Travelers from low-income households can join a pilot program to pay reduced toll charges on the Interstate 880 Express Lanes, announced the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority in April.

The toll discounts are based on the number of people in the vehicle. Solo drivers will receive 50% off the posted toll; vehicles with two people will receive a 75% discount; and vehicles with three or more travelers pay no tolls.

The discount only applies to the I-880 Express Lanes and not to any other Bay Area Express Lanes or toll bridges. According to BAIFA, the I-880 Express Lanes extend about 20 miles in the northbound direction from the Alameda-Santa Clara county line to Lewelling Boulevard in San Lorenzo, and about 25 miles in the southbound direction from Hegenberger Road in Oakland to the Alameda-Santa Clara county line.

Applicant’s household income must be no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for the program. For a family of four, that means an annual income of about $60,000.

The pilot program runs for 18 months, and the first 12 months of operations will be evaluated to

determine whether the program should continue.

“MTC has a long history of serving low-income residents through community-based planning and other outreach programs,” said Commission member and Union City Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci in an agency news release. “Express Lanes START demonstrates an expanding commitment to make commuting in the Bay Area more affordable to a wider group of people, and we want to get the word out so those who qualify take advantage of this pilot program.”

For households interested in applying for the program, BAIFA is accepting applications at

expresslanesstart.org or a paper application can be mailed to the agency.

Applications are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Participants do not need to have a FasTrac account already to apply for the pilot program. If selected to participate, they will be given a unique code to create a new account. If households already have a FasTrac account, the discount will be added automatically.