Infrastructure:
*Golden Gate Bridge toll hike heads for hearing -- On Friday, bridge directors agreed to consider setting a congestion-based toll that would charge an extra dollar to drivers crossing the landmark span during the commute or weekend evening and paying their tolls in cash. Paired with a $1 general toll increase already planned for Sept. 1, that would raise tolls during peak traffic times to $7 for cash payers and either $5.50 or $6 for FasTrak users. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District board will hold a public hearing on the toll increases June 11, and is scheduled to vote on them on July 11. SF Chronicle 5/9/08
Feds in the dark about taking GG Bridge tolls -- Adding an extra dollar to peak-hour commutes across the Golden Gate Bridge is supposed to make the trip faster by discouraging people from crossing at the busiest times. So bridge officials were a little befuddled when, in the days leading up to hatching the new plan, federal transportation wonks weighed in - strongly suggesting that the new toll be $6.50 all day long. SF Chronicle 5/12/08
Richmond bridge repair finished under budget -- The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is whole again after a contractor finished repairing an abutment that was hit by an oil tank barge Jan. 10. Completed Thursday, the repair work came in at about half the $6 million Caltrans engineers had estimated and was finished four weeks sooner than planned. CC Times 5/9/08
Calif. ballot measures address property-right concerns – Poposition 98 and its rival on the June 3 ballot, Proposition 99, address the rights of property owners when governments want to seize their land for projects designed to benefit the public. Both initiatives would require governments to pay property owners fair market value if their land is taken. But Proposition 98 is much more restrictive. In addition to its provisions affecting renters, it would greatly limit governments' ability to seize property, even when the intention is to improve blighted downtown business districts. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has criticized Proposition 98, saying its restrictions on the use of eminent domain would undermine the ability of government to build freeways, dams and other public works projects. SJ Mercury 5/9/08
Public transportation:
*Gas Prices Send Surge of Riders to Mass Transit -- With the price of gas approaching $4 a gallon, more commuters are abandoning their cars and taking the train or bus instead. But meeting the greater demand for mass transit is proving difficult. The cost of fuel and power for public transportation is about three times that of four years ago, and the slowing economy means local sales tax receipts are down, so there is less money available for transit services. NY Times 5/10/08
Fallout from BART blaze to last for weeks, agency says -- BART passengers must allow additional time for their commute this morning if they are using one of four BART stations, officials said Sunday. For the next six to eight weeks, only the San Francisco-Fremont line will stop at the Hayward, South Hayward, Union City and Fremont stations. The delays are the result of an early morning electrical fire that caused millions of dollars in damage to the Richmond-Fremont line. CC Times 5/11/08
*Public transit adjusts to surge in ridership -- As gasoline prices climb past $4 a gallon commuters are moving to public transportation in huge numbers, breaking records on BART, commuter trains and transbay bus routes. Veteran ACE riders have noticed that it's getting more difficult to find a seat and bicyclists are lamenting overcrowding on the train's onboard bike rack. New BART riders, for example, are finding rush-hour trains more packed than ever, leading the agency to experiment with removing seats on some cars to make more room near the doors for standing riders. CC Times 5/11/08
On heels of bankruptcy, Vallejo transportation rates may go up, service down -- Oil's continually rising cost is leading Vallejo transportation officials to push for new ferry and bus fare hikes, reduced service and fuel surcharges.The recommendations, along with likely disgruntled ferry and bus riders, will come before the Vallejo City Council on Tuesday night for a public hearing. Bus and ferry rate increases, following closely behind last summer's hikes, may push Vallejo public transportation costs for residents beyond those of other Bay Area transit systems, a city transportation official said Friday. CC Times 5/11/08
Safety:
Beefed-up seat belt enforcement begins today -- Starting today, officers statewide are targeting motorists without seat belts in the state's annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign. Not buckling up could cost you between $80 and $91. If you forget to restrain any children in the car, that skyrockets to $401 or as much as $971 for a second offense. CC Times 5/12/08
Budget Crisis:
New speaker takes over just in time for Calif. budget crunch -- Democrat Karen Bass takes over as Assembly speaker on Tuesday -- just in time for what could be the state budget deadlock to end all budget deadlocks. Bass will find out just how tough her job is likely to be when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger releases his revised budget proposal and deficit projections Wednesday. KMPH 5/11/08
Air travel:
High fuel prices narrow advantages of low-fare airlines -- Consumers can't rely as much on discount airlines to keep air fares low. In years past, carriers like Southwest often refused to go along when others increased ticket prices. But with jet fuel costs rocketing, the discounters increasingly are boosting prices, too. Airline fares rose an average of 10.2 percent in March, compared with March 2007, according to the most recent federal data. SJ Mercury 5/10/08
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