BRIDGING THE GAP
One
man ‘s pioneering effort to put
safety first on the Golden Gate Bridge
Special to
Marin Scope
Ask San Anselmo resident Robert Guernsey, and he’ll be the first to admit that the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District (GGBHTD) has taken more than its toll on him. Guernsey, 51, who is chairman and founder of the Citizens for a Safe Golden Gate Bridge (CFASGGB), has dedicated the past four years of his life in his pursuit to convince the transportation district to install a Movable barrier that would eliminate the risk of head-on collisions on the busy. Six-lane bridge. The organization was formed by Guernsey in 1995 along with half a dozen local residents, two of which had been injured tired in automobile accidents on the bridge and nearby Doyle Drive. According to the organization’s website, “the group felt it necessary to petition the Mann County Board of Supervisors, to engage an independent engineering firm to study the possibility and feasibility for a new method to separate lanes of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge, other than that currently employed today-the yellow plastic pylons.”
The past four years have been a labor of love for the organization, as they have lobbied local residents, posted public notices and sign up support forms in local newspapers and on the Web donated funds to worthy causes, and, since the beginning of October, have mailed proposal letters to over 125 major corporations (including Microsoft, Lucas film, Saab, Pepsi, AutoDesk, United Airlines, Coca-Cola, and Sprint), seeking financial support in the building of the barrier. So far the organization has received one positive response, to which specific details have yet to be discussed and agreed upon; Guernsey believes it will only take one contributor to spark the interest and support of many other organizations. According to Guernsey, there have been about 78 accidents on the bridge during the past ten years, which have resulted in eight fatalities and almost 50 injuries (according to the official Golden Gate Bridge web site, an average of 41,381,000 vehicles cross the bridge every year). He began considering ideas for permanent barriers back in 1989, and eventually pursued and was granted a patent for his computerized design in 1996, which he refers to as a “Retractable Delineator System for Suspension and Truss Bridges.”
After spending about a year working on a miniature scale model of the bridge (which included working lights, an authentic Golden Gate Bridge, color paint job, and a computerized mini barrier in place) Guernsey unveiled his idea to the public at the Mann County Exhibit Hall in June of 1996. The media turnout and support was overwhelming, Guernsey remembered. The barrier consists of three separate galvanized rectangular steel tubes (measuring 2” x 6”) imbedded into the roadway for the entire length of the Bridge; each could be independently lifted above the roadway surface with computer controlled air-pneumatics. This allows traffic engineers to control the separation of each specific lane, depending upon traffic conditions and the volume of cars on the bridge thus preventing head-on collisions between opposing lanes of traffic. According to Guernsey, the entire process would take about twelve minutes, unlike the current method of manually placing orange cones as lane dividers, which can take hours. Resistance has come from the transportation district, which Guernsey believes is hiding behind unnecessary extended environmental impact studies. He also believes the district is holding up the development of other features on the bridge including electronic toll collectors, public safety railing, and a multi $300 million dollar seismic retrofitting. Although the district has given their conceptual approval for preliminary engineering, environmental analysis, and possible construction of the barrier, Guernsey said they have told him they would not have enough funds in their budget to begin the construction until at least the 2002-2003 fiscal year.
“The
GGBHTD is willing to spend $300 millions of dollars on earthquake retrofitting for
an earthquake
that may or may not happen,” Guernsey pointed out. “But they
are ignoring actual death and injury statistics for accidents that do happen
on a frequent basis on the bridge.” According to CFASGGB, the cost Lo create
the barrier is estimated to be a little over $7 million, however, the
organization argues that it would result in a 20 to
40 percent reduction in accidents on the bridge, and eliminate head-on
collisions completely. “It’s a wonderful joy to have Robert as our
leader,” said John Ehlen, a San Francisco mining specialist, who, along with
his wife Alexandra, is an active member of the CFASGGB. The Ehlen’s have
donated
$150,000 to the cause, in hopes of igniting the flame that will see the barrier
to completion. According to Ehlen, who is a paraplegic, his passion for the
barrier stems back to his own father, who taught him to drive on Doyle Drive and
the bridge many years ago? Ironically, I am using some stocks I received
from my father to help finance my donation,” he admitted. “I believe that
the transportation district has not shown a serious interest in moving ahead
with this project they’re worried about any criticism, and the financial
aspect of it that’s where come in.”
CFSGGB director Frank Schweiger, who was involved in a
head-on collision
on the bridge in early 1984, admits he has a “personal vendetta against the
bridge.” Although he was not seriously injured, he now requires the assistance
of a cane to walk. “It’s a case of David battling Goliath,” he said. “No
one has ever taken on the transportation district like us we are definitely
rattling some cages.” In fact, according to Guernsey, it was the suggestion
and persistence of the CFSGGB that was the catalyst for the transportation
district’s decision to lower the speed limit on the bridge to 45
mph in 1997. “If any of the district members’ family had been
injured or killed in a head-on collision on the bridge, you can be damn sure
that they would take actions immediately,” Schweiger said. “It is
unfortunate that so many people must die before anyone opens their eyes to how
dangerous and yet how preventative these accidents can be.” He pointed out
that similar barrier systems have been successfully installed and maintained on
the Auckland Harbor Bridge in New Zealand, and the Coronado Bridge in San Diego.
The CFSGGB has overcome many obstacles to reach its goal the solution is in
sight, even though there is still a long road of obstacles left to overcome.