Well, I guess I would be an old timer as far as this bridge crap goes. I lived in Marin in the 50's when they still had the the draw bridges on 101 across Richardson Bay and the one in Greenbrae. There was a light at Alto, Corte Madera and Greenbrae. They had the bypass done and were putting in the other tunnel to drop down on the bridge. I remember seeing the signs going into the City, "Toll 45 cents." Then it was "35 cents" and then when I was driving, 25 cents. At that time they tried automatic toll takers. There was a hopper that you threw your money in, it counted it and you got a green light. As teenagers we always threw 25 pennies in, and drove away. The lights and bells would go off and then stop when the counter finished. One of the biggest souvenirs was a pylon from the lane markers. A lot of guys in HS had them in their bedrooms. I also had to run during PE, from Redwood HS, down where the old double track towards Detour was but there was only the one track left.

Up to the time I went south with the SP, there was a "Bridge District." These people regulated tolls and ran the bridge, or so the public was told. From the opening of the bridge, (my grandfathers brother (E.D. Bullard) provided the safety equipment and his 2 daughters were the first twins to cross it when it opened) it was said that the bridge would be paid for by tolls. Greyhound made tons of money providing bus service to Marin for commuters for years. All of a sudden things changed.

The "Bridge District" went into to the bus and boat business. The 25 cent toll was history. The cost went up & up with drivers paying for bus and boat service. The wages of the "Board District" went over the top and hasn't quit.

I don't think the people at the time wanted to run a "company". They just wanted the bridge built and paid off as promised.

Marin had a great Interurban rail system back then. The East Bay did too, but history shows where big business got rid of it all in order to replace it with rubber tire buses. Yes, the SP was up to its neck in doing this but also General Motors and other companies. Look at the waist of BART when there were 2 tracks on the bottom deck of the Bay Bridge in order to cross the bay.

The rail end with freight continued on for years. As freight went south almost everything was abandoned. The right of ways are still there and they should be used to put that rail back without having to fight SMART at every turn.

No, "You Can't Go Home Again" but I think some people have different agendas. NIMBY'S,
Tree Huggers, big business looking for easy money, etc.



Nudge