California’s 12-cent gas tax increase went into effect this month, and you’ll soon see the impact at gas stations throughout the state. We have a couple of ways for you to beat the tax hike:
Share the Ride – Whether you call it ridesharing or carpooling, it’s the same thing – sharing a ride and splitting the cost. Now that most people have smartphones, apps make it possible to carpool to work with just a little advance notice. 
The first step: visit our Carpooling Page. We’ll walk you through your options (some app-based, some not) and even tell you how carpooling might qualify you for a $25 incentive.
If you commute by driving to BART, there’s an additional perk for you: Scoop carpools are guaranteed a parking spot at a number of Contra Costa BART stations when they arrive before 10am. No need to get up super-early to get a space or roll the dice on a spot being available when you arrive – use Scoop to find a passenger for that empty seat & parking is yours! Plus, parking is free.
Get an Electric Vehicle – If you’re not ready to commute without driving, leasing or purchasing an electric vehicle not only lets you avoid paying the gas tax, but vehicles which are 100% electric get toll-free access to the Express Lanes. Electric vehicles are also allowed in the HOV lanes during carpool hours, even if it’s a solo commute.
For more information on the benefits of driving an electric vehicle, visit our Electric Vehicle Incentive Programs page.
Tag: dublin
I-580 Express Lanes Now Open (2016)
The I-580 Express Lanes through Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore are now open! Here’s what you need to know to use them:
- All drivers will need a FasTrak® or FasTrak® Flex toll tag and valid FasTrak account to use the lanes.
- The Express Lanes will be toll-free for carpools, vanpools, eligible clean-air vehicles, buses and motorcycles with a FasTrak Flex toll tag.
- Solo drivers will have the option of paying to access the Express Lanes using a standard FasTrak or FasTrak Flex toll tag set to ‘1’.
- The Express Lanes will look and feel like carpool lanes, allowing motorists to enter and exit almost anywhere along the corridor.
- The Express Lanes will operate Monday through Friday, from 5-8pm. Outside of these hours, the Express Lanes will be open to all vehicles at no charge and with no toll-tag requirements.
For more information, visit Alameda CTC’s I-580 information page.
New West Dublin/Pleasanton Station opens Saturday
When was the last time you rolled into a brand new BART station?
BART’s 44th station, and first in eight years, opens this weekend between Castro Valley and Dublin/Pleasanton stations. The first train in scheduled to arrive at 6:03 am Saturday.
The new station comes with 1,190 new parking spaces. Dublin/Pleasanton station, 1.6 miles away, regularly fills up by 7:30 am, and the new station offers relief in both permit and fee parking. BART began offering monthly reserved monthly parking permits on Feb. 1. Monthly reserved parking permits are available online for $63. Daily reserved parking is $4, and daily fee parking is $1. We’ll have to wait and see how long it takes the West Dublin/Pleasanton lot to fill up on the morning of the 21st.
In addition to offering relief for commuters headed downtown, the station is just a short walk from Stoneridge Mall and several office buildings. Private developers contributed $20 million of the total $106 million to build the new station, and have plans for housing, retail, and other transit-oriented development around the station.
The new fares are already on BART’s website (be sure to use a date of Feb. 19 or later). For example, a one-way trip from West Dublin/Pleasanton to Powell Street Station in San Francisco will cost $5.40.
The new station offers transit connections on both sides. From the Pleasanton side, the station is served by Wheels routes 3/3V, 53, 70XV, and Rapid, as well as the Tri-Delta Transit Dublin/Pleasanton Delta Express. On the Dublin side, the station is served by LAVTA Route 3. Both sides are served by bike racks.
The West Dublin/Pleasanton station is an “infill”, meaning it adds a new stop along an existing line. There are few infill stations in the US and no others in BART. Working around the existing and operating track was tricky, but BART managed to do it by creating two sets of tracks. Workers were able to make progress on one set while BART riders rode through on the other. BART plans to extend rail service to Livermore some day, but West Dublin/Pleasanton offered the opportunity to relief congestion more quickly with fewer funds.
Photos of the station are from BART’s blog.
BART to hold hearing on 2011 West Dublin station station fares, parking fees
From the Contra Costa Times:
The BART board will hold a public hearing on Thursday on proposed train fares and parking fees to be charged at the new West Dublin-Pleasanton train station when it opens in early 2011.
The board meets at 9 a.m. in its board room at the Kaiser Center 20th Street Mall, third floor, 344 20th St., Oakland.
For trips starting at the new station, BART proposes to charge $4.15 for a ticket to Berkeley, $5.40 to Embarcadero, and $10.40 to the San Francisco International Airport. To calculate the fares, BART employs a distance-based formula used to determine fares throughout the rapid transit system.
Parking fees at the new station would be $1 per day for regular parking, $5 per day for long-term parking for airline passengers, and $63 per month for reserved parking.
The board is expected to approve the fares at its Oct. 28 meeting and the parking fees on Dec. 2.
Portions of I-580 and I-680 closed this weekend
This weekend, July 17 and 18, BART and Caltrans will close a portion of Interstate 580 and 680 between Dublin and Pleasanton.
Crews will be working to complete installation of pedestrian bridges that will provide access to the new West Dublin station.
Eastbound I-580 from the San Ramon/Foothill Road exit will be closed and on the I-680 interchange, partial lane closures will begin at 11 p.m. each Saturday night. The lanes will be completely closed from 2-6 AM each Sunday and will resume with partial closures until 9 AM.
If you are driving on eastbound I-580 during the closure, follow detour signs to use Foothill Road to Stoneridge Drive.
For questions or concerns, call 866-435-2278 or e-mail BART project manager James Gravesande at jgraves@bart.gov.
Source: Contra Costa Times
This week’s headlines in transportation & transit: Mar. 20-26, 2010
Local News
- Sink hole shuts down part of Tassajara Road in Dublin March 25-26, 2010
- 511 Contra Costa is now on Facebook! Become a fan to get entered to win $25 to Peet’s Coffee & Tea.
- Highway 4 to close near Discovery Bay this weekend from 8 PM on Friday, March 26th to 4 AM on Monday March 29th
- Sunset magazine shows readers how to plan a car-free vacation to Union City
Bay Area & California News
- BART seeks input at community meetings in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties
- State money could mean fewer transit service cuts
- We stumbled on a nearly 50-year old map of BART in its planning stages–pretty neat!
- Schwarzenegger provides CA transit agencies with a one-time allocation of $400 million and $350 million for fiscal year 2011
- Handy tip of the week: look online to cut wait times at the DMV
- Major AC Transit schedule changes will take effect Sunday March 28, 2010
- California offers $4 million in rebates offered on a first-come, first-served basis to those who purchase a hybrid or electric car
For these headlines, travel tips, promotions and more, follow 511 Contra Costa on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
