Wolk works to ban tolls on pedestrians, bikes

Assembly Transportation Committee approves measure to prevent proposed toll on Golden Gate Bridge

This year, Golden Gate Bridge directors are considering a proposal to levy a $1 toll on pedestrians and cyclists wishing to cross the famed structure. The proposal has been made twice before. Currently, no major bridge in the United States charges pedestrians and bicyclists access tolls. In the past, the proposal stirred enough negative response to quash attempts.

“AB 748 addresses recent proposals to impose tolls on bicyclists and pedestrians, though the State itself has long supported bicycling as a viable transportation option,” said Assemblywoman Wolk. “I understand that we are experiencing a budget crunch, but charging Californians to walk or bike across a public bridge is not the answer. Most bicyclists and pedestrians also own cars and pay taxes for transportation infrastructure. Taxing them again to use the environmentally preferred alternative makes no sense.”

“Gas prices continue to rise to record levels. Traffic strains our aging highways and pollutes the air. We need to encourage, not discourage, use of traffic-easing, environmentally friendly modes of transportation,” concluded Wolk.

AB 748, to be heard next in Assembly Appropriations Committee, is sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition, and supported by numerous local organizations including the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, and Bay Area lawmakers.