California Assemblymember Phil Ting announced Friday he’s proposing keeping Bay Area bridges free for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Currently there’s a ban on tolls for anyone walking or bicycling across any of the state’s seven toll bridges that have sidewalk access, all of which are located in the Bay Area.
However, because the ban expires in January 2021, Ting is introducing Assembly Bill 2674 in order to extend the toll ban for another 10 years.
“We have spent decades promoting active lifestyles to improve our health and carbon-free transportation alternatives to combat our climate crisis. Sidewalk tolls would undo that work,” Ting said in a statement. “My
bill ensures everyone has free access to bike and walk across California’s iconic bridges, encouraging more people to get out of their cars and enjoy the outdoors.”
Back in 2015, Ting authored AB 40, the original law to ban tolls for pedestrians and bicyclists for five years. He authored it just as the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District was considering a sidewalk fee for the more than 10,000 pedestrians and 6,000 bicyclists who cross the bridge daily.
According to Ting’s office, keeping the state’s toll bridge’s sidewalks free exemplifies California’s commitment to public recreation, while fostering sustainable ways to move around.
AB 2674 is expected to be heard in committee in the coming months, Ting’s office said.
Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition, said, “Bicycling and walking are solutions to many problems we face. State policy should encourage people to walk and bike, not penalize them by charging a fee to use public roads and bridges.”
27 comments
6000 bikes x $6 = $36,000 – cost to collect the tolls Result, hardly seems worth the effort.
they would need toll takers 24/7 365, which would far surpass the 36,000. and… the bridges are doing away with toll takers completely… the walkers are gonna have to wear a fastrak necklace ir something??? the motion carries…
It won’t cost $6 for bikes or pedestrian–it would be less; and your figure above needs to include multiple days x $6 or whatever, since they wouldn’t be crossing for just once day usually.
Wow do these politicians love hearing themselves talk
Their constituents barely pass high school
And these politicians throw 2nd year bias remarks at the voters like its candy
Really surprises me how far up themselves democrats are about who they represent
I mean fostering ways ….really
Voters are swayed by shiny objects
Not a masters degree
Lie to them
Promise a solution
But talking favorably as if your at a dinner party for oscama is pointless
Makes you seem out of touch with the reality you have cast over voters
@Random Task
How disillusioned are you that criticizing the choice of the word ‘fostering’ is somehow more important than the actual position that is being taken on the issue.
Are you pro-toll for pedestrians and cyclists?
Who said anything about master’s degrees?
What are “2nd year bias remarks”?
What are you even saying?
Darn, I though Fat was going to make some sense out of Random’s ranting so we all could understand it. Nice try though
Bridge tolls(a play on words for a tax) were originally supposed to end when the Bay Area brides were payed for. However, the politicians never ending quest to bleed the tax paying working class of their hard earned money put a stop to that long ago.
p.s. The Bay Bride alone brings in approximately $625,000 each day in tolls. Where does all that money go? Does anyone really care?
The Bay Bridge cost $6.4 Billion. At $625,000 it will take 10,240 days to pay for the bridge. That doesn’t factor salaries, maintenance, utilities, etc. in to the equation.
Joatmeal,
I’m referring to the long ago past, when the politicians made the statement(and the promise) regarding the original bridges around the Bay Area. Those bridges were payed for decades ago. I don’t think the politicians way back then had in mind that tolls would be used to pay for the bridges, and any future new bridges.
They’re dead and with them their promises. Is it in writing? If not it’s just fluffing like a used car salesmen would do. Don’t believe everything a politician tells you.
Cautiously Informed is correct. The original Bay and Golden Gate bridges were sold and then built on the concept that the tolls would pay off the construction bonds and then would be eliminated. The state of California would pay for ongoing maintenance out of the transportation budget.
When the Bay bridge was constructed tolls were collected in both directions. This bridge was much more popular than anticipated and so they were able to quickly lower the tolls from 65 cents to 50 cents and then later was dropped to 25 cents as they were well ahead of the bond payoff schedule. In 1969 they eliminated tolls for the eastbound direction and doubled the westbound tolls.
Much like local taxes that are supposed to sunset politicians managed to game the system to keep collecting tolls under the guise of new projects such improving the approaches to the bridges, as seismic upgrades, etc. We continue to see this practice today with local propositions J (transportation) and 13 (education) both claiming to raise “essential” revenue and that they will be replacing existing revenue streams that will be sunsetting. They don’t tell you that we will be paying both the old and new propositions for years.
The new eastern part of the Bay bridge is a $6.4 billion tax and spend boondoggle. Governor Schwarzenegger was advocating a plain concrete bridge all the way from Oakland to Yerba Buena island that would have cost in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. Local politicians wanted a very expensive “statement” bridge. The white Made in China tower immediately to the east of Yerba Beuna island cost us $6.4 billion all by itself. FWIW, this cost does not include however much it cost to demolish the old bridge.
Ozzie – yet you believe everything the democrat politicians say.
Can’t have it both ways….
Brilliant! Very encouraging for those who want to stay healthy and make a smaller carbon footprint.
Congrats on working to stay healthy and make a smaller carbon footprint. The big picture is a bit more daunting however. For example, 110,000 cars per day travel Ygnacio Valley Rd. I’m not sure how many plastic straws that equates to, but it must be a big number. We have to start somewhere though.
More locally is that there’s no toll for bicycles to get into Mt. Diablo State park.
The money maker wold be the Golden Gate Bridge with more than 10 million people visiting it each year.
Deslacker would never propose something like this,because it’s for everyone,not just a special interest group that will vote for him.
@WCResident, happy to pay a toll for access to mt diablo park if I can ride with no cars in the park.
I would be happy to pay more of a toll if there were no bikes in the park.
Bike riders are why I DON’T go to Mt. Diablo Park.
@WC – there are many miles of trails within the state park that don’t allow bicycles. Even on those trails that allow bicycles, it’s not a big deal because nearly always, bicycles are only allowed on the fire roads which are graded to be at least 12 feet wide. There’s room for everyone.
The same rules are used in open spaces such as Lime Ridge, Shell Ridge, Briones, etc.
I don’t care about that. I’m talking about the drive up and down on the narrow roads. Too dangerous for my taste.
Why does there have to be a “ban”?? Why can’t we be like everyone else and make if not even a thing?? Why not be just a bike path and walkway.
People need to fight against toll taxes in general. They hurt the poor and only inconvenience the rich.
A whole bunch of our tax dollars end up going to pay off the people/companies that fund politicians’ campaigns, which is why public construction projects cost multiple times more in California than they do in France. How about that stupid fence that serves no purpose in downtown Concord that cost us 100k$? We need to stand up against these backward taxes and scrutinize where the money goes
Time to tag the bicyclers………..they have been given a free ride for way too long. All the bike lanes and trails are paid for out of our DMV fees.
Time to bring out all the bike haters. Every time I ride my bike to the store or doctors office or whatever I am reducing traffic and not slowing anyone down. Except perhaps the morons who think 25mph through my neighborhood is the minimum. And your DMV fees don’t pay nothing to bike lanes. Some of them go to the CHP so they can pull you over on the freeway as you speed along.
Cyclists need to pay the same toll as electric cars. Pedestrians are free.
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