BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 40
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
40 (Ting) - As Amended April 15, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill prohibits the imposition of a toll on the passage of a
pedestrian or bicyclist over any bridge in the state where tolls
are imposed on the passage of motor vehicles.
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FISCAL EFFECT:
Potentially significant foregone revenue, perhaps in the
millions of dollars, to the extent this bill preempts a future
decision to charge a toll on pedestrians and/or bicyclists using
toll bridges. [State Highway Account and local bridge toll
accounts.]
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. As introduced, this bill prohibited the imposition of
tolls only on pedestrians or bicyclist crossing the Golden
Gate Bridge, which is operated by the Golden Gate Bridge,
Highway, and Transportation District (GGBHTD). When that
bridge first opened in 1937, pedestrians had to pay five cents
to cross. The sidewalk toll eventually rose to 10 cents before
being abolished in 1970. The district has explored reinstating
a toll for use of the sidewalks several times since then but
has never elected to impose the toll. GGBHTD is currently
facing an operating deficit of $32.9 million over the next
five years as well as $209 million in unfunded capital needs,
and recently adopted a 45-point plan aimed at keeping the
district solvent. One point in the plan is to evaluate
sidewalk access fees.
According to the author, this bill, by prohibiting a toll on
pedestrians and bicyclists, would promote non-vehicular forms
of transportation across the bridge that improve air quality,
combat climate change and encourage physical activity. The
author also argues that maintaining free access to the Golden
Gate Bridge's sidewalks is critical to preserving overall
access to the extensive network of parks, paths, and trails
that connect the North Bay to the South Bay, of which the
bridge is a part.
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In addition to the Golden Gate, there are seven other toll
bridges in California - the Antioch Bridge, the
Benicia/Martinez Bridge, the Carquinez Bridge, the Dumbarton
Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the San Mateo Hayward Bridge
- all of which are owned by the state. Only four of these
bridges - the Antioch, the Benicia-Martinez, the Carquinez,
and the Dumbarton - allow bicycles and pedestrians to cross.
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. There is currently no toll for
bicyclists or pedestrians on any of the state-owned toll
bridges.
2)Prior Legislation. AB 748 (Wolk) of 2005, a similar bill, was
vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger over his concern that it
usurped local authority of the GGBHTD.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
AB 40
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