FasTrak

FasTrak

Industry	Electronic toll collection
Founded	1993
Area served	California

FasTrak is the electronic toll collection (ETC) system used in the state of California in the United States. It operates statewide on all toll roads, toll bridges, and high-occupancy toll lanes that are part of the California Freeway and Expressway System.

Like other ETC systems, FasTrak is designed to eliminate the need for vehicles to stop at toll booths, thereby reducing traffic congestion commonly associated with toll collection. Its implementation aligns with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Intelligent Transportation Systems initiative.

California's toll facilities are decentralized and managed by various local public agencies and special-purpose districts, rather than being operated directly by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) or another centralized state agency. Concerned about the potential development of incompatible ETC systems, the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1523 in 1990. This legislation required Caltrans to develop a statewide ETC specification that all toll agencies were mandated to follow.^[1][2]

In 1993, the Transportation Corridor Agencies opened the Foothill Toll Road in Orange County, marking the first implementation of the standardized ETC system, which it branded as FasTrak. The state continues to delegate the responsibility for issuing and managing FasTrak accounts to individual toll agencies.