Ducati Monster Forum

Guys, i just saw a news report about the GGB possibly starting to charge toll during commute hours, consistent with other bridges. WHAAA?? It has always been HOV for commute hours on a bike. Has this changed now?

I absolutely see this as a big safety issue, on top of the fact that it will take me several times longer to pay the damn toll: stop, put gear in neutral, not neutral, put gear in neutral finally, take gloves off, reach into finding my wallet, grab bills, pay toll operator, put wallet back, put glove back on, put in gear, ride off. Yes, this will slow traffic behind me.

On top of this, I have had the worst near misses at those darn tolls. Cages dodging in and out to save a car length. A ton of oil in front of toll operator, where it's like stepping on slick ice.

Who's fighting this if it's true?

I wouldn't doubt it. That's what they're doing on the State-owned bridges (Bay, San Mateo, Dumbarton, etc). Sign of the times.

You should invest in Fastpass. It'll make your life easier during non-commute hours.

Yup.  Fastrak FTW.  That'll help a bunch.

This came up on BARF a little while ago too.  My argument was basically this:  We want nice things but we don't want to pay for them.  I hate the idea of having to pay to cross the bridge, but I'd rather have a bridge--and a safe one--to cross than none at all.  Good infrastructure comes at a price.  If you're not paying it in tolls then you're going to pay for it somewhere else.  <shrugs>

Yeah, but I still think charging motos full price is short sighted.  We don't tear up the roadways like trucks, don't take up space like cars, and yet get charged the same.

Personally, even though I have FasTrack, when I go over the GGB during commute hours I plan on pulling off my gloves, unzipping my 'stich pocket, digging out a $20, then reversing the whole process. It's my own little version of civil disobedience.

Yes, i think we all understand the "someone has to pay argument". I was coming at it from a safety issue. I already have fasttrack for the cage, i don't want another one on the bike so the govt can know where i am at all times.

Also, it still doesn't help for those times I forgot the transponder is in my "other" jacket, etc. etc.

The whole point is to speed traffic across the bridge during commute hours. We as "green" citizens are doing our share by riding our more green and efficient bikes taking up 1/10th the road clogging space on the bridge.

Now, we will get penalized for all that by increased chances for accidents, too? That's just not acceptable to me.

I have visions of Critical Mass on the bridge! ;)

Pay with dollar coins. They have nowhere to put them.

Ooohh. I like the way you think...

wtf ... if you REALLY want to practice civil disobedience, pay your toll with loose, random change (a hand full at a time).  [evil]

If you already have fasttrack just add your plate to the account. There is no need to carry the transponder, they'll take a picture of your plate and bill your account.

I like the critical mass idea. Fill the bridge with bikes, and everyone stop to pay with cash, take your gloves off, dismount, pay with a 20 or 100 bill.

Won't they charge full price instead of the carpool price in that case???

I assume they would charge based on which lane you are in.

I understand that if you have a fast track account, you can use the FastTrack lane and stay
very very close to the left side of the lane...
um...the camera can't really read your plates. You can test this by checking your FT account to see if your account got charged,   or not.
I just can't respect really bad design  [cheeky]

Be sure to wave  [thumbsup]

PS
If you do this without a Fast Track account, or without a license plate (new bike situation) be prepared to get a $250. ticket.

I'd almost be tempted to go into work late just to participate in a critical mass gathering.

STICK IT TO THE MAN    ;D

It also seems to miss car license plates if you have a trunk rack with bicycle on. ;)

http://goldengate.org/news/bridge/carpooltoll.php (http://goldengate.org/news/bridge/carpooltoll.php)

I found the link above summarizing the board meeting.

Right now, during commute hours, any bike can freely go thru ANY toll booth lanes freely, with or without Fasttrack. After this rule:

Every bike without without fastrack will be required to stop and pay toll.

Their primary motivation (besides financial) is below. This is how it always happens. Lose one ball, the rest will tumble.

• Quote
  If left unchanged at $0, the Golden Gate Bridge would be the only major toll facility in the USA that provides a 100% discount for carpools.
  

This is a bit of a shock:
Only 2.3% carpools? That is only 2,165 carpools / day (assuming 200 working days a year).
They expect this to raise revenue $1.3M in FY10/11. The new suicide barrier is est to cost $50M.

Thus, esp. for motorcycles, the % is even less. i'll be generous and say 5% of 2.3%? 0.115% That means bikes share of $1.3M is maybe $65,000. For what? To slow down traffic further and increase our chances for an accident? Even economically, it doesn't make much sense.

Here are the future dates mentioned attached below.

DATES:

Wednesday, April 7, 2010: 4 pm to 7 pm, Informational Open House in Marin County, Embassy Suites, San Rafael.

April 22, 2010: Staff will present findings from the Open House and public feedback to-date to the Finance Committee.

Friday, May 14, 2010: Public Hearing, 9:30 am, Board Room, GGB Toll Plaza Building, SF.

May 27, 2010: Staff will analyze public comments and bring a final recommendation regarding the proposed toll rate increases to the Finance Committee for consideration.

May 28, 2010: Full Board would receive a recommendation from the Finance Committee.

Maybe we should just charge the suicide jumpers? I mean-they won't be needing their money....

I think Spidey's already picked their pockets by the time they get out on the bridge.

It's too bad they rejected my idea of a loaded gun (with a chain attached so no one takes it, duh) at both sides of the bridge.

I figure the cost of ammo will only be a few bucks a year and it'll cut way down on the number of people jumping.

What about just putting the diving board out there. It would cost so much less..

But really If they charged a buck for bikes and two bucks during non commute times that would be more fair dontcha think?

Why they got to ruin the bridge with all the fences and crap?!
Why not put the fence UNDER the bridge to catch the jumpers, leaving the view unspoiled.
Jumpers hit the fence, roll down into a basket where they are trapped under the bridge. There they could dehydrate making them a lot lighter and easier to carry away than all the Search and Rescue trying to pull them out of the Bay waterlogged.

Its a win win win.

Nice View
No Search and Rescue
They still get to jump in such a nice spot with a lot of attention.

I think you Idea has a lot of merrit. The cost should be someplace in between the gun and diving board and the full on ugly fence that also costs lots of money. The district should do some kind of two and a half million dollar, 18 month study of your drying net Idea.

The problem with the barrier, other than the cost and the ugly factor, is that once it goes up, those folks are going to be jumping in front of the train more often. When they jump off the bridge it doesn't stop traffic.