»In which we ask for whom the bridge tolls

The Golden Gate Tranportation District plans to impose a $1 toll for cyclists and pedestrians on the Golden Gate Bridge. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition strongly opposes this plan, as do I:

A bike/pedestrian toll is at direct odds with San Francisco’s transit-first policy, which encourages sustainable, non-congesting modes of transportation, such as biking, walking and public transit, over individual automobile trips. This proposed toll would send the exact wrong message about the priorities that San Francisco voters have approved.
A bike/pedestrian toll is environmentally shortsighted. We know that auto trips are a major generator of air and water pollution, and a major problem for the Bay Area. To discourage people from choosing sustainable modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, will result in increased pollution. This is unacceptable.

A bike/pedestrian toll is an inequitable “user fee.” As an SFBC member pointed out recently in a “Letter to the Editor” in the SF Chronicle, bicyclists could, at most, be charged pennies, based on their weight and related wear-and-tear on the Bridge. For instance, if the average vehicle weighs 4,500 pounds and is charged a $6 toll, then the average bicycle at 20 pounds should be charged 2.5¢. Flipping this equation around, if a $1 toll is levied on bicyclists, this would equate to a $240 toll on auto drivers.

I sent a letter to Senator Migden:

I strongly support Assembly Bill 748 and any efforts to prohibit bicycle tolls on all public bridges and roadways.

Walking and bicycling reduce traffic congestion, vehicle emissions, and oil dependency. In addition, bicycling and walking provide the kind of physical activity necessary to fight the growth in obesity, diabetes, and asthma.

AB 748 will encourage Californians to take advantage of the most sustainable and healthy modes of transportation possible, and ensure that they are not penalized for cutting down on traffic and harmful pollution.

I ride across the Bridge several times each month, to commute and for recreation. Were the toll in place, I will be less inclined to do so: I will ride elsewhere. Placing a monetary toll on activities which are good for tourism, the environment, and place little additional stress on the bridge infrastructure is simply not a good idea.

I strongly oppose the Golden Gate Bridge District's efforts to penalize people who walk and bike on the Bridge. Please support AB 748 and a healthier, safer Bay Area.

The San Francisco Chronicle published a nice feature article on cheap and friendly transit on two wheels in San Francisco, and the New York Times reported that the NYPD arrested 49 cyclists during last Friday's Critical Mass.