SFO Enabling Travelers To Use Highway Toll Devices in Parking Lots

Orange County toll road customers who have transponders could soon be able to charge parking fees to their accounts.

Beginning early next year San Francisco International Airport expects to let travelers pay for parking by using their FasTrak accounts.

The program -- the first in the state -- comes as electronic tolling and transponder uses are expanding, said Frank Barbagallo, deputy director for toll compliance at the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which oversees the San Joaquin Hills (73) and Foothill/Eastern toll roads.

Today the agency's board of directors is expected to approve three agreements allowing SFO, along with new toll facilities in San Diego and Alameda County, to use its trademarked FasTrak name. As part of the licensing agreement with San Francisco, the agency requested that account holders be able to pay for parking with their transponders.

"It's exciting," said Barbagallo, adding that there is a huge number of transponders outside Orange County, including 7,000 tags in the Bay Area. "We are delighted to be part of this." The agency has 659,103 transponders across the state, with the highest concentration in Orange County and the Southern California region.

According to the agency, airports in New York, New Jersey, Texas and Florida let patrons pay for parking with transponders.

Others could be on the way.

San Diego International Airport at Lindbergh Field hopes to incorporate the technology into its parking garages by 2010 when it completes an airport expansion, said Sharie Shipley, a spokeswoman.

John Wayne Airport will also consider FasTrak payment options when it upgrades parking lots as part of its five-year, $512 million project to build a terminal and add 2,000-plus parking spots. Today it would be too difficult to add the technology because structures would have to be modified.

"If we could come up with a plan where we would offer some automatic pay card and exit quicker, we would look into something like that as well," said Jenny Wedge, John Wayne spokeswoman, who added that the airport will watch San Francisco's project closely. "Whatever is easier for the passengers is beneficial to everybody."

Still, parking and transponders is only the beginning, said Barbagallo, who believes the tags are emerging as another payment method, like Visa and MasterCard. Several years ago the agency did a pilot project with McDonald's allowing FasTrak customers to buy food with transponders. It was discontinued when the restaurant decided to go with debit cards. But other ideas are in the works: Recently, an agency that represents gas stations approached the agency.

"Transponders and toll accounts are just now beginning to be understood for the power they provide private businesses and government agencies."

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