| Abstract |
In the San Francisco Bay Area, eight toll bridges serve as essential transportation arteries for the traveling public. Seven of the bridges are state-owned: the Antioch Bridge, the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, the Carquinez Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the Dumbarton Bridge, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.Together, the first four bridges listed comprise the Northern Bridge Group, while the last three are designated the Southern Bridge Group. The remaining toll span the Golden Gate Bridge falls under the jurisdiction of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Since January 1998, due to changes prompted by Senate Bill 226 (statutes 1997, chapter 328), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), acting as the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), has assumed financial responsibilities related to the state-owned toll bridges that were previously held by the California Transportation Commission. BATA now programs, administers and allocates base toll revenues (excluding the seismic surcharge) from the regions state-owned toll bridges. In 1998, Caltrans initiated a $1 surcharge on all vehicles to help fund a portion of the seismic retrofit of the bridges. The revenues generated by the seismic surcharge are administered directly by Caltrans and are not reported on as part of this document. Caltrans produces a separate report to the California Legislature and governor on the status of the toll bridge seismic retrofit program. BATA funds the day-to-day operations, facilities maintenance, and administration of the bridges. BATA also funds the capital improvement and rehabilitation of the bridges, including congestion-relieving projects mandated by the Regional Measure 1 Toll Bridge Program. As it has done since before the creation of BATA, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) continues to manage and staff the operation of the bridges, including such tasks as maintenance, toll collection and administration. Caltrans also provides engineering staffing for design and construction oversight of the capital improvement and rehabilitation projects on the bridges. The cost of most of these toll bridge-related activities conducted by Caltrans are reimbursed by BATA from base toll revenues. MTC, as the transportation planning, coordinating, and financing agency for the nine-county Bay Area, also continues to be responsible for the programming and allocation of approximately 15 percent of the base tolls that are designated for transit-related purposes.These funds are used primarily for rail, ferry, and bus projects around the region. Maps, figures, tables, appendices. 74 p; 2.5Mb |
TRT
