Today, I drove across all three major Bay Area bridges and only paid for one of them.
I had three in my car for the Golden Gate Bridge commute early this a.m. into San Francisco, so I qualified for a car pool, saving $5 cash or $4 with my Fastrak transponder. This famed span, which cost 25¢ to cross when I was a kid, now supports a fleet of ferry boats and buses through Golden Gate Transit.
Next, I motored from SF to the Oakland International Airport via the 8-mile-long San Francisco- Oakland Bay Bridge. I was going east, in the free direction. It’s $3 going west.
Then, I came back to Marin County via the 5.5-mile Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for $3, which was paid automatically with my FastPass.
This day was a rarity because of all the driving. But I saw San Francisco, Oakland, the Berkeley Hills, many of the Bay Area’s hills, the Pacific Ocean, S.F. Bay, and three of its nine counties –– all with gorgeous views on a sparkling 90-degree day.