Could Golden Gate Bridge Tolls Increase to $8?

By Bay City News Service

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District's board of directors on Friday considered plans that could possibly raise tolls as high as $8 by 2018 to make up a projected budget shortfall.

The toll increase proposals follow the release last month of a report projecting a $142 million budget deficit by 2018, bridge district officials said.

The board of directors was not making a decision Friday on whether to increase the tolls. Instead, public outreach meetings are planned in January in San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma counties.

Toll increases will likely take effect no sooner than April 2014, bridge officials said.

FasTrak users should expect to continue to receive a discount in most of the options under consideration by the board.

Those paying by other means should expect tolls to go up by as much as $2 over the next five years, according to bridge district staff.

Copyright © 2013 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

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