Golden Gate officials approve financing plan including sidewalk access toll (San Francisco: transplants, condo)

[green papaya]

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District's Board of Directors Friday approved a financial plan to reduce its 5- and 10-year deficit projections, including a proposal to charge bicyclists and pedestrians for access to the bridge's sidewalk.

Golden Gate officials approve financing plan including... | www.ktvu.com

[sav858]

Wow, leave it to the Bay Area to come up with something this stupid.

[3rdGen SFan]

I heard about that crap on the local news, and it pissed me off.

I guess eventually just about everything will cost money, thanks to the money-hungry kinds of transplants who have been getting into the positions to milk the population of this city. I'm betting eventually even the beaches & parks will have fences around them with tolls to enter if the money-gluttons get their way.

Maybe the GG bridge should be covered in gold leaf and modified to have giant dollar sign towers in tribute of the money god that many of today's new SF population love & worship so much.

[Tulemutt]

Distasteful as it is, things are the same everywhere. It's not just SF.

[LoriBee62]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Distasteful as it is, things are the same everywhere. It's not just SF.

No kidding. Saw an article the other day that a school in Nebraska is letting kids pose with their firearms for their school pictures. The only requirement is that the photo is "tasteful" (an oxymoron).

So on one hand, you've got California looking for more ways to make money off tourists. On the other, you've got your kid's yearbook filled with teenagers fawning over glocks. Hmmmm....tough choice.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Distasteful as it is, things are the same everywhere. It's not just SF.

What other bridges charge pedestrians and cyclists to cross?

[HelloAaron]

Golden Gate bridge is some ridiculously huge tourist attraction. It'd bring money into the city that it desperately needs... now how will it go about being used is the question...

[LoriBee62]

Originally Posted by sav858

What other bridges charge pedestrians and cyclists to cross?

I think first you need to start with a list of bridges that pedestrians and cyclists WANT to cross then go from there.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by sav858

What other bridges charge pedestrians and cyclists to cross?

Tolls aren't being collected to cross the bridge - except for a very few cyclists, perhaps. It's an admission charge to a park feature attraction.

I don't condone it. But it's no different than Sonoma or Mendocino or other counties charging for parking and day use of their facilities. While I think public parks should be mostly free - with exceptions for certain fees like camping where costs become very hard to manage - my point is that there's nothing unique about San Francisco charging in this regard.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by LoriBee62

I think first you need to start with a list of bridges that pedestrians and cyclists WANT to cross then go from there.

The Bay Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, etc...not really seeing your point though.