Commuters find carpool rules aren’t always easy to navigate

Q : Can you explain the toll road system again? I think my wife and I finally get it, but a review would be good. — Nicholas Virgallito, Concord

A Yes, and here are a couple of reasons why.

Q I got a ticket for a FasTrak violation on Interstate 580 heading toward Tracy with my son with me. The FasTrak lane is also a carpool lane, right? The last I checked a carpool is two or more right? Can you straighten this out? If I am in the wrong I’ll gladly pay the $27 fine. — Cesar Gabriel, San Jose

A And ...

Q I received a notice of toll evasion for using the FasTrak HOV lane on Interstate 680 near Danville. Apparently the HOV lane is now a toll lane even though the HOV lane signs are still in place. I and my two passengers concluded that if the HOV signs were in place, those rules would apply. I was quite surprised when the notice came in the mail.

I live in an area where there are no HOV or toll lanes and am not familiar with this twist on the rules. I feel taken advantage of. Is the violation in error? — Marc Kirby, Aptos

A No. To use the toll lanes on 580 and 680 and count as a carpool to ride free, you need a FasTrak Flex tag set to 2 or 3. This is the way it will be on future express lanes. If you have an old tag, which does not enable drivers to indicate if they are a carpool, you can use the express lane but will be charged.

Call the FasTrak number on the invoice and explain what happened. They likely will remove the fine if you get a transponder.

Also, new express lanes run almost all day, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays.

Q I have great luck with the Waze carpool app. Every day I pick someone up either to or from work. Anyone and everyone in the valley who commutes to BART or on East Bay roads needs this app. I even started a Tracy carpool group on Facebook to spread the word. — Daniel Larios

A That’s @tracy carpool and ride share.

Q Why is VTA still running buses to north Fremont when the trip to the new Warm Springs station is about half as far? Can’t they move line 181 to the south Fremont BART station? — David Henschel, San Jose

A There are four different express buses serving Fremont BART, all with different destinations. But BART operates only one line to Warm Springs, with every other train turning back at Fremont. When BART opens in Santa Clara County, buses will run to Berryessa.