(Sacramento, CA) – The California State Assembly passed legislation authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D–San Francisco) to prevent sidewalk tolls for pedestrians and cyclists crossing California’s toll bridges, all located in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge and seven state-owned bridges.
Assembly Bill (AB) 40 passed with a 57-12 vote and passes to the State Senate for further review.
“Sidewalk tolls would unravel decades of work to promote active lifestyles, create public recreation opportunities, and encourage environmentally sustainable transportation methods,” said Ting. “Our bridges connect the network of parks, paths, and trails we’ve built around the Bay Area. By passing this bill, we sent a powerful message that this legacy must be protected for all to enjoy.”
AB 40 was inspired by the Golden Gate Highway and Transportation District’s vote last October to study, again, the imposition of a sidewalk toll for pedestrians and cyclists in the context of its plan to eliminate a projected cumulative operating deficit over the next five years. A 2005 analysis conducted by the District found such a toll at the Golden Gate Bridge, the most visited bridge in the state, would generate just $500,000 to $1.5 million annually. If approved, the Golden Gate Bridge would become the only contiguous bridge in the nation with a sidewalk toll.
The Golden Gate, the Antioch, the Benicia-Martinez, the Carquinez, and the Dumbarton bridges allow bicycles and pedestrians to cross. In addition, the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge includes a bicycle and pedestrian path that will eventually extend from Oakland to Yerba Buena Island but will not extend across the entire bridge to San Francisco. Cyclists and pedestrians do not currently pay a toll to cross any of these bridges.
The Golden Gate Bridge is crossed by tens of millions of people each year, with as many as 10,000 pedestrians and 6,000 cyclists crossing each day. And, 43.6% of tourists report visiting the bridge during their visit to San Francisco.
There are four bridges at the borders of the United States that charge 50-cent pedestrian tolls. One links New York and Canada at Niagara Falls and the other three bridges link El Paso, Texas with Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Here is what supporters are saying about AB 40.
“The idea that ‘everyone should pay their fair share’ is a noble one but to use that argument to justify charging people when they walk or bicycle reflects a naïve and erroneous understanding of how we pay for the benefits and impacts of our transportation system.”
-Dave Snyder, Executive Director, California Bicycle Coalition
“A bridge toll would drastically reduce the number of people using the path for commute purposes, encouraging more people to use private vehicles for transportation, and would limit the number of people able to use the [Golden Gate] bridge and surrounding trails for healthy recreation.”
-Nicole Ferrara, Executive Director, Walk San Francisco
“Charging a toll for people biking and walking is antithetical to San Francisco and Marin County’s goals of improving our air quality, encouraging physical activity and improving public access to our most treasured places.”
-Tyler Frisbee, Policy Director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
“For many, the full experience of the Golden Gate Bridge is far more than a walk or a ride across this beautiful structure. The Golden Gate Bridge is woven into a much larger adventure that includes hiking trails, parks and bike paths on both sides of the bridge. To begin charging a fee for this “only in San Francisco” experience would significantly disrupt and diminish the opportunity to enjoy this iconic structure for visitors and residents equally.”
-Jon Ballesteros, Senior Vice President for Public Policy, San Francisco Travel
Further information about AB 40 is available at www.leginfo.ca.gov.