Commuters Asked To Weigh Options For Golden Bridge Toll Hikes
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — While toll increases for the Golden Gate Bridge are definite, North Bay commuters will get have an opportunity this week to determine how much and they will be implemented.
Beginning with a public hearing Tuesday night in San Rafael, then two more in Sonoma County and San Francisco, commuters won't be asked if they want a toll hike, but instead, how they want one.
"The purpose of the meetings is to have the public have a chance to talk to staff but also to review the four toll-increase options that are being proposed," Golden Gate Transit spokeswoman Mary Currie said.
"Some raise the tolls by $.50 in the first year, some by a $1 in the first year; they vary and they're incremental in nature."
The toll could rise from $6 per trip and $5 for FasTrack users to $7 or possibly $8 by 2018.
"We have a $142 million five-year shortfall and really what that means is that we are running out of savings to do infrastructure projects," Currie said.
Those projects include repainting the south tower, purchase new transit buses and repair aging ferry boats, said Currie.
Any new toll hikes will take effect later this year.
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