A measure to raise Bay Area bridge tolls took a major step forward Wednesday when a key transportation committee unanimously recommended putting it before voters in June.
The Bay Area Toll Authority Oversight Committee unanimously voted in favor of the regional measure, which would increase tolls over six years, with $1 hikes in 2019, 2022 and 2025, if voters in the nine Bay Area counties approve it. The money would go toward three-dozen much-needed regional public transportation and roadway improvements.
But to get before voters, the recommendation will need approval from the full Bay Area Toll Authority, which usually follows the committee’s lead. A vote is expect Jan. 24.
“This is not an easy decision of this commission,” said James Spering, a committee member representing Solano County. “I think everybody knows that. It’s going to be a campaign that has a lot of controversy. ... We have a responsibility to look at 5, 10, 15 years down the road. These are projects the public is demanding.”
If the authority gives the measure the go-ahead, the Board of Supervisors in each of the nine affected counties will make the final vote to place it on each county’s ballot for June 5 as Regional Measure 3. If it passes, the toll hikes will affect only drivers on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges. The Golden Gate Bridge would be excluded. Commuters who cross two bridges to get to their destination would receive a 50 percent discount on their second crossing if they have a FasTrak pass.
The measure already seems to have some headwind. In polling in November and December, a majority of the 4,151 likely voters surveyed said they favored the measure. The hybrid phone/Internet survey was conducted by EMC Research of Oakland.
The five worst commutes in the Bay Area (in reverse order) as derived from Caltrans traffic data and estimates of the number of hours annually that drivers spend creeping along at speeds below 35 mph.
Media: Martin do NascimentoTo become law, the measure would require a simple region-wide majority of those who cast ballots. In all, the toll increase would raise about $4.5 billion over 30 years to pay for expanding public transportation, including BART extensions to Berryessa, San Jose and Santa Clara, and easing traffic choke points on key highways like the Novato Narrows and the Dumbarton Bridge corridor, among other things.
“You’ve got a tremendously eager public,” said Michael Cunningham, senior vice president of policy for the Bay Area Council, a nine-county business organization. “The polls show that. Every one of our lives confirms this point. The public is desperate for public transportation solutions.”
Randy Rentschler, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, agreed.
“The Bay Area is a jobs machine,” he said. “That comes with some congestion in the bridge corridors. We think people are interested in getting that solved.”
For roadways, funding from the measure would be directed at expanding the Bay Area’s express lane project, which converts carpool lanes into shared carpool-toll lanes for solo drivers who want to buy their way in. Interchanges at Interstate 690-Highway 4 in Martinez, I-680 and Highway 84 near Sunol and Highways 101 and 92 in San Mateo also would be upgraded.
The measure also includes a proposal to create an inspector general whose job would be to examine BART finances and operations.
Committeeman Alfredo Pedroza, who represents Napa County, said it was important to stress the $1-plus-$1-plus-$1 model to voters to avoid sticker shock.
“It was interesting waking up in the morning for the past three days and seeing there would be a $3 increase in bridge tolls,” he said. “It’s making sure we get the messaging right. It’s phased over time, and this is a good step and investment in infrastructure.”
Whether or not the measure turns out to be controversial, it’s important to move it forward, Spering said. He compared it to Regional Measure 2 — which voters approved in 2004 — raising bridge tolls by $1.
“At the time, that took a lot of courage, and a lot of us took a lot of flak for supporting it, but it was the right thing to do,” Spering said. “Regional Measure 3 will be very similar. It really has an impact on the economy of the Bay Area and the social structure of the Bay Area.”
Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter:
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