Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Toll 2026
$8.50 for every payment method in 2026. Carpool $4.25 with 3+ occupants during weekday commute hours. The I-580 crossing of the northern bay, linking Richmond to San Rafael. Tolls westbound only.
The 580 Bridge Toll Is $8.50 in 2026
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge carries Interstate 580 across the northern San Francisco Bay. The toll is a flat $8.50 for a passenger car, the same whether you pay with FasTrak or pay-by-plate, collected westbound only toward San Rafael.
Heading the other way across the bay? The full Bay Area bridges guide compares all eight crossings, and the Bay Area Trip Builder totals a multi-bridge route.
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Carpool Hours
The carpool discount runs weekdays 5:00-10:00 AM and 3:00-7:00 PM. Outside those windows, every vehicle pays the standard $8.50 toll.
To qualify for the $4.25 carpool rate you need all three:
- 1. 3 or more occupants in the vehicle (uniform at all seven state-owned bridges since January 1, 2026)
- 2. A FasTrak Flex transponder set to position 3 before you reach the plaza (a standard FasTrak tag does not get the discount here, unlike the Bay Bridge)
- 3. The designated carpool lane during the weekday discount hours
See the carpool guide for how FasTrak Flex positions work across every bridge.
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge at a Glance
2026 Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Toll Rates
Westbound only, at the plaza on the Richmond side. BATA schedule effective January 1, 2026, verified June 2026. Source: bayareafastrak.org.
| Payment Method | Passenger Car | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FasTrak (standard) | $8.50 | Same price as pay-by-plate until January 2027, when FasTrak becomes $9.00 vs $9.25 plate. |
| Pay-by-plate | $8.50 | License plate captured, bill mailed to registered owner. |
| Carpool (FasTrak Flex 3+) | $4.25 | Transponder set to position 3, three or more occupants, weekdays 5-10 AM and 3-7 PM. |
| Cash | Not accepted | All Bay Area toll bridges have been fully electronic since 2020. |
| Out-of-state E-ZPass / SunPass | Not accepted | Will be billed at the pay-by-plate rate. |
About the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge carries Interstate 580 across the northern reach of San Francisco Bay, linking the East Bay city of Richmond with San Rafael in Marin County, where I-580 meets US-101. Including its approaches it runs about 5.5 miles (29,040 feet), and when it opened on September 1, 1956 it ranked among the longest bridges in the world. It is a double-deck structure: westbound traffic toward San Rafael uses the upper deck, eastbound traffic the lower.
The bridge carries roughly 80,000 vehicles on a typical day. The toll plaza sits at the Richmond (east) end and charges westbound traffic only; the eastbound trip back toward the East Bay is free. A bicycle and pedestrian path runs along the north side of the upper deck and is open from Thursday afternoon through late Sunday night; the rest of the week that lane serves as an emergency shoulder.
In January 2026 the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge became the first state-owned Bay Area toll bridge to begin converting to open-road tolling, where vehicles are charged at highway speed beneath overhead gantries rather than slowing through a plaza. Lane restriping and gantry installation are scheduled to ramp up from July 2026. The conversion changes how the toll is collected, not the price.
The bridge is operated by the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), which runs all seven state-owned Bay Area toll bridges on a single schedule: $8.50 for a two-axle vehicle in 2026, rising in 50-cent annual steps through 2030.
How Richmond-San Rafael Compares
| Bridge | FasTrak | Pay-by-Plate | Carpool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond-San Rafael (you are here) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Bay Bridge (I-80) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| San Mateo (SR-92) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Dumbarton (SR-84) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Carquinez (I-80) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Benicia-Martinez (I-680) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Antioch (SR-160) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Golden Gate | $10.25 | $10.50 | $8.25 (3+) |
See the full Bay Area bridges overview or the Golden Gate Bridge toll guide. Planning a multi-bridge trip? The Bay Area Trip Builder totals your route across all eight bridges.
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Toll FAQ
How much is the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll in 2026?
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (the I-580 crossing) toll for a passenger car is $8.50 since January 1, 2026, the same price whether you pay with FasTrak or pay-by-plate. Payment methods only split into different prices from January 2027, when FasTrak becomes $9.00 versus $9.25 for a license plate account and $10.00 by invoice. Tolls are collected westbound only, from Richmond toward San Rafael. Eastbound crossings back toward Richmond are free.
What are the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge carpool hours and rate?
Carpool hours are weekdays 5:00-10:00 AM and 3:00-7:00 PM. During those windows, vehicles with 3 or more occupants pay $4.25 (half the standard $8.50 toll) using a FasTrak Flex transponder set to position 3 in the designated carpool lane. Outside those hours everyone pays the standard toll. Unlike the Bay Bridge, a standard FasTrak tag does not get the discount here; the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge requires the switchable FasTrak Flex tag. The 3-occupant minimum has applied at every Bay Area bridge since January 1, 2026.
Which direction does the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll, and can I avoid it?
Tolls are collected westbound only, from Richmond toward San Rafael, at the plaza on the Richmond (east) side. The eastbound trip back toward Richmond and the East Bay is always free. There is no toll-free road alternative across the northern bay here; the nearest other crossings are the Carquinez Bridge to the east (also $8.50) or driving all the way south around the bay. For regular commuters the realistic way to cut the cost is carpooling (3+ occupants, $4.25 during commute hours).
Can I bike or walk across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge?
Yes, on a part-time path. A bicycle and pedestrian path runs along the north side of the upper deck and is open from Thursday afternoon through late Sunday night. From Monday to Thursday morning the path is closed and the lane is used as an emergency shoulder for disabled vehicles. The path is free; tolls apply only to motor vehicles, westbound.
Why is there construction on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge?
The bridge is being converted to open-road tolling, where vehicles are charged at highway speed under overhead gantries instead of slowing through a toll plaza. In January 2026 it became the first state-owned Bay Area toll bridge to begin that conversion. Lane restriping and overhead gantry installation are scheduled to ramp up from July 2026. The toll itself ($8.50 in 2026) is unchanged by the project; it only changes how the toll is collected.
Is the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge cheaper than the Golden Gate Bridge?
Yes. The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is $8.50 for every payment method in 2026, while the Golden Gate Bridge is $10.25 with FasTrak and $10.50 by license plate. The Golden Gate is the most expensive Bay Area toll bridge; the Richmond-San Rafael and the other six state-owned crossings all share the lower BATA rate. The Richmond-San Rafael carpool rate ($4.25) is also lower than the Golden Gate carpool rate ($8.25), though the Richmond-San Rafael discount applies during weekday commute hours only, whereas the Golden Gate carpool rate applies at all hours.