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Can motorcycles use new HOV lanes in SF?

senpai71

senpai71

Professional troublemaker
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Location
San Francisco
Moto(s)
2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000LT, 2000 Triumph Sprint ST, 2008 BMW K1200GT, 2016 Zero DSR.
Name
Rory
Can motorcycles use the new HOV lanes in San Francisco (e.g. on Lombard Street). It's not clear on whether they are 'normal' HOV lanes (meaning that bikes can use them) or more like the lanes on 580, where you need fancy Fastrak. In any event, there's nothing obvious on the signage, like "Motorcycles OK", so I'm still a bit confused...

I'm assuming bikes ARE allowed, but would appreciate some clarification, since I live on Lombard Street.
 
Motorcycles are an HOV by State and Federal law.

Fastrac does not require a transponder to ride your motorcycle in the toll Lanes.
 
motomania2007 said:
Fastrac does not require a transponder to ride your motorcycle in the toll Lanes.
Click to expand...

I believe some have posted somewhere on this forum that the I-580 Express Lane does require motorcycles to have a Flex Fastrack (set to 3) and that some of them received tickets for not have a Flex unit.

Of course this could have all changed by now. I haven't ridden the I-580 Express Lane in quite some time.
 
motomania2007 said:
Fastrac does not require a transponder to ride your motorcycle in the toll Lanes.
Click to expand...

bigpoppa said:
I believe some have posted somewhere on this forum that the I-580 Express Lane does require motorcycles to have a Flex Fastrack (set to 3) and that some of them received tickets for not have a Flex unit.
Click to expand...

Far as I know you need to have a transponder to use the toll lanes down here.

In theory, at this moment, I need to sign up with 3 different toll agencies if I wanted to take advantage of all the toll roads between here and Orange County.

Even though they all use the same tech, and I'm darn sure they can hunt me down if I DIDN'T register with them.

I don't know why I can't just "register with Fastrak" and be signed with at least everyone in the state.
 
bigpoppa said:
I believe some have posted somewhere on this forum that the I-580 Express Lane does require motorcycles to have a Flex Fastrack (set to 3) and that some of them received tickets for not have a Flex unit.

Of course this could have all changed by now. I haven't ridden the I-580 Express Lane in quite some time.
Click to expand...

Yes, Fastrak Flex, set to 3, is required for motorcyling toll-free on the I580 Express lanes:

https://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/support/express-lanes-faq11.shtml
 
SotoMoto said:
Yes, Fastrak Flex, set to 3, is required for motorcyling toll-free on the I580 Express lanes:

https://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/support/express-lanes-faq11.shtml
Click to expand...

That must be relatively new. I have ridden through the 580 HOT lanes several times without a transponder and without my transponder and sometimes, when I did not have my transposer I have gotten a charge on my fastrac account and had to call to get it removed.

In the last 2 years or so I have had the transponder with me.
 
I use the 580 flex lanes daily on motorcycles, from Livermore to SF.

Never a transponder, never billed. For literally five years now.

It's pretty straightforward. If you have a transponder, it has to be set to 2 or 3 to not get billed (to get billed at the HOV rate, technically, which is (currently) free.) If you have no transponder, they run your plate. If your plate comes back registered to a M/C, they bill you at the HOV rate. PARTICULARLY if you have the plates registered with FasTrak.

If your plate doesn't read (ANPR automatic recognition) and instead is manually input by a human, then it's up to them to notice it's a M/C and bill at HOV rate- which may not happen.

So FasTrak says "always carry the xponder set to 3" to ensure no issues and to have something to point at when the human bills the M/C in error.

The law says that a M/C is always considered a HOV, so that means if it's registered as a M/C, it will be billed at the HOV rate. If it does not come back registered as M/C, you would not be ticketed, you would be billed at the non-HOV rate.

Try it one day when the tolls are cheap and see for yourself. :)
 
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ctwo said:
What does getting billed for something that is free really mean?
Click to expand...

It A) may not always be free and B) places like the bridge gantries discount HOV, it's not free. It's just sorting you into HOV or non-HOV buckets to begin with. Once that's done you get charged based on which bucket you're in. HOV is currently charged at $0.
 
Last edited:
berth said:
Far as I know you need to have a transponder to use the toll lanes down here.

In theory, at this moment, I need to sign up with 3 different toll agencies if I wanted to take advantage of all the toll roads between here and Orange County.

Even though they all use the same tech, and I'm darn sure they can hunt me down if I DIDN'T register with them.

I don't know why I can't just "register with Fastrak" and be signed with at least everyone in the state.
Click to expand...

Down there just ride to the very extreme left, right on the line, as you pass the cameras and they can't read your plate. I used to do it 3-4 times a week :cool
 
cheez said:
I use the 580 flex lanes daily on motorcycles, from Livermore to SF.

Never a transponder, never billed. For literally five years now.
Click to expand...

I've rode in all of them in the Bay Area and even the I-15 HOT lanes in the San Diego area as well and have never been charged on any of them. The bridges are different, of course, but you still don't have to have a transponder. That's why they have cameras. I only have a transponder in my Exploder for when I want to use the HOT lanes in the cage.
 
I think having to have a transponder on a moto is :bs

Having to pay for a toll lane is :bs

And toll lanes when we pay thru the gas tax nose is :bs

Gubment strafing us for every buck is :bs

Thanks gas tax for making toll lanes possible. More :bs

:afm199
 
You don't have to pay for the HOT lane. It's use is not compulsory thus it's not a tax at all as you're not required to pay it.
 
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Nope. Not compulsory. A pay to play lane.

Stay to the right in heavier traffic and not pay. I am talking about my cage of course. That HOT lane is for rich folk. All you po people still got three other lanes. If we could only get the folks in lane two to move over when they are just cruising life would be fine.

Money grab :bs
 
I recently saw that new pay to play lane on 101 N in Mtn View. I could not figure out the rules within the time of my passing… I was caging. I wonder where my Fastrac thingy is…
 
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