Golden Gate Bridge toll to rise $1 to $6 cash, to $5 ET on Sept 1

The board of directors has approved a one dollar or 20% increase in the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge to go into effect September 1 making the new toll $6 for cars paying cash and $5 by transponder. The per axle rate for trucks is half the car rate. Tolls are levied only on the southbound direction of travel. Northbound is always free.

The toll increase is designed to close an average $18m/yr projected deficit ($91m over five years) of the bridge district which runs buses and ferries as well as the bridge. 

Tolls were last increased in September 2002 after eleven years during which they were frozen at $3. The September 2002 toll increase took cash tolls to $5 and transponder tolls to $4.

Major expenditures on the bridge include a phased seismic retrofit to reduce vulnerability to earthquakes and security measures.

Doyle Drive the approach on the San Francisco side needs major reconstruction. Substantially unchanged since 1936 the $1 billion project would be funded by all-electronic toll collection from gantries.

Overcoming the ravages of Carney Campion

Between 2002 and 2007 under general manager Celia Kupersmith the GGB made major economies on the bloated costs inherited from the administration of Carney J Campion, a longtime political fixer and 'good ole boy' who almost bankrupted the great bridge in the 1990s.

Staff has been cut 22%, wages were frozen for two years and tougher labor bargains struck subsequently, employees were required to pay more for less health insurance, bus service was reduced 25%, ferry seats by 23%, and board of directors expenses by 50%.

Instead of completely subsidizing the hugely lossmaking buses and ferries at the expense of neglecting the bridge, the Bridge District under Kupersmith got transit contributions from Marin County to the north and grants from other governments.

Disability discount

In a new concession to the handicapped lobby persons with a District disability card will pay half the cash toll rate, the board decided.

Variable toll rate proposal deferred

The board deferred action on a variable toll rate proposal pending USDOT approval of a grant to the Bay Area.  The variable toll plan to apply at the bridge and at the connecting US101 approach including the Doyle Drive expressway southbound would aim to meter traffic to maintain weekday peak vehicle speeds within 10mph of the posted speed limits.

Cash tolls would be $1 above the base toll while (FasTrak) transponder tolls could be 50c or $1 extra. The toll premiums would be focussed on 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm weekdays and 3pm to 7pm weekends and holidays. All vehicles except carpools would pay the higher peakhour toll.

Based on across the board toll increases traffic decreases on the GGB by 1% to 2% for each 10% increase in the toll but the reaction to time of day variations will be different, a GGB presentation notes.

Extra revenue of $3.8m/yr is estimated with $1 cash and 50c transponder increments and $5.2m/yr with $1/$1 increments.

Morning peak hour traffic southbound is estimated to be decreased 7.6% and 9.5% from the present 4,100 vehicles/hour. Speeds at present 23mph would be raised to 29mph and 31mph with the two options. Posted speeds are 30mph, 35mph and 45mph in different segments of the route with 39mph the weighted average posted speed.

on the variable toll proposal see

http://goldengate.org/toll/documents/FA050808s3VariableTollPres.pdf

BACKGROUND: In FY2007 in the toll-paying southbound direction traffic on the bridge was a daily average 54.1k, an increase of 1.4%. Bridge district bus patronage is about 20k passengers per day and ferry patronage 5.5k/day.

FY2007 toll revenues were $85m, bus fares $12m and ferry fares $9m. Visitor service concessions on the bridge gained $3m.

Marin County to the north contributed $14m toward the buses and ferries. Buses had operating costs of $62m and ferries $19m.

The bridge's operating cost was $40m for an operating surplus of $45m ($85m tolls - $40m).

Bridge district buses had an operating loss of $50m ($62m - $12m fares) and district ferries $10m ($19m - $9m fares).

TOLLROADSnews 2008-07-18