50...
42
They should ticket for that
17
Pit maneuver.
5
Totally agreed about the solid lines in LA (lived there for 4 years), but since up here HOV lanes are 90% single drivers with a sticker and 10% carpools, I don't think it will help much.
15
Do people respect the paint? I've seen lots of people cross solid painted hov lanes.
6
I'm sure they won't once they figure out where the CHPs hide.
7
Which when I'm driving to and from work is nowhere. I see people crossing over the ones on 680 and 237 all the time and never seen anyone get a ticket.
2
What does HOV mean?
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Hyper Overdrive Vans
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Nissan Leaf going 50
38
Or a Prius going 45. Never known a Prius to keep up with the flow of traffic or obey basic laws.
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High-Occupancy Vehicle. It's basically another word for carpool lane.
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[deleted]
1
high occupancy vehicle
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High Occupant in Vehicle
28
If you just have the regular FastTrack without the switch, does it just charge you the toll as if you were a single passenger?
12
I don't think so.
A big warning is going out to commuters that the old FasTrak transponders won't work for these new lanes
If you want to drive in the express lane, get the new transponder.
Edit: I recant my statement. Per FasTrak,
The standard FasTrak toll tag will serve all your needs if you do not use express lanes as a carpool. There is no need to obtain a FasTrak Flex toll tag. The vast majority of FasTrak users do not need a FasTrak Flex toll tag.
Source: Should You Get a FasTrak Flex Toll Tag?
Credit to u/12LetterName for bringing this to our attention.
14
It looks like there's contradiction here. That stretch of road is managed by Alameda County transportation commission.
http://www.alamedactc.org/expresslanes
It appears that solo drivers can use the "fastrak toll tag" whereas carpoolers need the "fastrak flex toll tag" to avoid being charged.
An excerpt:
A FasTrak toll tag is required for ALL I-580 Express Lane users, and in order to travel toll free on the I-580 Express Lane, carpoolers need to have a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to 2 or 3+. The I-680 Southbound express lane requires a FasTrak toll tag for solo drivers. Carpoolers on I-680 currently do not need a toll tag, but can use the new FasTrak Flex toll tag set to 2 or 3+, or place their standard toll tag in a mylar bag to avoid being charged a toll.
4
Ah, the info was a bit more ambiguous for the 580 Express Lane (vs 680). Thanks for the link. I've updated my post.
1
In your defense, the news article you posted said the opposite. Also at one point on the alameda CTC website, it says "for now", so things may change?
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Oh, shoot. Good thing you mentioned that.
2
Correct.
2
Obviously shopped. There is no way the toll is only 30 cents.
9
Price changes depending on traffic. I think 30 cents is the lowest they go during the weekdays.
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I was trying to be funny, since the misspelling of "EXPERSS" at the top seemed like it was obviously shopped. But then, don't it beat all, u/loganz posts a news video showing the sign misspelled. Which goes to show: DO NOT ever assume that Caltrans isn't stupid enough to screw up the simplest of things. Not only did someone have to misprint the sign, dozens of people had to handle it before it was hung, lit, and displayed to the disbelieving public, WITHOUT ANY OF THEM REALIZING THAT EXPRESS WAS SPELLED WRONG.
4
You'd be surprised at the number of misspelled signs are out there in the wild.
2
That is, seriously, to go one exit. The full stretch is around $5
3
So can you no longer use the HOV lane unless you have a fastrak?
7
That's the idea. It finally allows for implementation of congestion pricing.
10
Classic. Reminds me of when a contractor misspelled Rohnert Park on a road sign.
6
About 15 years ago when I was working in Redwood City, they installed a new sign at the exit for "Woodride Road"...
3
I bet the bar scene there was something else.
6
I have a normal FasTrack, is there a fee to get the FasTrack Flex?
4
Nope
1
A system to enable enforcement of laws which only exists to be a source of income. All payed for by the public it will be used on.
4
Is this real or a photoshop?
3
It is real, its a screencap from people behaving badly.
9
How do people get caught if they don't have Fastrak and still use these lanes? I never see anybody get pulled over in my morning commute.
3
It depends on whether CHP catches you. I've seen a couple of people get pulled over on 880 (over the course of a year or so) for driving solo in the carpool lane.
3
Do they have the ability to scan my fastrak? Because I can just whip mine out!
2
In the video it says that there are lights that show to the CHP if you have fastrak or not.
2
If the conversation went:
"I pulled you over because you don't have Fastrak and didn't pay the toll."
"Yeah I do, I don't know why it didn't register."
Sure... but if you have to pull it out of your glove box, you're going to get a ticket. If you keep it on your dash in a Faraday cage (maybe an ESD bag) and remove it from the bag before the cop arrives at your window, then the scam should work.
1
They'd mail you a bill
3
Just a couple? On 101 I'd see a at least one a week. I could tell cause I'd see them fly by me riding solo, then pulled over a few miles down.
1
Just saw a CHP nail the guy ahead of me this morning.
3
Great googly moogly!
3
paging r/CrappyDesign
2
So if you're hov 2+ but don't have a fast track, you can't go at all??
2
Nope, you cannot. You could get a ticket.
2
Unless you have the toll collecting contract don't follow GPS directions to get in this lane. It can get expensive really quick.
1
It's just a lane. There's no off ramp or fly over. It shouldn't be a GPS routing problem.
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Many GPS systems do actually give lane advice and direct drivers into certain lanes. Folks relying on GPS guidance will do well to be careful. It is really very easy to get caught up in a ticket especially for those not familiar with the rules of toll lane usage.
5
So you're saying it's time I got a new GPS.
4
Yes.
3
If you follow your GPS that blindly and don't take your surroundings and what is outside your window in context, you deserve to be ticketed.
0
Protip: if you are using this lane with more than 2 passengers, hide your fastrak when passing under the sensor. Because it will bill you even if you are carpooling.
1†
No don't do this on the 580 lane, you'll get a ticket. Carpools have to use the FasTrak Flex set to 2 or 3 to not get charged.
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What if you're solo and mark your fastrak as having 2 passengers?
3
TL;DR - You will get caught by CHP.
First of all, while driving in the express lane on I-580, every half mile or so you will pass through electronic check points that will read your transponder.
Officers will be sitting there watching these lights that will flash as you go through.
"As you go through, it will give us a 1, 2 or 3 on the lights. If it gives us a 1 and you are a solo person in there, we know that you're fast track is set to 1 and you are OK," Reed explained.
But if it flashes 2 or 3 and an officer sees only you in the car, you will get pulled over. And then the officer will check your transponder on the computer.
"It'll show where they entered the corridor, where they exited the corridor, and what their transponder was set to at the time," another officer said.
And don't even think of switching it at the last second. "As we are pulling you over, if you set it back to 1, we are able to check that in our system to catch the cheaters," Reed said.
The CHP says it will have officers out every day, patrolling these express lanes, and that they are trained to make this split-second detection.
But if you think you can slip by them, consider the penalty if they do catch you. "Carpool violation is over $500 in Alameda County," Reed said.
If you want to drive in the express lane, get the new transponder. Your old one won't work.
19
Really think it will pull in enough money to pay for more than the operators cost to enforce it? This seems like such a weird "public" service that is obviously aimed at those who can afford it...
3
What if you put a dummy in your front passenger seat to fool the cameras?
1
Although you probably won't get caught, you would face a fine
Edit: although if enough people do it they might try harder to catch you. However, carpool lane enforcement is very spotty as it is (most common location is the bay bridge carpool entrance)
4
Agreed. I ride carpool every morning from Berkeley to SF and there's been enforcement I think a grand total of ONCE in the 5 years I've been riding.
It's pretty sad because CHP could make bank if they only enforced it once a week, hell even once a month would be an improvement.
I see so many solo (without stickers!) drivers just going on or cutting over from the far right lane to the HOV lane just before the toll plaza. It's pretty stupid and I doubt this express lane will have good enforcement after a few months go by.
6
Then you'll get pulled over if seen by a cop. If not seen, nothing
1
Were you using a Fastrak Flex? Because this is not how it should work.
1
my fastrak is from like 2005 lol, so it still bills me
1
Batteries died in my 2005 transponders, nearly a year ago. You'll probably need to contact fastrak for a replacement before long.
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[removed]
1
This level of attention to detail is why we have so many bridge problems. Not surprised. :|
1
You had one job!
1
ERMAGERD EXPERSS!!!
EXPERSS LERN!