The Bay Area loves bicycles, but does it love them to the tune of $1 billion?
A "$1 billion" makeover of the Bay Bridge's western span -- the side of the bridge which was not replaced with the new $6.4 billion bridge which opened this week -- is in the works. $500 million of that would go to fund a bike path to hang from the bridge, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Planners are already at work" hatching a scheme for the hanging span, on which pedestrians could also amble.
But in addition to the extra $1 toll funding a bike path would require -- and it sounds like the toll would be footed by motorists, and not cyclists -- there are some engineering challenges.
For one, a bike path on one side would put the bridge out of balance. That means there needs to be one on either side -- but on the side of a new roadway, which would need to be installed because the bridge would become too heavy, the newspaper reported.
No word on when -- or by whom -- the final call will be made.
