State ban on sidewalk bridge tolls opposed

Golden Gate board fights bill, wants to keep options open

By Mark Prado, Marin IJ
Friday, May 13, 2005

Golden Gate Bridge directors, agitated by what they see as a state attempt to usurp their power, voted yesterday to oppose legislation that would prevent them from charging tolls to pedestrians and bicyclists.

"If the state wants to have these rules on state-run bridges that's fine - but I damn sure don't want the state of California telling us how to run our district," bristled board member Mike Kerns of Sonoma.

At issue is state Assembly Bill 748 sponsored by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, and co-authored by Joe Nation, D-San Rafael, which would prohibit agencies from charging bicyclists and pedestrians to cross state bridges or roads.

The bridge board - which met yesterday as the Governmental Affairs and Public information Committee - has considered charging tolls to bicyclists and pedestrians to help eliminate a projected $108 million, five-year deficit. Such a toll could raise $500,000 to $1.5 million annually, officials said.

"The state of California wants to tell us what to do," said Al Boro, a board member and mayor of San Rafael. "But if we don't have any money to pay for patrols we will have to close the bridge (sidewalks)."

But board member Leah Shahum, a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, said there was an "overwhelming amount of interest in the issue," and most people oppose the idea of a sidewalk toll.

"We need to figure out once and for all, do we or don't we want to do this," she said.

Deb Hubsmith, advocacy director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, testified at a recent Assembly hearing that sidewalk tolls are a bad idea, and she repeated those comments yesterday.

"It's important to send a message that alternative transportation is needed," she said, and asked the board to stay neutral on the legislation.

But the board voted 11-4 to oppose the legislation, with Sha-hum, San Francisco supervisors Bevan Dufty and Jake McGoldrick, and San Francisco representative Janet Reilly voting not to oppose AB 748. Marin members Boro, Supervisor Hal Brown and Dietrich Stroeh of Novato voted to oppose the legislation.

Today, members will meet as the full board and are expected to take the same vote.

The issue came to the attention of state legislators via the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and other bike groups.

The Golden Gate Bridge is not run by the state, but the legislation states the toll ban would apply to "any bridge or highway facility that is part of the state highway system." If approved, the sponsors are asking it take effect immediately.

The bill, which has been approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee, will go to the Appropriations Committee and then to the full Assembly before heading to the Senate for consideration.

No major bridge in the United States charges pedestrians and bicyclists access tolls, Hubsmith said.

Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at mprado@marinij.com