Bay bridge, what lane

[thomas.tc.young]

So I met with a few other BARF'ers and they said we can take the HOV lane. When i cross the bay bridge, i see there are two. One on the left and one on the right. Pretty sure the one on the right says BUS and the one on the left says bus but i've seen motos in both. Can we go in the right one? It looks like a lot better of a transition to the bridge. Also, how do you get the 2.50 toll instead of the 7 dollar one? OR do you have to stop at the booth?

Is there any etiquette when waiting for the traffic light after the tolls? I've seen people splitting and blasting off at the light but it seams a little risky and rude??!

 

[Bumpits]

uhhhh i didnt know there was an hov lane.
Just grab a fasttrak and switch it to '3' for whatever's the cheapest option.
'blasting off at the light' i mean it's whatever, just mind the chp usually parked right next to the toll plaza.

 

[Toast]

The one on the right turns into a bus lane and you'll get a ticket if you use it. Any bike in CA can use an HOV lane, you can use the express lanes too but you're supposed to have the new Fastrak thing. I really doubt you would ever get pulled over for that though, since you can be there and it's free for bikes...

Since you're new just take it easy. I commuted over the bridge for years and I always split the traffic after the booths :2cents

 

[cheez]

On the left side, there are two. Use the left-most one, the cash cagers at the meter lights like to jump through those dividers and hit motorcycles in the right lane. I saw a CHP motor patrol officer down there recently from that behavior- and he had his pursuit lights going so it can happen to anyone.

Motorcycles are always considered HOV in California. Make sure you're registered as a M/C with the DMV and register your plate with FastTrak and then don't bother with the transponder- I pay $3.50 a day and haven't ever run a transponder on a bike.

I always cross the bridge between 1&2 and then move over between 4&5 before the Fremont exit where I get off when I see that "1 1/4 mi to exit" sign.

I always split through meter traffic- it says "one car per light"- well, this is a motorcycle, not a car.

 

[reasonable_max]

Just to clarify, are you talking about going from the east bay into the city? The HOV lanes aren't ON the bridge, they're before the toll.

The one on the right is HOV only during rush hours. Other than that you're right, it's a bus only lane.

I ride the bay bridge daily. I usually come in from 24 so I take the left HOV lane. Sometimes I get lucky and traffic is light so I'll cut across to the right side just for variety.

You need to get a fasttrak and register your plates on their website, and the toll is cheaper in the HOV lanes (only) during rushhour.

 

[jwb]

So I met with a few other BARF'ers and they said we can take the HOV lane. When i cross the bay bridge, i see there are two. One on the left and one on the right. Pretty sure the one on the right says BUS and the one on the left says bus but i've seen motos in both. Can we go in the right one? It looks like a lot better of a transition to the bridge. Also, how do you get the 2.50 toll instead of the 7 dollar one? OR do you have to stop at the booth?

Is there any etiquette when waiting for the traffic light after the tolls? I've seen people splitting and blasting off at the light but it seams a little risky and rude??!

If you end up at a metering light, you have done it wrong. The carpool lanes are usually not or never metered. Best thing is to take the southernmost/leftmost one, if you're coming from I-580. Beware all the bozos jumping out of the cash lanes suddenly, and non-carpool drivers entering from the left who want to cut across. These people should all be shot, yes, but so far it is not CHP policy.

 

[RightCoastBias]

The one on the right turns into a bus lane and you'll get a ticket if you use it. Any bike in CA can use an HOV lane, you can use the express lanes too but you're supposed to have the new Fastrak thing. I really doubt you would ever get pulled over for that though, since you can be there and it's free for bikes...

Since you're new just take it easy. I commuted over the bridge for years and I always split the traffic after the booths :2cents

That's incorrect. The north side toll plaza HOV crossing is 100% useable by motorcycles and carpoolers during commute hours. Outside commute hours, it's bus only.

 

[ZCrow]

Take the right. Why? One because it is faster because you bypass the toll booths entirely. Two because there are less vehicles that way. Three because after you pass the toll area you are farther away from traffic and the right lane generally has less traffic and has more room to split than lanes 1 & 2. It is generally just as fast and less stress than lanes 1 & 2.

The only downside is coming out of the tunnel the far right lane and half of the lane next too it are super slick, particularly when wet. So I general take a middle lane just through the tunnel and then shift back to the right after.

Lane 1 & 2 tend to attract really bad drivers as well. I like to stay away from crazy drivers.

 

[Toast]

That's incorrect. The north side toll plaza HOV crossing is 100% useable by motorcycles and carpoolers during commute hours. Outside commute hours, it's bus only.

Yeah, it turns into a bus lane after commute hours. I never bothered to use that lane unless I was coming from Emeryville, the other side just goes thru no problem.

 

[seralat]

Take the right. Why? One because it is faster because you bypass the toll booths entirely. Two because there are less vehicles that way. Three because after you pass the toll area you are farther away from traffic and the right lane generally has less traffic and has more room to split than lanes 1 & 2. It is generally just as fast and less stress than lanes 1 & 2.

Zack has the right of it here. I've moto commuted for decades and ridden thousands of miles crossing the BB, roughly half that time hitting the toll plaza from the left side via 580 and half from the right side via 80.

I go through whatever side I enter the plaza from because trying to cut across during rush hour exposes you to all kinds of tomfoolery from cranky drivers, unless it's one of those magical days when the toll plaza is practically empty.

The right side is definitely less stressful, with the major bonus that cars don't jump from the non-HOV entry lanes into the right-side lanes after the toll plaza like they do on the left side, as Dan mentions. Added plus is there's much less oil on the right side because there aren't any toll booths for people to stop or slow at as they enter the bridge. However, as others have pointed out, the right side is bus-only outside of commute hours.

Not sure why anyone on a moto who has a fastpass would go through any of the regular toll-booth lanes during commute hours. That's just silly. Outside of commute hours, I always split up to the front of the line before the tool booth and then up to the metering lights afterwards.

 

[drkrang]

I think just using the closest fastrak lane is best, regardless of which side you approach from. It's easy enough to move over to the other side, if needed for any reason, as you exit the toll plaza.

 

[Sharky]

On the left side, there are two. Use the left-most one, the cash cagers at the meter lights like to jump through those dividers and hit motorcycles in the right lane. I saw a CHP motor patrol officer down there recently from that behavior- and he had his pursuit lights going so it can happen to anyone.

This is true. Use the far left HOV lane, to avoid the dipshits jumping into the carpool after the lights. I saw that CHP accident too.

 

[CBear]

This is true. Use the far left HOV lane, to avoid the dipshits jumping into the carpool after the lights. I saw that CHP accident too.

Is this left HOV lane equivalent to the carpool lane on the far right that splits off from the main flow of the bay bridge traffic at the toll plaza? I'm familiar with the far right lane that has no toll plaza and is bus only outside of carpool hours (5-10, 3-7). It's magical and has no traffic. I've never taken the far left lanes though...

 

[newtobikes]

I think it's the same besides the bus lane factor.

 

[RightCoastBias]

Is this left HOV lane equivalent to the carpool lane on the far right that splits off from the main flow of the bay bridge traffic at the toll plaza? I'm familiar with the far right lane that has no toll plaza and is bus only outside of carpool hours (5-10, 3-7). It's magical and has no traffic. I've never taken the far left lanes though...

The south side HOV toll crossing is HOV only during commute hours. At 10, it becomes a regular fasttrak lane.

That crossing has two lanes, the one on the right can be very dangerous, as cagers like to jump the line. I've seen probably 10-12 cagers do this in my 7 years of year round commuting. I've personally had 2-3 close calls and have exclusively used the left most lane because of it. Just a few weeks ago I stopped for a rider who had been hit by a car, and then that car took off.

As others have mentioned, there was a Moto CHiP hit there recently.

So if you use the south HOV crossing, be cautious.