Bridge toll hike bill halted in San Mateo County

“While there was not enough time to reach a consensus on how to solve this looming problem, we made substantial progress on a solution,” Wiener said in a press release. “I will continue to make transit operations funding a major priority, and I look forward to continuing those discussions into the fall. If a consensus emerges on a path forward that includes a future regional transit funding measure to generate ongoing funds so that all people have access to reliable, affordable transportation, I also look forward to taking a leadership role in developing and passing authorizing legislation.”

The bill would have generated around $180 million annually over five years to prevent service cuts and improve safety and cleanliness, according to its supporters. The seven bridges are the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Dumbarton Bridge, Carquinez Bridge, Benicia-Martinez Bridge and Antioch Bridge. The current $7 toll for those bridges is also slated to rise $1 on Jan. 1, 2025, through Regional Measure 3 passed in 2017.

State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, who co-authored the bill, acknowledged legislators heard and listened to concerns and decided to have more discussions across the Bay Area caucus on alternatives moving forward. Becker noted the bill was introduced late in the legislative sessions and put it up against policy deadlines. The crunch resulted in not having enough time to work through all issues. Becker said he heard from different groups that want to see progress on safety and coordination before a toll increase, something the Legislature is committed to through an integrated Bay Area transit system around fare structures, schedule coordination and transit maps. Becker said further discussion on options and potential solutions are needed to address the budget shortfalls and improve transit.

“All options are on the table,” Becker said.

One of the earliest to come out against the bill was the Bay Area Council, a public-policy advocacy organization sponsored by Bay Area businesses. The organization called for fiscal and operational reforms to be the priority for addressing transit system challenges, given the billions of dollars in state and federal funding to help.

“We can’t continue to fund unsustainable transit operations that aren’t meeting the needs of riders for a safe, convenient and seamless commute,” Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman said in a press release.

Other congressional representatives sent a letter earlier in the month announcing they were against the proposal. Some of the letter signers included U.S. Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; Mark DeSaulnier, D-Antioch; John Garamendi, D-Richmond; Eric Swalwell, D-Castro Valley; Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Linda Sanchez, D-Whittier; and Mike Thompson, D-Napa.

The Foster City Council also came out against the bill, citing an unfair burden on drivers and workers who have no choice but to commute long distances due to the cost of living.

Transit agencies continue to struggle in the wake of the pandemic and saw a drop in ridership that has not fully recovered due to new work habits, with agencies like BART and Caltrain hit particularly hard and still looking for solutions. BART ridership as of July was at 40% of pre-COVID expectations, according to the transit agency’s website. On Tuesday, BART General Manager Bob Powers will host Wiener on a tour of BART trains, stations and other facilities to update the senator on safety and security improvements and discuss transit accountability measures.