San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge

The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries about 260,000 vehicles a day on its two decks.<ref name="dailycrossingsSFBB"/><ref name="yearlycrossingsSFBB"/> It includes one of the longest bridge spans in the United States.

The toll bridge was conceived as early as the California gold rush days, with "Emperor" Joshua Norton famously advocating for it, but construction did not begin until 1933. Designed by Charles H. Purcell,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and built by American Bridge Company, it opened on Thursday, November 12, 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge. It originally carried automobile traffic on its upper deck, with trucks, cars, buses and commuter trains on the lower, but after the Key System abandoned its rail service on April 20, 1958, the lower deck was converted to all-road traffic as well. On October 12, 1963, traffic was reconfigured to one way traffic on each deck, westbound on the upper deck, and eastbound on the lower deck, with trucks and buses also allowed on the upper deck.<ref>[Bay Bridge Artery, Chris Carlson, "Found SF", orig.2013, updated]</ref>

In 1986, the bridge was unofficially dedicated to former California governor James Rolph.<ref name=unofficial>Template:Cite book</ref>

The bridge has two sections of roughly equal length; the older western section, officially known as the Willie L. Brown Jr. Bridge (after former San Francisco Mayor and California State Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown Jr.), connects downtown San Francisco to Yerba Buena Island, and the newer east bay section connects the island to Oakland. The western section is a double suspension bridge with two decks, westbound traffic being carried on the upper deck while eastbound is carried on the lower one. The largest span of the original eastern section was a cantilever bridge.

During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, a portion of the eastern section's upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck and the bridge was closed for a month. Reconstruction of the eastern section of the bridge as a causeway connected to a self-anchored suspension bridge began in 2002; the new eastern section opened September 2, 2013, at a reported cost of over $6.5 billion; the original estimate of $250 million was for a seismic retrofit of the existing span.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Unlike the western section and the original eastern section of the bridge, the new eastern section is a single deck carrying all eastbound and westbound lanes. Demolition of the old east span was completed on September 8, 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Description

File:San Francisco Bay Bridges map en.svg

Bridges crossing San Francisco Bay

The bridge consists of two crossings, east and west of Yerba Buena Island, a natural mid-bay outcropping inside San Francisco city limits. The western crossing between Yerba Buena and downtown San Francisco has two complete suspension spans connected at a center anchorage.<ref name='West Span Retrofit Projects'>Template:Cite web</ref> Rincon Hill is the western anchorage and touch-down for the San Francisco landing of the bridge connected by three shorter truss spans. The eastern crossing, between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland, was a cantilever bridge with a double-tower span, five medium truss spans, and a 14-section truss causeway. Due to earthquake concerns, the eastern crossing was replaced by a new crossing that opened on Labor Day 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On Yerba Buena Island, the double-decked crossing is a Template:Convert concrete viaduct east of the west span's cable anchorage, the Template:Convert Yerba Buena Tunnel through the island's rocky central hill, another Template:Convert concrete viaduct, and a longer curved high-level steel truss viaduct that spans the final Template:Convert to the cantilever bridge.<ref name="YBIbluprints">"Yerba Buena Crossing (Contract No. 04-5)Template:Spaced ndashAs Built Drawings" Caltrans 2006</ref>

The toll plaza on the Oakland side (westbound traffic only since 1969) has eighteen toll lanes, with all charges now made either through the FasTrak electronic toll collection system or through invoices mailed through the USPS, based on the license plate of the car per Department of Motor Vehicle records. Metering signals are about Template:Convert west of the toll plaza. Two full-time bus-only lanes bypass the toll booths and metering lights around the right (north) side of the toll plaza; other high occupancy vehicles can use these lanes during weekday morning and afternoon commute periods. The two far-left toll lanes are high-occupancy vehicle lanes during weekday commute periods. Radio and television traffic reports will often refer to congestion at the toll plaza, metering lights, or a parking lot in the median of the road for bridge employees; the parking lot is about Template:Convert long, stretching from about Template:Convert east of the toll plaza to about Template:Convert west of the metering lights.<ref name="meteringlights">Template:Cite news</ref>

During the morning commute hours, traffic congestion on the westbound approach from Oakland stretches back through the MacArthur Maze interchange at the east end of the bridge onto the three feeder highways, Interstate 580, Interstate 880, and I-80 toward Richmond.<ref name="congestion">Template:Cite press release</ref> Since the number of lanes on the eastbound approach from San Francisco is structurally restricted, eastbound backups are also frequent during evening commute hours. The eastbound bottleneck is not the bridge itself, but the approach, which has just three lanes in each direction, in contrast to the bridge's five.

The western section of the Bay Bridge is currently restricted to motorized freeway traffic. Pedestrians, bicycles, and other non-freeway vehicles are not allowed to cross this section. A project to add bicycle/pedestrian lanes to the western section has been proposed but is not finalized. A Caltrans bicycle shuttle operates between Oakland and San Francisco during peak commute hours for $1.00 each way.<ref name='CalTrans Shuttle Info'>Template:Cite web</ref>

Freeway ramps next to the tunnel provide access to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island. Because the toll plaza is on the Oakland side, the western span is a de facto non-tolled bridge; traffic between the island and the main part of San Francisco can freely cross back and forth. Those who only travel from Oakland to Yerba Buena Island, and not the entire length to the main part of San Francisco, still must pay the full toll.

Early history

Developed at the entrance to the bay, San Francisco was well placed to prosper during the California Gold Rush. Almost all goods not produced locally arrived by ship, as did numerous travelers and erstwhile miners. But after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in May 1869, San Francisco was on the wrong side of the Bay, and separated from the new rail link.

Many San Franciscans feared that the city would lose its position as the regional center of trade. Businessmen had considered the concept of a bridge spanning the San Francisco Bay since the Gold Rush days. During the 1870s, several newspaper articles explored the idea. In early 1872, a "Bay Bridge Committee" was hard at work on plans to construct a railroad bridge. The April 1872 issue of the San Francisco Real Estate Circular reported on this committee:

The self-proclaimed Emperor Norton decreed three times in 1872 that a suspension bridge be constructed to connect Oakland with San Francisco. In the third of these decrees, in September 1872, Norton, frustrated that nothing had happened, proclaimed:

File:ProposedSanFranciscoBayBridge2.jpg

Sketch of the proposed "Rush San Francisco Trans-Bay Suspension Bridge" (1913)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Unlike most of Emperor Norton's eccentric ideas, his decree to build a bridge had a widespread public and political appeal. Yet the task was too much of an engineering and economic challenge, since the bay was too wide and too deep there. In 1921, more than forty years after Norton's death, an underground tube was considered, but it became clear that one would be inadequate for vehicular traffic.<ref name="newbaybridge">Template:Cite web</ref> Support for a trans-bay crossing increased in the 1920s based on the popularity and availability of automobiles.

Planning

File:Bay Bridge Preliminary Layout Studies.jpg

Preliminary layout studies for the bridge, with Figures "H", and "P" selected as the final construction choice for western and eastern sections

The California State Legislature and governor enacted a law, effective in 1929, to establish the California Toll Bridge Authority (Stats. 1929, Chap 763) and to authorize it and the State Department of Public Works to build a bridge connecting San Francisco and Alameda County (Stats. 1929, Chap 762).<ref>Statutes of California, 48th Session, 1929, Chaps. 762-3, p.1489</ref><ref>California Highways and Public Works, May-June, 1929, p.15</ref>

The state appointed a commission to evaluate the idea and various designs for a bridge across the Bay, the Hoover-Young Commission. Its conclusions were made public in 1930.<ref>California Highways and Public Works, December, 1930, p.8</ref>

In January 1931, Charles H. Purcell, the State Highway Engineer of California, who had also served as the secretary of the Hoover-Young Commission, assumed the position of Chief Engineer for the Bay Bridge. Glenn B. Woodruff served as design engineer for the project. He explained in a 1936 article that several elements of the bridge required not only new designs, but also new theories of design.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

To make the bridge feasible, a route was chosen via Yerba Buena Island, which would reduce both the material and the labor needed. Since Yerba Buena Island was a U.S. Navy base at the time, the state had to gain approval from Congress for this purpose as it regulates and controls all federal lands and the armed services. After a great deal of lobbying, California received Congressional approval to use the island on February 20, 1931, subject to final approvals by the Departments of War, Navy, and Commerce.<ref>U.S. Statutes at Large, 71st Congress, Chap.238, pp.1192-3</ref> The state applied for permits from the 3 federal departments as required. The permits were granted in January 1932, and formally presented in a ceremony on Yerba Buena Island on February 24, 1932.<ref>[California Highways and Public Works, February, 1932, p.22]</ref>

On May 25, 1931, Governor James Rolph Jr. signed into law two acts: one providing for the financing of state bridges by revenue bonds, and another creating the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Division of the State Department of Public Works. On September 15, 1931, this new division opened its offices at 500 Sansome Street in San Francisco.<ref>California Highways and Public Works, November, 1936, p.12</ref>

During 1931, numerous aerial photographs were taken of the chosen route for the bridge and its approaches.<ref>"Aerial photographs of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Approaches-1931", Fairchild Aerial Surveys Inc.</ref>

That year, engineers had not determined the final design concept for the western span between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island, although the idea of a double-span suspension bridge was already favored.<ref>California Highways and Public Works, June, 1931, p.5</ref>

In April 1932, the preliminary final plan and design of the bridge was presented by Chief Engineer Charles Purcell to Col. Walter E. Garrison, Director of the State Department of Public Works, and to Ralph Modjeski, head of the Board of Engineering Consultants. Both agencies approved and preparation of the final design proceeded.<ref>California Highways and Public Works, October, 1931, p.12</ref><ref>California Highways and Public Works, April, 1932, p.22</ref> In 1932, Joseph R. Knowland, a former U.S. Congressman from California, traveled to Washington to help persuade President Herbert Hoover and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to advance $62 million to build the bridge.

Construction

File:SF-Oakland-Bay-Bridge-Construction.jpg

The Bay Bridge under construction at Yerba Buena Island in 1935

Before work began, 12 massive underwater telephone cables were moved Template:Convert of the proposed bridge route by crews of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. during the summer of 1931.<ref>"Spectacular Job at Bottom of Sea; 10 Boals, 33 Men Remove Phone Cables", California Highways and Public Works, July, 1931, p.12-13</ref>

Construction began on July 9, 1933<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> after a groundbreaking ceremony attended by former president Herbert Hoover, dignitaries, and local beauty queens.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The western section of the bridge between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island presented an enormous engineering challenge. The bay was up to Template:Convert deep in places and the soil required new foundation-laying techniques.<ref name="newbaybridge"/> A single main suspension span some Template:Convert in length was considered but rejected, as it would have required too much fill and reduced wharfage space at San Francisco, had less vertical clearance for shipping, and cost more than the design ultimately adopted.<ref>Leboski, pp. 339–40</ref> The solution was to construct a massive concrete anchorage halfway between San Francisco and the island, and to build a main suspension span on each side of this central anchorage.<ref>"World's Largest Bridge rest on sunken skyscrapers" Popular Science, February 1935</ref>

East of Yerba Buena Island, the bay to Oakland was spanned by a Template:Convert combination of double cantilever, five long-span through-trusses, and a truss causeway, forming the longest bridge of its kind at the time.<ref name="newbaybridge"/> The cantilever section was longest in the nation and third-longest anywhere.<ref>Petroski, p. 340</ref>

Much of the original eastern section was founded upon treated wood pilings. Because of the very deep mud on the bay bottom, it was not practical to reach bedrock, although the lower levels of the mud are quite firm. Long wooden pilings were crafted from entire old-growth Douglas fir trees, which were driven through the soft mud to the firmer bottom layers.<ref>Reisner, p. 113</ref> The construction project had casualties: twenty-four men would die while constructing the bridge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yerba Buena Tunnel

File:Yerba Buena Island tunnel.jpg

Traveling through the westbound upper level of the Yerba Buena tunnel

California Department of Transportation engineer C.H. Purcell served as chief engineer for the Bay Bridge, including the construction of the Yerba Buena Tunnel. Before starting excavation, the ground through which the western half of the tunnel would be bored was stabilized by injecting cement grout under pressure through 25 Template:Convert holes bored into the loose rock over the crown of the tunnel.<ref name=CHPW-193509>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

After excavating the western and eastern open portals, three drifts were bored from west to east along the path of the tunnel: one at the crown and the other two at the lower corners.<ref name=CHPW-193509 /><ref name=CHPW-193312 /> The first drift broke through in July 1934, approximately one year after the start of construction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A ceremonial party led by Governor Merriam celebrated the completion of the first Template:Convert drift on July 24 by walking through it, followed by a short speech.<ref name=CHPW-193408>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The space between the three drifts was then excavated, resulting in a single arch-shaped bore (in cross-section), and the tunnel roof was constructed using Template:Convert steel I-beam ribs spaced Template:Convert apart to support the rock, which were then embedded in concrete up to Template:Convert thick at the crown.<ref name=CHPW-193509 /><ref name=CHPW-193702 /> No cave-ins occurred during the excavation of the tunnel.<ref name=CHPW-193702>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

After the roof was completed, the remaining core of rock between the tunnel roof and lower deck was excavated using a power shovel.<ref name=CHPW-193509 /> By May 1935, work on removing the core was progressing and 40 steel ribs had been placed; concrete embedment was just starting.<ref name=CHPW-193505>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Removal of the core was completed on November 18, 1935.<ref name=CHPW-193611>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Once the excavation was complete, the upper deck was placed and the interior ceiling above the upper deck was lined with tiles.<ref name=CHPW-193702 /> The last concrete poured during the construction of the Bay Bridge was part of the upper deck lining in late summer 1936.<ref name=CHPW-193611 /> This included the emplacement of regularly spaced refuge bays ("deadman holes") along the south wall of the lower deck tunnel, escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels into which track maintenance workers could duck if a train came along.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These remain and are visible to eastbound motorists today.

The completed tunnel bore is Template:Convert wide and Template:Convert high overall, and the dimensions of the tunnel interior are Template:Convert wide and Template:Convert high.<ref name=CHPW-193512 /> In 1936, it was hailed as the world's largest-bore tunnel.<ref name="dot.ca.gov/trivia">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The cross-sectional area of the upper half is Template:Convert, and the lower half is Template:Convert.<ref name=CHPW-19620102 />

Reminders of the long-gone bridge railway survive along the south side of the lower Yerba Buena Tunnel. These are the regularly spaced refuge bays ("deadman holes"), escape alcoves common in all railway tunnels, along the wall, into which track maintenance workers could safely retreat if a train came along. (The north side, which always carried only motor traffic, lacks these holes.)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

The tunnel is Template:Convert wide, Template:Convert high, and Template:Convert long.<ref name="YBIbluprints"/> It is the largest diameter transportation bore tunnel in the world.<ref name="newbaybridge"/> The large amount of material that was excavated in boring the tunnel was used for a portion of the landfill over the shoals lying adjacent to Yerba Buena Island to its north, a project which created the artificial Treasure Island. The contract to build the Yerba Buena Cable Anchorage, Tunnel & Viaduct segment was opened for bids on March 28, 1933, and awarded to the low bidder, Clinton Construction Company of California, for $1,821,129.50 (equivalent to $Template:Formatprice in Template:Inflation-yearTemplate:Inflation-fn).<ref name=CHPW-193509 /><ref name=CHPW-193304>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Yerba Buena Island was the main site of the official groundbreaking for the Bay Bridge on July 9, 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt remotely set off a dynamite blast on the eastern side of the island at 12:58 p.m. local time.<ref name=HTES-330713 /><ref name=CHPW-193312>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Former President Herbert Hoover and Governor James Rolph were onsite; the two men were the first to turn over the earth with ceremonial golden spades.<ref name=CHPW-19330708>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Other ceremonies took place simultaneously in San Francisco (on Rincon Hill) and Oakland Harbor.<ref name=HTES-330713>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=CHPW-193305>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The Yerba Buena Tunnel opened, along with the rest of the Bay Bridge, on November 12, 1936. Template:As of the tunnel lacks an official name.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>

Opening day

The bridge opened on November 12, 1936, at 12:30 p.m. In attendance was former U.S. president Herbert Hoover, Senator William G. McAdoo, and the Governor of California, Frank Merriam. Governor Merriam opened the bridge by cutting gold chains across it with an acetylene cutting torch.<ref name="Two Bay Area Bridges">Template:Cite web</ref> The San Francisco Chronicle report of November 13, 1936, read:

File:San Francisco Bay Bridge Western Span at night.jpg

The illuminated western span as seen from the Embarcadero in San Francisco

File:Title Sheet, Index to Drawings - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA HAER CAL,38-SANFRA,141- (sheet 1 of 20).png

Schematic drawing of the Bay Bridge

The total cost was US$77 million (equivalent to $Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year).<ref name="newbaybridge"/> Before opening the bridge was blessed by Cardinal Secretary of State Eugene Cardinal Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII.<ref name="blessed">Template:Cite web</ref> Because it was in effect two bridges strung together, the western spans were ranked the second and third largest suspension bridges. Only the George Washington Bridge had a longer span between towers.

As part of the celebration a United States commemorative coin was produced by the San Francisco Mint. A half dollar, the obverse portrays California's symbol, the grizzly bear, while the reverse presents a picture of the bridge spanning the bay. A total of 71,369 coins were sold, some from the bridge's tollbooths.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Post-opening history

1930s–1960s

The Bridge Railway

File:First train over Bay Bridge 1 Trim.jpg

Public Works Director Frank W. Clark (left), Lieutenant Governor Ellis E. Patterson (center), and State Highway Engineer Charles H. Purcell take the first train over the Bay Bridge, January 14, 1939

Construction of the Bridge Railway began on November 29, 1937, with the laying of the first ties.<ref>California Highways and Public Works, December, 1937, p.23</ref> The first train was run across the Bay Bridge on September 23, 1938, a test run utilizing a Key System train consisting of two articulated units with California Governor Frank Merriam at the controls.<ref>California Highways and Public Works, October, 1938, p.18-19</ref> On January 14, 1939, the San Francisco Transbay Terminal was dedicated. The following morning, January 15, 1939, the electric interurban trains started in revenue service, running along the south side of the lower deck of the bridge. The terminal originally was supposed to open at the same time as the Bay Bridge, but had been delayed.

File:Key System train on Bay Bridge s4-002-001-s (12094649463).jpg

A Key System interurban crossing the bridge

Trains over the Bridge Railway were operated by the Sacramento Northern Railroad (Western Pacific), the Interurban Electric Railway (Southern Pacific) and the Key System.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Freight trains never used the bridge. The tracks left the lower deck in San Francisco just southwest of the end of 1st St. They then went along an elevated viaduct above city streets, looping around and into the terminal on its east end. Departing trains exited on the loop back onto the bridge.<ref>"Building Bay Bridge Railroad", California Highways and Public Works, v.16 no.5, May, 1938, pp.8-11</ref> The loop continued to be used by buses until the terminal's closure in 2010. The tracks left the lower deck in Oakland. The Interurban Electric Railway tracks ran along Engineer Road and over the Southern Pacific yard on trestles (some of it is still standing and visible from nearby roadways) onto the streets and dedicated right-of-ways in Berkeley, Albany, Oakland and Alameda. The Sacramento Northern and Key System tracks went under the SP tracks through a tunnel (which still exists and is in use as an access to the EBMUD treatment plant) and onto 40th St. Due to falling ridership, Sacramento Northern and IER service ended in 1941.<ref>Red Trains in the East Bay, Robert Ford, Interurbans Special 65, 1977</ref>

File:Dennis Hill, Photographer April 1998 VIEW OF LOWER DECK AND KEY SYSTEM STATION CANOPY, YERBA BUENA EAST VIADUCT, FACING NORTHEAST. - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, HAER CAL,38-SANFRA,141-233.tif

Disused passengers facilities on Yerba Buena Island for riders traveling eastbound

Template:AnchorOn September 13, 1942, a stop was opened at Yerba Buena Island to serve expanded wartime needs on adjacent Treasure Island.<ref>The Key Route, Harre Demoro, Interurbans Special 95, 1985, p.111</ref>

Despite the vital role the railroad played, the last train went over the bridge in April 1958. The tracks were removed and replaced with pavement on the Transbay Terminal ramps and Bay Bridge. The Key System handled buses over the bridge until 1960 when its successor, AC Transit, took over operations. It still handles service today, running to a new transbay terminal located in the same vicinity in San Francisco, the Salesforce Transit Center.

Emperor Norton plaque and relocation

In 1872, the San Francisco entrepreneur and eccentric Emperor Norton issued three proclamations calling for the design and construction of a suspension bridge between San Francisco and Oakland via Yerba Buena Island (formerly Goat Island).<ref>The Emperor Norton Trust, "Emperor Norton's Bridge Proclamations"Template:Dead link.</ref> A 1939 plaque honoring Emperor Norton for the original idea for the Bay Bridge was dedicated by the fraternal society E Clampus Vitus and was installed at The Cliff House in February 1955. In November 1986, in connection with the bridge's 50th anniversary, the plaque was moved to the Transbay Terminal, the public transit and Greyhound bus depot at the west end of the bridge in downtown San Francisco. When the terminal was closed in 2010, the plaque was placed in storage.<ref>"A Plaque in 1939", The Emperor Norton Trust</ref>

1960s–2010s

Roadway retrofit

Until the 1960s, the upper deck (Template:Convert wide between curbs) carried three lanes of traffic in each direction and was restricted to automobiles only.<ref name="newbaybridge"/> The lower deck carried three lanes of truck and bus traffic, with autos allowed, on the north side of the bridge.<ref name="newbaybridge"/> In the 1950s traffic lights were added to set the direction of travel in the middle lane, but there still remained no divider. Two interurban railroad tracks on the south half of the lower deck carried the electric commuter trains.<ref>Ford, Robert S. Red Trains in the East Bay (1977) Interurbans Publications Template:ISBN p.258</ref> In 1958 the tracks were replaced with pavement, but the reconfiguration to what the traffic eventually became did not take place until 1963.

The Federal highway on the bridge was originally a concurrency of U.S. Highway 40 and U.S. Highway 50. The bridge was re-designated as Interstate 80 in 1964, and the western ends of U.S. 40 and U.S. 50 are now in Silver Summit, Utah, and West Sacramento, California, respectively.

File:SFOakBrEastPartVEast.jpg

A double balanced cantilever bridge, five truss bridges, and two truss causeways that connected Yerba Buena Island to Oakland. It was replaced by the current SAS span and was dismantled in 2016.

Reconstruction of approaches

The original western approach to (and exit from) the upper deck of the bridge was a long ramp to Fifth Street, branching to Harrison St for westward traffic off the bridge and Bryant St for eastward traffic entering. There was also an on-ramp to the upper deck on Rincon Hill from Fremont Street (which later became an off-ramp) and an off-ramp to First Street (later extended over First St to Fremont St). The lower deck ended at Essex and Harrison St; just southwest of there, the tracks of the bridge railway left the lower deck and curved northward into the elevated loop through the Transbay Terminal that was paved for buses after rail service ended.<ref>"The old Transbay Terminal: When trains came first", San Mateo Daily Journal online edition, September 24, 2018</ref>

The eastern approach to the bridge included a causeway landing for the "incline" section, and the construction of three feeder highways, interlinked by an extensive interchange,<ref>California Highways and Public Works, November, 1936, p.27</ref> which in later years became known as "The MacArthur Maze". A massive landfill was emplaced, extending along the north edge of the existing Key System rail mole to the existing bayshore, and continuing northward along the shore to the foot of Ashby Avenue in Berkeley.<ref>"'Great Fill and Wall for Bay Bridge Approach", California Highways and Public Works, Dec. 1933, p.13</ref> The fill was continued northward to the foot of University Avenue as a causeway which enclosed an artificial lagoon, subsequently developed by the WPA as "Aquatic Park". The three feeder highways were U.S. Highway 40 (Eastshore Highway) which led north through Berkeley, U.S. Highway 50 (38th Street, later MacArthur Blvd.) which led through Oakland, and State Route 17 which ran parallel to U.S. 50, along the Oakland Estuary and through the industrial and port sections of the city.

The current approaches were constructed in the 1960s, as the original ones were not up to interstate highway standards and were designed mainly for local use.

Yerba Buena Tunnel Reconstruction

As originally completed, the upper deck was reserved for automobile traffic, and carried six lanes, each Template:Convert wide.<ref name=CHPW-19620102 /> The lower deck was further divided into three lanes of traffic for heavy trucks (each Template:Convert wide), and the two railroad tracks on the south side (Template:Convert wide for both tracks).<ref name=CHPW-193512>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=CHPW-19620102 /> The initial design in 1932 called for the two rail tracks to flank a central truck deck on the lower level.<ref name=CHPW-193201>Template:Cite magazine</ref> After Key System trains stopped running over the bridge in 1958, bids were opened on October 11, 1960, to rebuild the tunnel. The rebuild consisted of multiple stages of work:<ref name=CHPW-19620102 /><ref name=CHPW-19600910 />

1. Remove Key System rails, lower rail deck and repave
2. Lower the truck traffic half of the lower deck by Template:Convert and repave
3. Remove center columns supporting upper deck
4. Lower the upper deck by Template:Convert by placing precast concrete units

After the reconstruction, the tunnel would handle only road traffic. The upper deck was lowered to accommodate heavy truck traffic, as each deck would now carry five lanes of unidirectional traffic. The upper deck was dedicated to westbound traffic, and the lower deck was dedicated to eastbound traffic.<ref name=CHPW-19600910>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The impact to traffic during reconstruction of the tunnel was minimized mainly by working outside normal commuting hours and through the use of a portable steel bridge Template:Convert long and Template:Convert wide, designed to fit between the curbs of the existing upper deck.<ref name=CHPW-19620102>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The bridge spanned the gap between the new upper deck and old upper deck, and the overall elevation change of Template:Convert caused drivers to slow to Template:Convert, resulting in traffic jams.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first accident caused by "The Hump", the nickname the bridge acquired after prominent warning signs advertising its presence, occurred just twelve minutes after it was first deployed on November 25, 1961.<ref name=SFC-960205 />

The new precast upper deck units were each Template:Convert long, and were installed in two halves. One side of each half rested on a temporary falsework erected in the middle of the lower deck, and the other side rested on the shoulder of the tunnel wall previously used to support the old upper deck. After the two halves were fastened together, a steel form was used to close the Template:Convert gap between halves, and concrete was poured in the gap.<ref name=CHPW-19620102 /> The upper deck rests on Template:Convert shoulders built into the tunnel wall, padded by Template:Convert Masonite.<ref name=SFC-160221 />

The planned completion date for tunnel reconstruction was July 1962,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but "The Hump" was not dismantled until October 27, 1962. The San Francisco Chronicle marked the occasion by quipping "[The Hump] produced more jams than Grandma ever made."<ref name=SFC-960205>Template:Cite news</ref> After reconstruction, both the upper and lower decks featured Template:Convert of vertical clearance. Upper deck clearance is restricted by the tunnel portal, and lower deck clearance is restricted by the upper deck.

Rail removal

File:Oakland Bay Bridge from Yerba Buena Island.jpg

Daytime view of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco seen from Yerba Buena Island in 2011

File:Bay bridge sf.JPG

A view of the Bay Bridge from the Bank of America building in 2012

Automobile traffic increased dramatically in the ensuing decades of the bridge's opening. This, among other things, resulted in the Key Systems decline, and by the 1960s having rails on the bridge had become obsolete and a detriment to traffic, as they carried nothing on them. Work began on removing the tracks in October 1963. After the work was completed, the Bay Bridge was reconfigured with five lanes of westbound traffic on the upper deck and five lanes of eastbound traffic on the lower deck. The Key System originally planned to end train operations in 1948 when it replaced its streetcars with buses, but Caltrans did not approve of this. Trucks had their ban lifted and were allowed on the top deck for the first time.<ref name="newbaybridge"/> Due to this, the upper deck was retrofitted to handle the increased loads, with understringers added and prestressing added to the bottom of the floor beams. This retrofit is still in place today, and is visible to Eastbound traffic on the western span.

In current times, there have been attempts to restore rail service to the bridge, but none were successful. A study released in 2000 estimated the cost of restoring rail service across the bridge at up to $8 billion Template:USDCY.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

1968 aircraft accident

On February 11, 1968, a U.S. Navy training aircraft crashed into the cantilever span of the bridge, killing both reserve officers aboard. The T2V SeaStar, based at NAS Los Alamitos in southern California, was on a routine weekend mission and had just taken off in the fog from nearby NAS Alameda. The plane struck the bridge about Template:Convert above the upper deck roadway and then sank in the bay north of the bridge.<ref name=jsmibs>Template:Cite news</ref> There were no injuries among the motorists on the bridge.<ref name=bbrbnjt>Template:Cite news</ref> One of the truss sections of the bridges was replaced due to damage from the impact.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

1986 Cable lighting

The series of lights adorning the westbound spans suspension cables were added in 1986 as part of the bridge's 50th-anniversary celebration.<ref name="East Span News Spr 02">Template:Cite news</ref>

James B. Rolpf Jr. designation

The bridge was unofficially "dedicated" to James B. "Sunny Jim" Rolph, Jr.,<ref name="dot.ca.gov">"Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California" Template:Webarchive, California Department of Transportation, 2013, p. 43.</ref> but this was not widely recognized until the bridge's 50th-anniversary celebrations in 1986. The official name of the bridge for all functional purposes has always been the "San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge", and, by most local people, it is referred to simply as "the Bay Bridge". Rolph, a Mayor of San Francisco from 1912 to 1931, was the Governor of California at the time construction of the bridge began. He died in office on June 2, 1934, two years before the bridge opened, leaving the bridge to be named for him out of respect.<ref name="newbaybridge"/>

File:San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Western Span.jpg

A view of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge western span from the waterfront in San Francisco

1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and emergency repairs

File:Bay Bridge collapse 2.jpg

A collapsed section of roadway deck after the 1989 earthquake

On the evening of October 17, 1989, during the Loma Prieta earthquake, which measured a 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a Template:Convert section of the upper deck of the eastern truss portion of the bridge at Pier E9 collapsed onto the deck below, indirectly causing one death. The bridge was closed for just over a month as construction crews repaired the section. That same year, the bridge reopened to traffic on November 18.

2001 terrorism threat

On November 2, 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Governor Gray Davis announced a threat of a rush hour attack against a West Coast suspension bridge (a group which includes the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge) some time between November 2 and 7, resulting in an increase of openly armed law enforcement patrols.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A small fraction of drivers shifted to ferries and BART.<ref name="challenged">Template:Cite news</ref> It was later revealed that crews had secretly been working under armed guard for several weeks to harden the suspension cable attachment points, which were vulnerable to cutting with common weapons and tools. An anchor room was filled with concrete, doors welded shut, and a razor wire fence added. A blast wall was also added to defend against a potential truck bomb.<ref name="challenged" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the end, no attack occurred.

Emperor Norton naming campaign

In November 2004, after a campaign by San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank, then-San Francisco District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced a resolution to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors calling for the entire two-bridge system, from San Francisco to Oakland, to be named for Emperor Norton.<ref>Resolution in Support of the Emperor Norton Bridge, introduced to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, 2004. Template:Webarchive</ref>

On December 14, 2004, the Board approved a modified version of this resolution, calling for only "new additions"—i.e., the new eastern crossing—to be named "The Emperor Norton Bridge".<ref name="Norton Bay Bridge">Template:Cite news</ref> Neither the City of Oakland nor Alameda County passed any similar resolution, so the effort went no further.

Western span retrofit

File:San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Retrofit 4 (2-cropped vs 3).jpg

Obsolete hot riveted laced ties (left, original eastern span) and bolted box beam retrofit (right, western span)

The western section has undergone extensive seismic retrofitting. During the retrofit, much of the structural steel supporting the bridge deck was replaced while the bridge remained open to traffic. Engineers accomplished this by using methods similar to those employed on the Chicago Skyway.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The entire bridge was fabricated using hot steel rivets, which are impossible to heat treat and so remain relatively soft. Analysis showed that these could fail by shearing under extreme stress. Therefore, at most locations, rivets were replaced with high-strength bolts.<ref name="reno-pohll-1998">Template:Cite journal</ref> Most bolts had domed heads placed facing traffic so they looked similar to the rivets that were removed.<ref>Caltrans contract 04-0435U4, 1999–2004</ref>Template:Verify source. This work had to be performed with great care as the steel of the structure had for many years been painted with lead paint, which had to be carefully removed and contained by workers with extensive protective gear so that they would not suffocate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Most of the beams were originally constructed of two plate Template:Ibeam-beams joined with lattices of flat strip or angle stock, depending upon structural requirements. These have all been reconstructed by replacing the riveted lattice elements with bolted steel plate and so converting the lattice beams into box beams. This replacement included adding face plates to the large diagonal beams joining the faces of the main towers, which now have an improved appearance when viewed from certain angles.

Diagonal box beams have been added to each bay of the upper and lower decks of the western spans. These add stiffness to reduce side-to-side motion during an earthquake and reduce the probability of damage to the decking surfaces.

Analysis showed that some massive concrete supports could burst and crumble under likely stresses. In particular the western supports were extensively modified. First, the location of existing reinforcing bar is determined using magnetic techniques. In areas between bars holes are drilled. Into these holes is inserted and glued an L-shaped bar that protrudes Template:Cvt.Template:Citation needed This bar is retained in the hole with a high-strength epoxy adhesive. The entire surface of the structure is thus covered with closely spaced protrusions. A network of horizontal and vertical reinforcing bars is then attached to these protrusions. Mold surface plates are then positioned to retain high-strength concrete, which is then pumped into the void. After removal of the formwork the surface appears similar to the original concrete. This technique has been applied elsewhere throughout California to improve freeway overpass abutments and some overpass central supports that have unconventional shapes. (Other techniques such as jacket and grout are applied to simple vertical posts; see the seismic retrofit article.)

The western approaches have also been retrofitted in part, but mostly these have been replaced with new construction of reinforced concrete.

2007 Cosco Busan oil spill

In 2007, a container ship then named the Cosco Busan, and subsequently renamed the Hanjin Venezia, collided with the Delta Tower fender, resulting in the Cosco Busan oil spill.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

October 2009 eyebar crack, repair failure and bridge closure

During the 2009 Labor Day weekend<ref>5 September 2009 to 7 September 2009</ref> closure for a portion of the replacement, a major crack was found in an eyebar, significant enough to warrant bridge closure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Working in parallel with the retrofit, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and its contractors and subcontractors, were able to design, engineer, fabricate, and install the pieces required to repair the bridge, delaying its planned opening by only Template:Frac hours. The repair was not inspected by the Federal Highway Administration, which relied on state inspection reports to ensure safety guidelines were met.<ref name="dailyme">Template:Cite news</ref>

On October 27, 2009, during the evening commute, the steel crossbeam and two steel tie rods repaired over Labor Day weekend<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> snapped off the Bay Bridge's eastern section and fell to the upper deck.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Bay Bridge Closed for Eyebar Assessment and Repair Caltrans. Retrieved October 29, 2009. Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>photograph of bridge damage by commuter directly behind it Template:Webarchive</ref> This may have been due to metal-on-metal vibration from bridge traffic and wind gusts of up to Template:Convert, which resulted in one of the rods breaking off and caused one of the metal sections to come crashing down.<ref>Bay Bridge closed indefinitely . KGO-TV-7 ABC7News. October 28, 2009, 9:33 pm.</ref> Three vehicles were either struck by or hit the fallen debris, though there were no injuries.<ref name="lat repair failure">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=noestimate>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On November 1, Caltrans announced that the bridge would probably stay closed at least through the morning commute of Monday, November 2 after repairs performed during the weekend failed a stress test on Sunday.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> BART and the Golden Gate Ferry systems added supplemental service to accommodate the increased passenger load during the bridge closure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bridge reopened to traffic on November 2, 2009.

The pieces that broke off on October 27 were a saddle, crossbars, and two tension rods.<ref name="lat repair failure"/><ref>KSBW Action News Sunrise (5-7am), October 28, 2009</ref>

2010s–present

Willie L. Brown, Jr., Bridge naming resolution

In June 2013, nine state assemblymen, joined by two state senators, introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 65 (ACR 65) to name the western crossing of the bridge for former California Assembly Speaker and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.<ref>California Legislature, 2013–14 Regular Session, Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 65 – Relative to the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Bridge, June 12, 2013.</ref> Six weeks later, a grassroots petition was launched seeking to name the entire two-bridge system for Emperor Norton.<ref>Justin Slaughter, "Petition to name Bay Bridge after Emperor Norton gains 1,000 signatures", San Francisco Bay Guardian, August 13, 2013.</ref> In September 2013, the petition's author launched a nonprofit, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign — now known as The Emperor Norton Trust — that advocates for adding "Emperor Norton Bridge" as an honorary name (rather than "renaming" the bridge) and that undertakes other efforts to advance Norton's legacy.<ref>EmperorNortonBridge.org Template:Webarchive — links to information and petition for The Emperor Norton Trust's proposal to add "Emperor Norton Bridge" as an honorary name for the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, leaving in place all existing names and signage for the bridge and its constituent parts.</ref> The state legislative resolution naming the western section of the Bay Bridge the "Willie L. Brown, Jr., Bridge" passed the Assembly in August 2013 and the Senate in September 2013.<ref>Official California Legislative Information, "Documents associated with ACR 65", Legislative Counsel of California.</ref> A ceremony was held on February 11, 2014, marking the resolution and the installation of signs on either end of the section.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Eastern span replacement

Template:Main For various reasons, the eastern section would have been too expensive to retrofit compared to replacing it, so the decision was made to replace it.

The replacement section underwent a series of design changes, both progressive and regressive, with increasing cost estimates and contractor bids. The final design included a single-towered self-anchored suspension span starting at Yerba Buena island, leading to a long inclined viaduct to the Oakland touchdown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Separated and protected bicycle lanes are a visually prominent feature on the south side of the new eastern section. The bikeway and pedestrian path across the eastern span opened in October 2016 and carries recreational and commuter cyclists between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The original eastern cantilever span had firefighting dry standpipes installed. No firefighting dry or wet standpipes were designed for the eastern section replacement, although, the firefighting wet standpipes do exist on the original western section visible on both the north-side upper and lower decks.Template:Citation needed

The original eastern section closed permanently to traffic on August 28, 2013, and the replacement span opened for traffic five days later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The original eastern section was dismantled between January 2014 and November 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

• Eastern span: original and replacement
• Some new construction (2004)
  Some new construction (2004)
• Substantial progress (2011)
  Substantial progress (2011)
• The completed replacement and the old bridge (2013)
  The completed replacement and the old bridge (2013)
• Rest of old and new bridge (June 2015)
  Rest of old and new bridge (June 2015)
• Artist's simulation of final appearance after old span demolition
  Artist's simulation of final appearance after old span demolition

File:Eastern Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge at night, seen from Yerba Buena Island.jpg

The eastern span in 2017

2013 public "light sculpture" installation

File:Baybridgelights.JPG

A view of Bay Bridge lights from a pier next to the Ferry Building in San Francisco (2014)

On March 5, 2013, a public art installation called "The Bay Lights" was activated on the western span's vertical cables. The installation was designed by artist Leo Villareal and consists of 25,000 LED lights originally scheduled to be on nightly display until March 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, on December 17, 2014, the non-profit Illuminate The Arts announced that it had raised the $4 million needed to make the lights permanent; the display was temporarily turned off starting in March 2015 in order to perform maintenance and install sturdier bulbs and then re-lit on January 30, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cuff">Template:Cite news</ref>

In order to reduce driver distractions, the privately funded display is not visible to users of the bridge, only to distant observers. This lighting effort is intended to form part of a larger project to "light the bay".<ref>The Bay Lights Template:Webarchive (thebaylights.org)</ref> Villareal used various algorithms to generate patterns such as rainfall, reflections on water, bird flight, expanding rings, and others. Villareal's patterns and transitions will be sequenced and their duration determined by computerized random number generator to make each viewing experience unique.<ref>Bay Bridge light display dazzles San Francisco Includes video (following a too-long advertisement)</ref> Owing to the efficiency of the LED system employed, the estimated operating cost is only US$15.00 per night.

The lights were switched off permanently at 8 pm on March 5, 2023 – the 10th anniversary of the artwork. This was done due to their poor condition and increasing costs to maintain properly. There is a plan to raise additional funds and install a new set of lights later in the year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Alexander Zuckermann Bike Path

The pedestrian and bicycle route on the eastern section opened on September 3, 2013, and is named after Alexander Zuckermann, founding chair of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This forms a transbay route for the San Francisco Bay Trail. Until October 2016, the path did not connect to Yerba Buena and Treasure Island sidewalks, due to the need to demolish more of the old eastern section before final construction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On May 2, 2017, public access was extended to seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with occasional closure days for continued demolition of the old bridge foundations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This work was completed on November 11, 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yerba Buena Tunnel closure and repair

On January 30, 2016, a chunk of concrete the size of an automobile tire fell from the tunnel wall into the slow lane of eastbound traffic on the lower deck of the Yerba Buena Tunnel, causing a minor accident. The concrete fell from where the upper deck is connected to the tunnel wall. Based on an examination of photographs, a professor from Georgia Tech postulated that water infiltration into the concrete wall had caused the reinforcing steel to corrode and expand, forcing a chunk of the tunnel wall out.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A subsequent California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) investigation identified 12 spots on both sides of the tunnel wall in the lower deck space showed signs of corrosion-induced damage, but no immediate risk of further spalling. The apparent cause was rainwater leaking from upper deck drains. Caltrans engineers speculated the Masonite pads had swelled due to rainwater infiltration, cracking the tunnel walls and allowing moisture in to the reinforcing steel.<ref name=SFC-160221>Template:Cite news</ref> Repairs to the degraded concrete started in February 2017. Drains and catch basins were replaced to reduce the likelihood of clogging, and fiberglass-reinforced mortar was used to patch removed concrete. The repairs, which required some daytime lane closures, were expected to last until June 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2020 bus lane proposal

In January 2020, the AC Transit and BART boards of directors supported the establishment of dedicated bus lanes on the bridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2020, Rob Bonta introduced state legislation to begin planning bus lanes on the bridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Opening of the Judge John Shutter Regional Shoreline

On October 21, 2020, the Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline park opened to the public. Located at the foot of the bridge, the opening of the park has led to easier access to the bike and pedestrian path due to improved parking and pedestrian access.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2016-2023 exit reconstructions

In the 1960s directional reconfiguration, there were three off-ramps added to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island: a single left-hand side exit in the western direction at the east end of the tunnel, a left-hand side exit in the eastern direction at the west end of the tunnel (originally signed as just "Treasure Island"), and a right-hand side exit in eastern direction at the east end of the tunnel (originally signed as just "Yerba Buena Island").<ref name="sfist May 2023"/><ref name="sfchon May 2023"/> The eastbound left exit in particular presented an unusual hazard – drivers had to slow within the normal traffic flow and move into a very short off-ramp that ended in a short radius turn left turn; accordingly, a 15 MPH advisory was posted there. The turn had been further narrowed from its original design by the installation of crash pads on the island side. The eastbound and westbound on-ramps were then on the usual right-hand side, but they did not have dedicated merge lanes, forcing drivers to await gaps in traffic and then accelerate from a stop sign to traffic speeds in a short distance. In 2016, a new on-ramp and off-ramp at the east end of the tunnel were opened in the western direction on the right-hand side of the roadway, replacing the left-hand side off-ramp in that direction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, the eastbound right-hand side off-ramp and on-ramp at the east end of the tunnel was demolished during the reconstruction of the eastern span of the bridge. A new on-ramp on this side was built with a dedicated merge lane, but the off-ramp's replacement was not completed until early-May 2023, well after the bridge's bike path from the Oakland side to the island was fully completed. The eastbound left-hand side off-ramp and westbound on-ramp at the west end of the tunnel are then scheduled then close as early as late-May 2023 while the western span undergoes a seismic retrofit.<ref name="sfist May 2023">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="sfchon May 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>

Financing and tolls

Current toll rates

File:Bay Bridge 1998.jpg

Bay Bridge by night in 1998.

Tolls are only collected from westbound traffic at the toll plaza on the Oakland side of the bridge. Those just traveling between Yerba Buena Island and the main part of San Francisco are not tolled. All-electronic tolling has been in effect since 2020, and drivers may either pay using the FasTrak electronic toll collection device or using the license plate tolling program. It remains not truly an open road tolling system until the remaining unused toll booths are removed, forcing drivers to slow substantially from freeway speeds while passing through. Effective Template:Start and end dates, the toll rate for passenger cars is $8. During peak traffic hours on weekdays between 5:00 am and 10:00 am, and between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, carpool vehicles carrying three or more people, clean air vehicles, or motorcycles may pay a discounted toll of $4 if they have FasTrak and use the designated carpool lane. Drivers without Fastrak or a license plate account must open and pay via a "short term" account within 48 hours after crossing the bridge or they will be sent an invoice of the unpaid toll. No additional toll violation penalty will be assessed if the invoice is paid within 21 days.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Historical toll rates

When the Bay Bridge opened in 1936, the toll was 65 cents (Template:Inflation),<ref name="East Span News Spr 02"/> collected in each direction by men in booths fronting each lane of traffic. Within months, the toll was lowered to 50 cents in order to compete with the ferry system, and finally to 25 cents since this was shown sufficient to pay off the original revenue bonds on schedule (equivalent to $Template:Inflation and $Template:Inflation in Template:Inflation year respectively).Template:Citation needed In 1951 there were eighty collectors working various shifts.<ref name=MostPolite>C.H. Garrigues, "Most Polite Man," Nation's Business, February 1951, pages 72-74</ref>

On Monday, September 1, 1969, (Labor Day) a change of policy resulted in the toll being collected thereafter only from westbound traffic, at twice the previous rate; eastbound vehicles were toll-exempt.<ref>"One-Way Tolls to Start Monday on All Bridges," The Argus, Fremont, California, August 29, 1969, image 5</ref>

Tolls were subsequently raised to finance improvements to the bridge approaches, required to connect with new freeways, and to subsidize public transit in order to reduce the traffic over the bridge. The toll was increased by a quarter dollar to 75 cents in 1978 (Template:Inflation), where it remained for a decade.<ref name=arthi>Template:Cite news</ref>

Caltrans, the state highway transportation agency, maintains seven of the eight San Francisco Bay Area bridges. (The Golden Gate Bridge is owned and maintained by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.)<ref name=ggblue>Template:Cite news</ref>

The basic toll (for automobiles) on the seven state-owned bridges, including the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, was standardized to $1 by Regional Measure 1, approved by Bay Area voters in 1988 (Template:Inflation).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A $1 seismic retrofit surcharge was added in 1998 by the state legislature, increasing the toll to $2 (Template:Inflation), originally for eight years, but since then extended to December 2037 (AB1171, October 2001).<ref name='AB1171'>Template:Cite news</ref> On March 2, 2004, voters approved Regional Measure 2 to fund various transportation improvement projects, raising the toll by another dollar to $3 (Template:Inflation). An additional dollar was added to the toll starting January 1, 2007, to cover cost overruns on the eastern span replacement of the Bay Bridge, increasing the toll to $4 (Template:Inflation).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a regional transportation agency, in its capacity as the Bay Area Toll Authority, administers RM1 and RM2 funds, a significant portion of which are allocated to public transit capital improvements and operating subsidies in the transportation corridors served by the bridges. Caltrans administers the "second dollar" seismic surcharge, and receives some of the MTC-administered funds to perform other maintenance work on the bridges. The Bay Area Toll Authority is made up of appointed officials put in place by various city and county governments, and is not subject to direct voter oversight.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Due to further funding shortages for seismic retrofit projects, the Bay Area Toll Authority again raised tolls on all seven of the state-owned bridges (this excludes the Golden Gate Bridge) in July 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The toll rate for autos on other Bay Area bridges was increased to $5 (Template:Inflation), but in the Bay Bridge a congestion pricing tolling scheme was implemented. This variable pricing system was not truly congestion priced because toll rates came from a preset schedule and are not based on actual congestion. A $6 toll (Template:Inflation) was charged from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. During weekends cars paid the standard $5 toll like the other bridges. Carpools before the implementation were exempted but began to pay $2.50 (Template:Inflation), and the carpool toll discount became available only to drivers with FasTrak electronic toll devices. The toll remained at the previous toll of $4 at all other times on weekdays (now Template:Inflation).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Bay Area Toll Authority reported that by October 2010 fewer users are driving during the peak hours and more vehicles are crossing the Bay Bridge before and after the 5–10 a.m. period in which the congestion toll goes into effect. Commute delays in the first six months dropped by an average of 15% compared with 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For vehicles with at least 3 axles, the toll rate was $5 per axle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2018, Bay Area voters approved Regional Measure 3 to further raise the tolls on all seven of the state-owned bridges to fund $4.5 billion worth of transportation improvements in the area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Under the passed measure, the tolls on the Bay Bridge were raised by $1 on January 1, 2019, then again on January 1, 2022, and again on January 1, 2025. Thus under the congestion pricing scheme, the tolls for autos during the peak weekday rush hours were set to $7 in 2019, $8 in 2022, and $9 in 2025; for the non-rush periods, $5 in 2019, $6 in 2022, and $7 in 2025; and on weekends, $6 in 2019, $7 in 2022, and $8 in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Congestion pricing was then suspended indefinitely in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the weekend toll rates in effect for all days and times.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In September 2019, the MTC approved a $4 million plan to eliminate toll takers and convert all seven of the state-owned bridges to all-electronic tolling, citing that 80 percent of drivers are now using Fastrak and the change would improve traffic flow.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> On March 20, 2020, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, all-electronic tolling was placed in effect for all seven state-owned toll bridges.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The MTC then installed new systems at all seven bridges to make them permanently cashless by the start of 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 2022, the Bay Area Toll Authority announced plans to remove all remaining unused toll booths and create an open-road tolling system which functions at highway speeds; until then, drivers must still slow substantially while passing through the toll plaza.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

The Bay Area Toll Authority then approved a plan in December 2024 to implement 50-cent annual toll increases on all seven state-owned bridges between 2026 and 2030 to help pay for bridge maintenance. The standard toll rate for autos will thus rise to $8.50 on January 1, 2026; $9 in 2027; $9.50 in 2028; $10 in 2029; and then to $10.50 in 2030. And becoming effective in 2027, a 25-cent surcharge will be added to any toll charged to a license plate account, and a 50-cent surcharge added to a toll violation invoice, due to the added cost of processing these payment methods.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• 49-Mile Scenic Drive
• Bay Bridge Troll
• Cosco Busan oil spill
• Golden Gate Bridge
• List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in California
• Southern Crossing (California) - proposed parallel bridge
• Treasure Island Development
• 25 de Abril Bridge, a bridge with a similar design in Portugal

References

Notes Template:Reflist

Bibliography

• Template:Cite web
• Petroski, Henry. (1995). Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Template:ISBN.
• Reisner, Marc (1999). A Dangerous Place: California's Unsettling Fate. Penguin Books.
• Template:Cite news
• San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project. Retrieved August 24, 2005.

External links

Official sites

• Bay Area FasTrak – includes toll information on this and the other Bay Area toll facilities
• baybridgeinfo.org Site by Caltrans about all current construction on the bridge.
• California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) official Bay Bridge site Template:Webarchive

Journals

• Template:Cite journal
• Template:Cite journal
• Template:Cite journal

Media

• Template:YouTube (17 minutes)
• Template:YouTube
• Lower Deck Rail and Roadway Off Ramps, 1939, Dorothea Lange photo
• San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Construction Collection MSS 722.
• Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library.
• "Bridging San Francisco Bay", PDH Online Course C577

Other

• Bay Bridge Oral History Project, Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley
• "Symphonies in Steel: Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate" at The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco
• Template:Cite web
• Template:Structurae
• Template:Structurae
• Template:Structurae
• Template:HAER
• Template:HAER