Which airport for San Fran?

5 Disney Fans said:

I could purchase the FasTrak posted above from Costco, but with shipping it would be $50 and I would have to register it to the rental car once we pick it up. $50 may be a bargain though if the rental car agency will charge us by day since it is a 9 day rental (returning the car to LAS) with only using it for two Bay Bridge Crossings and potentially one Golden Gate.

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Thanks for coming back and not being scared off by a barrage of too much information.

I found out how much the rental car agencies charge for Golden Gate Bridge access. Some use "PlatePASS" while others use "Toll PASS" - both of which use the license plate number. They have a way to register online for personal vehicles where the toll is paid ahead of time; that's not the way the rental car agencies do it. However, the fees seem to be anywhere from $2.95 to $9.95 a day and up to $14.75 to $39.95 per week/month. That's on top of having to make a payment in advance.

http://goldengate.org/tolls/rentaltollprograms.php

If you're a Costco member, then I'd suggest maybe just buying a transponder at the closest one. We just dropped off a visitor at OAK yesterday, and then went straight to the closest Costco to get gas. It's only 9 minutes from the rental car center to the Costco in San Leandro. You could also get other supplies at Costco. I haven't purchased one at Costco, but it's one of the those big cardboard placards that you take to the cashier, and then you show your receipt at the pickup "cage". I think the $30 toll value should probably be enough, especially if it's just a $2.50 carpool toll and a $6 Golden Gate Bridge electronic toll.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Oak...ef9aae12063113d!2m2!1d-122.181865!2d37.720863

If you buy one at Costco, you don't have to register it immediately with your rental, but it doesn't work you might need to spend time on the phone explaining it.

Apparently you can opt out of your rental car agency's Golden Gate Bridge tolling if you make an online payment ($7) within 48 hours. During carpool hours it's $4 for carpools. However, I understand that if you don't make the payment in time, the fees from the rental car agencies are punitive if you've opted out.

This is where you can set up a "license plate" account to pay for it yourself:

https://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/signup/licenseprep.shtml

Thank you so much. I think the way to go is to get the Costco transponder in Oakland and then link it to the Rental Car. And you bring up an excellent point, I can get some things for the trip while we are there - case of water, bfast items, snacks etc.. I do worry that a stop at Costco will delay our leaving Oakland will impact our drive though as it will put us deeper into rush hour on a Friday evening. But we will just have to grab and go as quick as we can.

I REALLY appreciate the info!

I was also going to suggest just buying the Fastrak. And Costco is not the only place they sell them. They also sell them at many Walgreens. In fact the Walgreens at Northpoint shopping center is listed as selling them, and that's only about 3 blocks from Columbus Motor Inn. Apparently the Safeway across the street from Northpoint also has them. Good luck!

https://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/howitworks/wheretobuy.shtml

-Bob

5 Disney Fans said:

Thank you so much. I think the way to go is to get the Costco transponder in Oakland and then link it to the Rental Car. And you bring up an excellent point, I can get some things for the trip while we are there - case of water, bfast items, snacks etc.. I do worry that a stop at Costco will delay our leaving Oakland will impact our drive though as it will put us deeper into rush hour on a Friday evening. But we will just have to grab and go as quick as we can.

I REALLY appreciate the info!

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There is a deposit though. They indicate that $20 of the toll value is immediately applied to this deposit and not released until you register and link to a credit card. So for the Costco one ($30 toll value), you could probably use up to $10 immediately, and then register ASAP (with a credit card) to unlock the rest. Your credit card serves as the deposit. When you're done with it you can return it and get whatever is left back. The other thing is that you should have it out on the dash. Occasionally it doesn't work, so I'd recommend registering (and linking the rental car's license plate) as soon as possible.

Here's the return/refund form:

https://bayareafastrak.org/en/images/account_closure.pdf

And the basic info on deposits:

https://bayareafastrak.org/en/support/content/faq_general_retlr_content.html

Can I use my retail toll tag immediately after leaving the store?
Yes. Of your total purchase price, $20 is held as a temporary deposit and the remaining balance is available for use immediately to pay for tolls. You will need to open an account with the tag or add it to an existing account or else it will be inactivated shortly after its first use.

How long do I have to sign up for a new account or to add the retail toll tag to my existing account?
While a small balance is available for immediate use once you purchase a retail toll tag, we recommend that you complete the enrollment process for a new account or to add the toll tag to an existing account immediately after purchase. Otherwise, you will have seven (7) business days from its first use to complete the enrollment process or to add the toll tag to your existing account or else the toll tag will become "inactive" and in violation of California Vehicle Code 4770 and any other applicable law.

GrandBob said:

I was also going to suggest just buying the Fastrak. And Costco is not the only place they sell them. They also sell them at many Walgreens. In fact the Walgreens at Northpoint shopping center is listed as selling them, and that's only about 3 blocks from Columbus Motor Inn. Apparently the Safeway across the street from Northpoint also has them. Good luck!

https://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/howitworks/wheretobuy.shtml

-Bob

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Costco sells them at a discount though. And for the OP I was thinking it might be useful to have FasTrak ready to take advantage of the carpool/HOV lane on the Bay Bridge. That Costco is only a few minutes away. I've driven that stretch of 880 for years, and it's typically not bad unless there's an accident. However, the few times I drive into San Francisco, it can be really nasty. I've been stuck there for a half hour even though it's supposed to be the "reverse commute", but drivers fly right through the carpool (3+) lane. The evening carpool hours are 3-7 PM, and the cash toll is $6.

bcla, you are my hero. Thank you again for all of the fantastic information. I am totally planning on going to Costco as you suggested to pick up Fastrak and a few other items while I am there (case of water, snacks, b'fast items. so it will be well worth the stop for many reasons.