BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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Date of Hearing: March 23, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Jim Frazier, Chair
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(Levine) - As Amended March 12, 2015
SUBJECT: Robin Williams Tunnel
SUMMARY: Designates the tunnel on State Route (SR) 101, known
locally as the Waldo Tunnel and the Rainbow Tunnel, in Marin
County as the Robin Williams Tunnel. Specifically, this
resolution:
1)Describes the accomplishments of Robin Williams.
2)Designates the SR 101 tunnel between post miles 0.885 to 1.074
in Marin County as the Robin Williams Tunnel.
3)Requests that the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) determine the cost of the appropriate signs,
consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway
system, showing special designation and, upon receiving
donations from non-state sources covering that cost, to erect
those signs.
EXISTING LAW: Unknown, but the measure requests that Caltrans
only erect the appropriate signage upon receiving donations from
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non-state sources covering the cost.
FISCAL EFFECT: Costs to make and erect the appropriate signs
are covered by donations.
COMMENTS: The tunnel on SR 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge
and Sausalito is known locally as the Waldo Tunnel after Waldo
Point from nearby Richardson Bay which was named after William
Waldo, a California politician in the 1850's who is known for
his relief efforts on behalf of starving immigrants coming west
who were stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during a
snowstorm. Waldo later ran, unsuccessfully, as a Whig candidate
for California governor in 1853. The tunnel has also been
referred to locally as the "Rainbow Tunnel" after the archways
at the ends of the bores were painted in rainbows by a Caltrans
employee.
After the passing of actor Robin Williams who lived Marin
County, Julia Wainright, a local resident, circulated a petition
to name the tunnel after the late actor. To date, the petition
requesting the naming has received over 61,000 signatures. Ms.
Wainright has noted that renaming the "Rainbow Tunnel" after the
late actor was appropriate because Robin Williams was known for
wearing rainbow suspenders in the television program Mork and
Mindy and he also performed a famous comedy routine about
passing through the tunnel.
Robin Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 21, 1951 to
Laurie McLaurin and Robert Fitzgerald Williams. At age 16 the
family moved to Tiburon, California where Mr. Williams attended
Redwood High School in Larkspur. Mr. Williams studied theater
at the College of Marin in Kentfield, California and later
received a full scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York
City. Mr. Williams began his career as a comedian doing
stand-up comedy shows in the San Francisco Bay area and in Los
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Angeles. Mr. Williams starred in numerous television programs
and films, won numerous awards and accolades, and was known for
his philanthropy. Mr. Williams lived in Marin County and died
in his home in Tiburon on August 11, 2014 as a result of
suicide.
This resolution designates the Waldo Tunnel on State Route 101
(Tunnel # 27-40) between post mile 0.885 to 1.074 in Marin
County as the Robin Williams Tunnel. This resolution further
requests that Caltrans erect appropriate signs upon receiving
donations from non-state sources to cover the costs.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
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