Not An Inexpensive Bike Lane

Adding a pedestrian/bike lane to the 'west span' of the Bay Bridge won't come on the cheap: $550 million is the current estimate. The east span lane, from Yerba Buena Island to Oakland, will be included in the new bridge due to open in late 2013.

December 20, 2011, 10am PST | Irvin Dawid

The study itself to determine the cost to place a bike/ped lane on the 1.75 mile span of the 4.5 mile San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge: $1.2 million. Identified funding sources: None.

"Cycling advocates consider it their top goal to have a biking and walking lane all the way across the bridge from Oakland to San Francisco to rival that of the Golden Gate Bridge. Inflation has increased the estimated cost...nearly double the $300 million price tag a decade ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission concluded in the draft study."

"We have a project that is technically feasible, but we haven't determined if it is financially feasible," said John Goodwin, an MTC spokesman.

One possible revenue source was identified by Dave Campbell, program director for the East Bay Bicycle Coalition: a temporary toll hike. Tolls were last raised on July 2010 to $6 peak. Compared to the $12 cash toll on the busiest bridge in the U.S., the George Washington, it would still be a bargain.

Thanks to MTC-ABAG Library

Full Story:

Cyclists want new Bay Bridge bike lane, unsure how to pay for it

Published on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 in Contra Costa Times