Our Golden Gate.com

SF Marathon to Impact Bridge Traffic Sun. July 25 till 10 AM

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Date:  Sunday, July 25, 2010 

Time:  6:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Event Website: San Francisco Marathon

Impact:  Most Golden Gate Bridge parking lots (and the freeway exits that lead to them) will be closed from midnight to 10:00 AM on July 25.  The Conzelman Road lot on the north end of the Bridge will be closed from 3:00 AM to 10:00 AM, and the adjacent Sausalito offramp from southbound 101 will remain open throughout.  Bus routes that normally go through the parking lots will not do so during these hours.

Since the parking lots will be closed, the organizers are asking the public not to access the Bridge sidewalks on July 25 until 10:00 AM to avoid interfering with the race.

Access from the Presidio to the Bridge will also be cut off during this period to accommodate the Marathon.  Crissy Field Ave. (until 10:00 AM) and Mason St. (until 8:00 AM) will be closed.

From 1:00 to 6:00 AM crews will reconfigure the traffic lanes on the Bridge to prepare for the Marathon.

6:00 AM - 9:00 AM -- Most of the runners will cross the Golden Gate Bridge during this three hour period.  The race will occupy three lanes of the Bridge (two race lanes and a safety buffer), and two lanes will be open southbound and one open northbound.  

Doyle Drive and Park Presidio Blvd. near the Bridge will each have one lane of traffic in each direction.

If you commute to Marin early Sunday mornings allow extra time July 25 due to the single lane open for traffic and the inevitable gawker's block.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM --  Bridge crews will return the Bridge lanes to normal configuration.

10:00 AM -- Bridge sidewalks and parking lots re-open and we start a normal Sunday on the Golden Gate.

Copyright (c) 2010, Our Golden Gate.com.  All Rights Reserved.

73 Years Ago Today: The Golden Gate Bridge Opened to Pedestrians

 

On May 27, 1937 the Golden Gate Bridge was opened, and on that first day pedestrians were the only ones allowed.  An estimated 200,000 came out, including a newlywed San Francisco couple who happened to be the parents of one of our Editors.

It cost a nickel to cross the Bridge that first day, but early on there were so many people that the coin machines jammed.

A few months before, at the opening of the Bay Bridge, thousands of people had spontaneously walked across the Bridge when it opened, snarling traffic.  The Golden Gate Bridge officials turned the event into a big  festival, wonderfully described in this article from the 50th anniversary.

Bridge walkers were offered an array of souvenirs for the occasion, including an official hat with Mariachi-style tassels, some of which people appear to be wearing in the photo below.  Although the Depression was easing a little by 1937, the Bridge was a bright addition to what for many people was a very dark time.

 

Text Copyright (c) 2010 OurGoldenGate.com.  All Rights Reserved.

 

8,000 Girl Scouts to Walk Across Golden Gate Bridge Sat. May 8

 

Date:  Saturday, May 8, 2010 

Time:  9:00 AM -2:00 PM

Location:  East Sidewalk (San Francisco City Side), the side used by pedestrians and not bikes on the weekend.

This year the Girl Scouts' "Golden Gate Bridging" Event will involve up to 8,000 girls, who will walk across the Golden Gate Bride east sidewalk.  The sidewalks will remain open to other pedestrians during this time, but it's going to be crowded.

The Girl Scouts report that the event is sold out for this year, and participation is restricted to those who have already reserved a ticket.  More information is available on their website.

The Girl Scouts report that the event is sold out for this year, and participation is restricted to those who have already reserved a ticket.  More information is available on their website.

Copyright (c) 2010, Our Golden Gate.com.  All Rights Reserved.