S.F. lawmaker shelves bridge toll hike that aimed to save public transit agencies

A proposal to increase Bay Area bridge tolls is dead for the year, the bill’s author Sen. Scott Wiener announced Monday morning.

The bridge toll hike was aimed at helping public transit agencies including BART and Muni stave off a looming fiscal cliff. Wiener, D-San Francisco, announced that instead of trying to muster support for the bridge toll hike in the Legislature this year, he’ll organize meetings in the fall with other Bay Area lawmakers to find another solution to the transit agencies’ budget shortfalls.

Lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom put some money in the state budget to help California transit agencies that have struggled to rebound as ridership has fallen with more people working from home. But public transit agencies say it’s not nearly enough. Those in the Bay Area in particular have been especially hard hit, and have warned that they will have to drastically reduce service if they don’t get an infusion of cash.

Wiener’s bill to increase Bay Area bridge tolls by $1.50 met opposition from some Bay Area lawmakers.

LINK (paywalll): https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/bridge-toll-shelved-18306551.php

IMO Wiener is a bit out-of-touch with reality, though he had sense to drop the bill (with pressure from the public and, as mentioned above, other lawmakers).

FYI: BART salaries: https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/Salary%20Schedule%20-%202022.0101.pdf