SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA – Traffic heading south on I680 at rush hour is notorious, but it could soon ease–for certain drivers, anyway.
During the pandemic, plenty of Silicon Valley types thought “I only need to visit the office a few times per month! I’ll live in the quieter, cheaper East Bay and commute to Mountain View for the occasional in-office!”
Then, of course, every tech company under the sun required its staff to return to the office, generally for at least 3 days per week.
The predictable result? Way more Southbound traffic on 680.
Now, there’s a new solution.
A new southbound express lane on I-680 opened February 13 between Alcosta Boulevard and State Route 84, closing a long-standing gap in the express lane network through Sunol, Pleasanton, Dublin, and San Ramon.
Alameda County Transportation Commission says the new segment creates a continuous express lane corridor linking Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Basically, there used to be a strange hole in the Express lanes. You could take one from around Alamo down to San Ramon. But then there was a big gap until you got south of Livermore.
For drivers who regularly get stuck on that stretch — especially on the southbound run through the Tri-Valley — the change is a big one. The new lane adds an option on one of the East Bay’s busiest commute corridors, and officials say the goal is better travel time reliability, not just for paying solo drivers, but also for carpools and transit users.
That last bit is important. If you’re willing to part with up to $12, you can pay to enter the lane as a solo driver.
Carpools of two or more with a FastTrek Flex, though, get in for free. Likewise, buses and other transit vehicles can use the lane too.
It used to be that solo vehicles with a Clean Air decal could enter the lane for free too. That changed earlier this year.
For solo Tesla drivers, you’re out of luck. But for genuine carpools, it’s a huge deal. Removing all the free solo drivers from the lanes means that they move even faster than before. When I drive in an Express lane for free with my three kids in the minivan, it’s a genuine time saver now.
The newly opened segment runs about 9 miles between Alcosta Boulevard and SR-84. Alameda CTC says Phase 1, the southbound portion, is now open, while the northbound half is planned for a future phase.
At the moment, there is an important temporary wrinkle: Alameda CTC says no tolls are being charged yet on this newly opened segment until tolling work is completed later this year. Drivers will see “Under Construction” notices on pricing signs in that segment until the toll system is ready.
So enjoy the free extra lane while you can, solo drivers! Then, prepare to cede it to the minivan drivers of the world. Or, coordinate with a colleague and car pool to work for a big, free boost.
