BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 40
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
40 (Ting and Levine)
As Amended April 15, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
|----------------+------+--------------------+-----------------------|
|Tranportation |13-2 |Frazier, Achadjian, |Kim, Melendez |
| | |Baker, Bloom, | |
| | |Campos, Chu, Daly, | |
| | |Dodd, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Gomez, | |
| | |Medina, Nazarian, | |
| | |O'Donnell | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+-----------------------|
|Appropriations |13-4 |Gomez, Bonta, |Bigelow, Gallagher, |
| | |Calderon, Chang, |Jones, Wagner |
| | |Daly, Eggman, | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Quirk, Rendon, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
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SUMMARY: Prohibits the imposition of tolls on pedestrians and
bicyclists on toll bridges in California that allow pedestrian and
bicycle access.
EXISTING LAW:
AB 40
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1)Establishes the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation
District (GGBHTD), which, among other functions and duties, owns
and operates the Golden Gate Bridge.
2)Authorizes the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to build toll bridges
3)Authorizes Caltrans to consider the inclusion of bicycle and
pedestrian facilities on toll bridges.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, "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: California has eight toll bridges, all located in the
San Francisco Bay Area. Seven of those bridges - 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 -
are owned by the state. The eighth, the Golden Gate Bridge, is
owned and operated by the GGBHTD. The Golden Gate Bridge and four
of the state-owned bridges - the Antioch, the Benicia-Martinez,
the Carquinez, and the Dumbarton - allow bicycles and pedestrians
to cross. In addition, 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. Currently bicyclists or
pedestrians do not pay a toll to cross any of these bridges.
When the Golden Gate Bridge first opened in 1937, pedestrians had
to pay $0.05 to cross. The sidewalk toll eventually rose to $0.10
before it was abolished in 1970. Pedestrians and bicyclists have
been able to cross the bridge for free ever since. GGBHTD, the
AB 40
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owner and operator of the bridge, 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.
This bill would prohibit GGBHTD from imposing a toll for
pedestrians or bicyclists to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. This
bill additionally prohibits pedestrian and bicycle tolls on
state-owned toll bridges. According to the author, this bill would
promote non-vehicular forms of transportation across bridges 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.
Analysis Prepared by:
Janet Dawson / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN:
0000611