Golden Gate Bridge Financial Plan Approved, Includes Toll on Pedestrians and Bicyclists

The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District's Board of Directors have approved a financial plan to reduce its 5- and 10-year deficit projections, including a proposal to charge bicyclists and pedestrians for access to the bridge's sidewalk.

Board members voted 10-9 Friday to keep the sidewalk fee in the plan and 14-5 to approve the entire plan that contains 45 initiatives to raise money or reduce expenses, District spokeswoman Priya David Clemens said.

"The staff has a couple of years to study the plan and present findings to the board," Clemens said.
The initiatives are part of the District's 2014 Strategic Financial Plan to eliminate its $33 million five-year deficit and significantly reduce a 10-year deficit projected to be $210 million.

Approving the 2014 proposed financial plan is not the approval of any one of the 45 initiatives, District official said. That approval will require further analysis and approval by the board's committee process before it goes to the full board for final approval. Some of the initiatives will require public hearings, District officials said.

Charging pedestrians and bicyclists for sidewalk access are two separate initiatives in the financial plan that will be monitored and updated annually. The plan begins in fiscal year 2015-2016 and ends on June 30, 2025.

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