Traffic down on Golden Gate Bridge, but transit ridership up
By: Will Reisman
Examiner Staff Writer
October 24, 2008
 |
| Slightly more than 1.6 million vehicles traveled into San Francisco from Marin in September, a figure that is nearly 5 percent less than the number of drivers in September 2007. (AP File Photo) |
SAN FRANCISCO — Car traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge has been decreasing for seven straight months, but money lost from those missing tolls is being partially offset by an increase in ridership on the bridge district’s transit fleet, according to its governing body.
Slightly more than 1.6 million vehicles traveled into San Francisco from Marin in September, a figure that is nearly 5 percent less than the number of drivers in September 2007.
High gas prices and overall economic uncertainty are among a number of factors attributing to the drop in traffic, said Mary Currie, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.
There were also 93,000 fewer vehicles on the bridge from August to September, which is when a toll increase was enacted, Curry said.
The higher toll could explain why traffic fell significantly in September despite a 26-cent decrease in average gas prices in San Francisco, according to bridge documents.
Currie, however, said traffic on the bridge normally drops in the months following toll raises, before rebounding to pre-increase levels.
No matter why fewer people are driving across the bridge, it does affect the transit district’s coffers.
According to bridge-district documents, revenue from tolls — which now cost cash-paying drivers $6 and FasTrak users $5 — account for more that 50 percent of the bridge district’s operating budget.
Helping to offset the lost toll revenue is fares from the district’s transit riders. Ridership has soared, reaching an all-time high of 672,000 boarders in September — a 67,000-rider increase from September 2007 and 26,000 more than in August, Currie said. Transit fares range anywhere from $3.30 to $8.80, depending on boarding locations.
Currie said the fluctuation in revenue from car traffic and transit ridership, however, isn’t the most pressing concern for the district. Instead, the top priority is establishing new bus routes that most efficiently serve transit riders.
Starting next month, the bridge district will hold a series of community workshops so the public can offer feedback on proposed route changes.
Some of the lines in question include Route 8, which runs from Tiburon to San Francisco. That line, which averages just 11 passengers a trip, would be consolidated with another route to make it more cost-effective.
Conversely, the bridge district is proposing an increase to Route 80, which runs from Santa Rose to San Francisco and is frequently overcrowded. As a result, the district is suggesting merging another bus — Route 101 — into Route 80’s service to make the line more express-like.
Five of the six workshops are in Marin County, but the Nov. 6 meeting will take place at the Golden Gate Bridge plaza from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
More information on the hearings and the proposed route changes can be found online at www.goldengate.org.
