Pleasanton Commuter Takes 100,000th Trip on New I-680 Express Lane

A lab equipment technician from Pleasanton took the 100,000th trip on the new I-680 Express Lane last month, as usage of the new lane continues to rise. Larry Urquhart took the historic trip on January 13, 2011, Express Lane records show. Urquhart, a technician for Beckman Coulter, says he uses the lane two days a week en route to service calls in the Palo Alto area.

"I really like the lane," Urquhart said. "It's a nice feature to have when you don't have someone to carpool with. I just wish it was going in both directions."

Since opening last September 20, the southbound Express Lane over the Sunol Grade from Pleasanton to Milpitas has seen weekly average usage increase by more than 20 percent. The lane reached a high of 2,024 users on January 20, 2011.

Express Lane officials are pleased with the results so far. "We're seeing more drivers each month choosing to use the Express Lane to avoid traffic congestion," said Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, Chair of the I-680 Express Lane Authority Board of Directors. "In less than five months, we're right on target for projected revenue and the number of vehicles using the lane."

Tolls on the new facility are collected electronically with FasTrak�, which is managed by MTC's Bay Area Toll Authority.