<P> When the Bay Bridge opened in 1936, the toll was 65 cents, collected in each direction . Within months, the toll was lowered to 50 cents in order to compete with the ferry system, and finally to 25 cents since this was shown sufficient to pay off the original revenue bonds on schedule . As with other bridges of the era, passage was supposed to become free after completion of the repayment of the original bonds . </P> <P> In the interest of reducing the cost of collecting tolls and of building additional toll booths, all bridges in the Bay Area were converted to collect tolls in only one direction, with the toll amount collected doubled . Tolls on the Bay Bridge are now only collected from westbound traffic . Because the toll plaza is on the Oakland side, the western span is a de facto non-tolled bridge, as traffic between Yerba Buena Island and the main part of San Francisco can freely cross back and forth . </P> <P> Tolls were subsequently raised to finance improvements to the bridge approaches, required to connect with new freeways, and to subsidize public transit in order to reduce the traffic over the bridge . </P> <P> Caltrans, the state highway transportation agency, maintains seven of the eight San Francisco Bay Area bridges . (The Golden Gate Bridge is owned and maintained by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District .) </P>

Where does the bay bridge toll money go