Our Golden Gate.com

Traffic Alert: Fatal Accident at Foot of Waldo Grade

Traffic on Highway 101 north of the Golden Gate Bridge at the Bridgeway (Sausalito) offramp tonight is being affected in both directions by a fatal accident that took place shortly after 8:45 PM tonight.

Southbound traffic is getting through in a single lane. Northbound traffic was routed along Bridgeway for a while, but has now been reopened as of about 10:30 PM.

The driver of a Lexus SUV apparently lost control of her vehicle and rolled over. She was ejected from the vehicle and landed in the northbound lanes.

If you have a friend or family member who still drives without a seat belt, hopefully this will give you ammunition to convince them to take more care and at least we can save someone else's life via this tragedy.

UPDATE: As of 11:20 PM traffic is slow in both directions due to lane closures but still getting through.

Comments (1)

Technorati Tags: 101, accident, Sausalito, traffic

Alert: Monday and Tuesday overnight Park Presidio Closures Postponed

Why do we feel like we're in a Soap Opera?

24 hours ago we reported to you that Caltrans had alerted us that next Monday and Tuesday nights, August 9-10, there would be overnight closures of the southbound ramp from Doyle Drive to Highway 1 (Park Presidio Blvd.) adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza.

16 hours ago I drove into San Francisco and saw lots of signs saying the lanes would be closed on August 14-15.

We just got an email from Caltrans (and thanks to their press people for trying to do the right thing) saying that the closure was postponed but that there was no new official date for the next closure and they'd let us know when there is one.

The one reassuring thing we can report from this is that once a firm decision is made the Caltrans press liaison updates us really efficiently.

At least it's easier than keeping track of whether Alejandro has returned home to beg for Karen's forgiveness, or if Will is really the illegitimate son of Patrice, Crown Prince of Liechtenstein.

The CalTrans map below shows the location of the closures.

Caltrans has a graphics-rich website with information about the project here.

Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: Caltrans, closures, construction, Golden Gate Bridge, Park Presidio, Presidio Parkway

Alert: Closures of SB Doyle Drive to Park Presidio Ramp Next Mon. and Tues. August 9-10

The next construction-based closure of the ramp from southbound Doyle Drive to southbound Highway 1 (Park Presidio Blvd.) will NOT be on a weekend, as we have all come to expect. Instead it will be next Monday and Tuesday nights, August 9 and 10, from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM.

The CalTrans map below shows the location of the closures.

The alternate route to the Richmond and Sunset Districts and Highway 1 is to stay on Doyle Drive and follow it onto Lombard St., then turn right (south) on Van Ness Blvd.

To continue south on 101 stay on Van Ness and follow the signs.

To return to Highway 1 and Park Presidio Blvd. take Van Ness to Geary and turn right (west). Geary will take you about 2 miles back to where you can re-join Park Presidio (between 12th and 14th avenues.)

Caltrans has a graphics-rich website with information about the project here.

Comments (0)

Reminder: Carpools Must Have FasTrak to get Toll Discount as of Mon. July 19

We just wanted to remind carpool drivers on the Golden Gate Bridge that as of Monday, July 19 2010 you must have a FasTrak in your car to get the reduced Bridge toll.

Make sure to go through a toll plaza lane that has a real live human being. They will confirm that you have three or more people in your car (and no cardboard cut-puts of Darth Vader, Marilyn Monroe or Captain Kirk) and hit the Magic Button so you're charged $3.00 instead of the full toll to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

We have all the information here.

Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: carpool, carpools, FasTrack, FasTrak, FastTrack, FastTrak, Golden Gate Bridge, toll, tolls

Traffic Alert: Just 1 Lane on Doyle Drive at Golden Gate Bridge Sat. July 17 at 10 PM to Sun. 8 AM

If you're going to San Francisco this Saturday night or meeting a late flight at SFO, we suggest you get back across the Golden Gate Bridge before midnight if possible.

Doyle Drive will be cut down to one lane in each direction for the Presidio Parkway construction work adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza from 10:00 PM Saturday night to 8:00 AM Sunday morning. This effectively makes Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge a 2-lane highway for eight hours. The back-ups could get very long, especially northbound from 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM.

The CalTrans map below shows that the side streets from the toll plaza parking lots will remain open, but they also have very limited capacity for relieving traffic.

The ramp from Doyle Dr. to southbound Park Presidio Dr. through the MacArthur tunnel is open, but you'll have to get through the narrows of Doyle Drive to reach it after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

CalTrans is responsible for Doyle Drive, while the Bridge District sets the lane dividers on the Golden Gate Bridge.

The only alternate route is to use the Bay Bridge and Richmond - San Rafael Bridge to avoid the Golden Gate Bridge and Doyle Drive completely.

Caltrans has a graphics-rich website with information about the project here.

Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: CalTrans, construction, Doyle Drive, Golden Gate Bridge, Presidion Parkway, traffic

Ramp from NB Park Presidio to Doyle Dr. Closed Midnight - 5 AM July 9-10

We just got the word from Caltrans:

If you're going to SFO to pick someone up late this Friday, July 9 or Saturday, July 10, if it's after midnight you'll need to come back to Marin via Van Ness Ave. and Lombard St. or Bay St. in San Francisco. The ramp connecting 19th Ave. and Park Presidio to Doyle Drive and the Golden Gate Bridge will be closed (starting at Lake St., the last cross street before the tunnel) from midnight to 5:00 AM for construction.

Alternate routes to the Golden Gate Bridge from the City, SFO and the Peninsula:

1. Take 101 north instead of 280 and 19th Ave, and follow the signs for the Golden Gate Bridge. They'll route you up Van Ness Ave. to Lombard St. to Doyle Drive, which avoids the closure.

2. Take 280 north to where it ends and follow the Embarcadero up to Bay St. (just before Fisherman's Wharf). Turn left on Bay and follow it all the way through the Marina and to the Golden Gate Bridge.

3. If you're in western San Francisco, take 19th Ave. north to Geary Blvd. Turn right on Geary, take it for about 2 miles over the hill and turn left on either Franklin or Van Ness. Either one will take you to Lombard St. and the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you don't mind steep hills, take Geary east about one mile and turn left at Divisadero. It will take you over a steep ridge and down to Lombard St., where you can turn left to reach the Bridge.

Caltrans has a graphics-rich website with information about the project here.

Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: Caltrans, construction, detours, Doyle Drive, Golden Gate Bridge, Park Presidio, road closures

July 3 "Getaway" Traffic on Golden Gate Bridge Already Heavy

We were pleasantly surprised on Friday night when there were some bad clog points on Doyle Drive but the Golden Gate Bridge traffic was actually less congested than we had expected.

Of course, as one of our editors commented, "It was bad enough to make you angry, just not bad enough to make you suicidal." But journalists are known for their cynical attitudes.

Thus far on Saturday morning of the big Fourth of July weekend the traffic has been making up for lost time: it's been slow from the construction zones on Doyle Drive up through much of Marin. There have been a few open patches on the Waldo Grade and north of Central San Rafael, but there are just too many people going to Tahoe and the Wine Country.

You can always use our webcams page to check traffic on the Bridge and on Doyle Drive.

AFTERNOON UPDATE: The morning rush has cleared, and the only remaining tough spots are the transitions from Lombard and the Marina to Doyle Drive, which knot up and clear periodically. If you're lucky you may even sail through those problem areas.

LATE AFTERNOON UPDATE: The traffic on Doyle Drive is backed up for at least a half mile approaching the Golden Gate Bridge, but once you reach the Bridge itself things open up a little and the Waldo Grade is near the speed limit. It slows again as you approach the Novato Narrows.

Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: 4th of July, Fourth of July, Golden Gate Bridge, traffic

Golden Gate Bridge District Warning of Extra Congestion July 4th Weekend

Managers at the Golden Gate Bridge are warning that this will be an especially crowded Fourth of July weekend at the Golden Gate bridge.

On the afternoons of July 1 and 2 the Bridge will be configured with 4 lanes northbound and 2 southbound to try to help the "getaway day" traffic.

In addition to the usual heavy traffic, road construction on Doyle Drive (south of the Bridge) and Conzelman Road and East Road (north of the Bridge) are affecting both parking and vehicle flow.

The District's Golden Gate Bridge traffic advisory is located here.

You can find San Francisco's local fireworks traffic advisory for July 4th here.

The District also reports that they've heard all the complaints about the delays on Doyle Drive, and that they plan to meet with the CalTrans planners who control the lanes there to try to open things up more. Two separate teams determine how many lanes go each direction on the Bridge and on Doyle Drive. (Editorial comment: Another case of politics having triumphed over common sense.)

Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: 4th of July, construction, Conzelman Road, Doyle Drive, East Road, fireworks, Fourth of July, Golden Gate Bridge, July 4, July 4th, traffic