GGB Barrier Held

Acquisition of a movable barrier for the Golden Gate bridge, among other small projects, is being delayed, following a board decision to do a comprehensive review of new capital projects. The GGB is strapped for money to move forward on a large seismic retrofit and rebuild program for the bridge because its toll revenues have been going down the financial gurgler of mega-loss transit operations – buses and ferries. As a result of an ill-considered decision several years ago to take on the burden of local transit the bridge has had to join the long line of supplicants in Sacramento CA and Washington DC. Without the transit white elephant fouling its financial books it could have gone to the capital markets to fund the seismic retrofit several years back. The GG bridge commission has irresponsibly preferred to squander toll revenues on politically-correct transit, than on essential work to strengthen the bridge and to preserve their principal asset. By their political cowardice and myopia they have put in jeopardy not only an important piece of transport infrastructure but a jewel of a bridge, one of the world’s engineering wonders and a national icon. [We want to put that on record before the Big One hits, and absolutely everyone’s saying it.]