Nov 23, 2008 7:07 pm US/Pacific
Antioch Bridge Cameras To Catch Toll Violators
ANTIOCH (CBS 5 / KCBS) ―
Antioch Bridge commuters may want to slow down while they roll through the toll lanes in order to avoid getting caught on new, high-tech cameras designed to make it easier to track down drivers who dodge bridge tolls or use the FasTrak lane illegally.
According to the Bay Area Toll Authority, the Antioch Bridge receives the least traffic among the seven state-run toll spans, making it the perfect candidate to test the new cameras.
Officials have been working on the project for years, spending close to $7.5 million.
John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Toll Authority, says the idea is to give bridge officials a clearer picture of the front and rear license plates and to use an infrared device to read them.
"This will certainly give us a clearer picture. … This is a new generation of equipment, the equipment that is currently in places has been there, in some places, for 10 years. So this brings us into the 21st century with the technology."
Officials hope to have the new cameras installed on the bridge in 90 days and on all of the state run toll bridges by August.
The Authority loses $13 million in tolls each year but says it collects $14 million in additional fines and penalties when people get caught.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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