The Bay Area Toll Authority is considering increasing tolls on the seven state-owned Bay Area toll bridges, in an effort to finance the estimated $750 million cost of seismic retrofit projects on the Antioch and Dumbarton bridges

. To accomplish this, it needs to raise an extra $160 million in revenues per year.

If approved, the toll hikes would take effect July 1, 2010. BATA's different options include charging truck drivers $6 to $10 more per axle and $1 more for automobiles and motorcycles.

BATA is holding public hearings on the proposal on Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m., in the Wisteria Room of the Concord Senior Center, and on Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m., in San Francisco at the downtown campus of San Francisco State University.

According to the San Mateo County Times, truck drivers are not happy with the proposal. The publication interviewed Robert Ramorino, owner of Roadstar Trucking, who said the tolls would set his company back thousands of dollars each month due to the number of trips his drivers make over the bridges.

BATA said it needs the money because of the decline in toll-paying traffic over the bridges in the past five years, increasing operational expenses, and rising debt. The toll hike would affect the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, San Mateo-Hayward and San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridges. The change would not apply to the Golden Gate Bridge.

More info: www.mtc.ca.gov