Next Generation Bay Area Freeways Study

The Next Generation Bay Area Freeways Study will explore how pricing and other strategies could transform the Bay Area’s freeway network into a modern network with reliable transportation options.

This planning study is a first step in identifying a roadmap to implement Plan Bay Area 2050’s Strategy "T5." It looks to 2030 and beyond, and will consider tolling on congested freeways in areas that also have good public transportation options.

Pricing strategies need a clear focus on social and racial equity. Without it, they can and will deepen existing inequities in our transportation system and in society as a whole. The Next Generation Bay Area Freeways Study will explore equitable and politically acceptable pathways that combine pricing with additional strategies that will work together for equity goals. This may include exemptions, discounts or transit improvements. The overall goal is to reach win-win outcomes and advance Plan Bay Area 2050’s equity, climate and mobility targets.

Areas of Focus

MTC invests in various programs and projects that help provide alternatives to driving on freeways. However, many people in the Bay Area need to drive — often alone — for a variety of reasons. The current system, which is free to use, is not equitable if people who absolutely need to use it cannot make reliable journeys.

The Next Generation Freeways Study will look at freeway corridors that are (or would be) served well by public transit, and seeks to determine if pricing would:

• Encourage drivers to travel during off-peak hours
• Encourage drivers to consolidate their trips and make their own driving routes more efficient
• Encourage drivers to choose alternate destinations, if possible
• Encourage drivers to take public transit or carpool instead of driving alone

The study will also seek answers to questions like:

• Who is using the freeway network now? And why are they driving alone?
• What are our shared goals for a next generation freeway network?
• Can new tolls be implemented in a way that is equitable for all people in the Bay Area?
• How could toll revenues be used to advance equitable outcomes?
• How do we make sure that new fees will not harm people with low incomes?
• How could transit improvements be implemented before tolls begin?
• Due to the jobs-housing imbalance, many people live far from where they work. How will freeway pricing work for them?
• What is the impact on local streets that are parallel to freeways?

Many other questions remain to be addressed, and an equity framework will provide a foundation for discussions in this study.

Three Major Study Components

1. Community engagement with the diverse communities of the Bay Area, as well as stakeholder engagement with government and non-governmental organizations
2. Technical analysis using MTC’s travel model to evaluate the effectiveness of proposed pathways and their impacts
3. Exploration of operational deployment, including the potential costs of implementing tolling

What are “Pathways?"

Pathways are defined as packages of pricing and complementary strategies that could help transform the Bay Area’s freeways. Pricing strategies cannot be one-size-fits-all and must work together with various policies and investments that enable win-win outcomes.

Complementary strategies could be:

• Exemptions and discounts
• Credits and rebates
• Transit improvements
• Local street and road improvements
• Walking and biking improvements
• Other mobility programs

Staff Contact

Anup Tapase, Next Generation Freeways Study Project Manager
Email: atapase@bayareametro.gov