California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Proposal to Double Bridge Tolls Fails

The Assembly rejected a proposal to double the toll on seven state-run bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area--from $1 to $2--to raise $200 million for public transit. The bill was introduced during the Legislature’s special session to address special needs after the Oct. 17 earthquake. It failed on a 26-35 vote, well short of the two-thirds majority needed to clear the 80-member house. But Assemblyman Tom Bates (D-Berkeley) said he would revise his measure and bring it up again in regular session. Besides doubling tolls, it provides free passage for cars carrying three or more people, including the driver. The measure does not apply to the locally operated Golden Gate Bridge, which already has a $2 toll.