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Hi Robert,
We get more complaints from our members about safety on the Golden Gate Bridge than any other place in Marin. Though thousands of people cross the bridge by bike everyday, compared to drivers, bike riders crossing the bridge are FIVE times as likely to crash and 21 times as likely to be injured. MCBC believes this is inexcusable and highly preventable. See our full blog post here.
To improve safety on the bridge, Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District has undertaken a bicycle safety study, which they are now releasing to the public via a virtual open house and public meeting. While some of the recommendations are good, we don’t feel that it goes far enough in improving bike safety.
Help Us Change This
1. Sign up for the Zoom Town Hall on Wednesday, October 6th at 12 PM and speak up for a safer Golden Gate Bridge. Register here.
2. Visit the “Virtual Open House” hosted on the Bridge District’s website. Click through to the end and add any of your own comments, plus ours below.
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- Construction materials on the west sidewalk make the pathway dangerously narrow and limit maneuverability. Greater clearances should be required to accommodate two-way bike traffic.
- The variable message signs are proposed at four locations: East Lot, Battery Trail, and Merchant Avenue (on the San Francisco end), and Alexander Avenue (on the Marin end). We recommend an additional sign on Conzelman Road just uphill from Alexander Ave on the west side of the bridge.
- More analysis is needed to better link the cause of severity of crashes to the proposed treatments.
- Speed enforcement should be minimized, and limited to warning/citation for reckless riding, rather than minor violations of the speed limit.
- A self-reporting tool is very important. Once tested and implemented, it should be well signed on the bridge deck to capture the greatest share of potential respondents.
- The Bridge needs a Bicycle Advisory Committee to report to the Board on matters of bicycle safety. There are currently advisory committees for both the ferry riders and bus riders, but the thousands of daily riders should also have a seat at the table.
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