South Bay Expressway Calif raising transponder tolls slightly, cash tolls more steeply

South Bay Expressway (CA125) east of San Diego California is increasing FasTrak transponder tolls for cars by roughly 10% but increasing cash tolls by 20% or more. Tolls for cars to go the 16km (10 mile) length of the tollroad from State Route 54 (CA54) to Otay Mesa Rd go from $3.50 to $3.85 with a FasTrak transponder but from $3.75 to $4.50 for cash.  Those are tolls of about 39c/mile with a  transponder and 49c/mile by cash.

The toller says the increases are needed to cover increased costs.

Going from Otay Mesa Rd at the southern end to any of the four next exits, journeys of from 4 miles to 7 miles (6.4km to  11km) goes up from $2.50 with a transponder to $2.75 and from $3.75 to $4.50 cash.

This produces new per mile rates varying between 70c and 40c with a transponder and $1.10 and 65c cash.

Local trips more expensive with cash

Local trips varying between 0.8 mile and 3 miles stay the same at 75c with a transponder (a mileage rate of 90c and 25c) but rise from $2.50 to $3.00 for cash. At $3.00 the mileage rate varies between $3.75 and $1.00. $3.75/mile has to be a candidate for a US toll rate record - a standard by which any other toll, even Delaware Turnpike a Marylander must concede, looks like a bargain. 

For the record that $3.75/mile is between Birch Road and Olympic Parkway.

It's saying: "Look it isn't worth our while collecting a cash toll for this distance, but if you insist it's three bucks for 0.8 mile."

Extra for trucks, trailers

Vehicles with 3 and 4 axles pay twice the car tolls while 5-axle vehicles like tractor trailers pay three times the car rates.

The new toll rates will apply from Jan 24 onward.

First anniversary of full toll collection today - Jan 14

South Bay Expressway is doing about 30k transactions a day.

The pike opened Nov 19 2007 and began cash toll collection Dec 3 with travel continuing free until Jan 14 2008 when transponder toll collection started.

South Bay Expressway is an investment of Macquarie which has the $635m project investment under a 35 year concession. The California legislature authorized negotiation of a ten year extension to the concession in return for some modification of concession conditions. But this has not yet occurred.

NOTE: By some measures the SBE is 14km or 9 miles.

http://www.southbayexpressway.com/

new toll rates: http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/SBEtolls.pdf

TOLLROADSnews 2009-01-14