After Tolls, Who Gets Stuck With the Bill?

Nationwide, toll plazas are being replaced by FasTrak-style services or a camera that notes your license plate and mails you a bill. Case study: San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

$19 million

How much San Francisco will save in salaries and benefits to toll takers over eight years

19,471,116

Number of cars that paid the bridge’s toll last fiscal year

30%

Percentage of those cars that paid cash, rather than FasTrak

5,841,335

Non-FasTrak cars that will now be mailed a bill, rather than stopping to pay in cash (assuming FasTrak usage remains the same)

$54,080

Max annual salary of the former Golden Gate toll takers

$56,000

Rough salary of the San Francisco mail carriers who will now be doing the toll takers’ job

[Illustration by Luke Bott]