Key Dates
1872
Earliest discussion of building a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait.
May 25, 1923
The State Legislature passes the Golden Gate
Bridge and Highway District Act of California into law.
December 4, 1928
Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District is incorporated as the entity to design,
construct, and finance the Golden Gate Bridge. The District includes the counties of San
Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Del Norte, Mendocino and Napa.
August 27, 1930
Joseph B. Strauss submits his final plans for the Golden Gate Bridge to the District Board
of Directors.
November 4, 1930
Voters within the 6 counties of the District approve a $35 million bond issue to finance
construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. The vote is 145,657 YES and 46,954 NO. On January 5,
1933, Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins.
February 27, 1933
The official ground breaking ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge takes place.
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Opening Day on the Golden Gate
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May 27, 1937
Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic.
May 28, 1937
Golden Gate Bridge opens to vehicular traffic at twelve o'clock noon, when President
Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House to announce the event to
the world. The Bridge opened ahead of schedule and under budget.
November 10, 1969
The
California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 584 authorizing the
District to develop a transportation facility plan for implementing a mass
transportation program in the Golden Gate Corridor. This was to
include any and all forms of transit, including ferry. At that time,
the word "Transportation" was added to the District name to
indicate its new commitment to public transportation.
February 28, 1970
Golden Gate Bridge west sidewalk opens to bicycle use.
August 15, 1970
Golden Gate Ferry begins service between Sausalito and San Francisco.
July 1, 1971
The remaining original bonds issued for the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge are
retired. The $35 million in principal and nearly $39 million in interest
were financed
entirely from Bridge tolls.
January 1, 1972
Golden Gate Transit service begins.
February 26, 1976
The Golden Gate Bridge appears on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine as the backdrop with five prominent San Francisco based rockers of the day, with a title above the photo that reads, "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been."
December 11, 1976
Golden Gate Ferry service expands to include service between Larkspur and
San Francisco.
February 22, 1985
One billionth car crosses the Golden Gate Bridge.
August 15, 1985
Construction is complete on the replacement of the original Golden Gate Bridge roadway
with a modern orthotropic steel plate deck.
May 24, 1987
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 50th Anniversary.
October 1993
In recognition of "enduring excellence in design," the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) honored the Golden Gate Bridge with its "Distinguished Building Award." For the first time in SARA's history, the Distinguished Building Award was presented to a structure other than a building. The Golden Gate Bridge was honored because of its "impact on the city, design, economic value, cultural statement, engineering accomplishment and contribution to the overall furtherance of the region." The award commended the work of Bridge Architect Irving Morrow, Chief Engineer Joseph Strauss and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.
February 16, 1994
The Golden Gate
Bridge named one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World" by the
American Society of Civil Engineers, along with the Hoover Dam, Interstate
Highway System, Kennedy Space Center, Panama Canal, Trans-Alaska Pipeline
and world Trade Center.
August 15, 1995
Golden Gate Ferry celebrates 25th Anniversary.
September 13, 1996
Golden Gate Bridge designated a double-fine zone.
January 1, 1997
Golden Gate Transit celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
May 27, 1997
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 60th Anniversary.
August 5, 1997
Groundbreaking
ceremony held for
Phase I of the Seismic Retrofit Construction on the Golden Gate Bridge.
September 3, 1998
United States Postal Service unveils Golden Gate Bridge commemorative stamp.
March 1999
The Golden Gate Bridge awarded the number two position in the Top 10
Construction Achievements of the 20th Century by CONEXPO-CON/AGG. The Top
10 Rankings were: Chunnel Tunnel; Golden Gate Bridge; Dwight D.
Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways; Empire State Building;
Hoover/Boulder Dam; Panama Canal; Sydney Opera House; Aswan High Dam; World
Trade Center; and, the Hong Kong Airport.
July 13, 2000
FasTrak electronic toll collection system is launched on the
Golden Gate Bridge.
August 15, 2000
Golden Gate Sausalito Ferry celebrates 30 years of service on the San Francisco Bay.
September 19, 2000
American Public Works Association selects the Golden Gate Bridge as the Top Ten Public Works Projects of the Century.
September 2000
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) selects Golden Gate Ferry to receive an MTC Award of Merit for its part in the successful Pacific Bell Park Transit Campaign.
September 2000
The District takes first place in APTA's distinguished 1999 AdWheel Awards Competition for its Bus Operator Recruitment Campaign in the "Marketing on a Shoestring Campaign" category.
October 24, 2000
The first of several shipments of massive cranes, at a maximum height of 223.75 feet above waterline, bound for the Port of Oakland, passes under the Golden Gate Bridge with an estimated clearance of about 13 feet.
May 11, 2001
A construction contract is awarded to Shimmick Construction Company, Inc./Obayashi Corportation, a Joint Venture, Hayward, CA for the 2nd Phase of the Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Construction.
May 30, 2001
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) names the Golden Gate Bridge a Civil Engineering Monument of the Millenium.
July 1, 2001
$2.67 discount toll for FasTrak customers
is eliminated.
July 20, 2001
The Golden Gate Ferry high-speed catamaran, Motor Vessel (M.V.) Mendocino, is christened at Noyo Harbor, near Fort Bragg, CA. Built by Nicols Bros., Freeland, WA, it is named in honor of Mendocino County as it is one of six counties that comprise the District.
July 22, 2001
M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel arrives at the Golden Gate Larkspur Ferry Terminal in Larkspur, CA.
August 24, 2001
M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel is christened, for a second time, at the San Francisco Golden Gate Ferry Terminal.
September 10, 2001
M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel enters into service between Larkspur and San Francisco.
April 26, 2002
A contract is awarded for the installation of six new engines on the three original 725-passenger Larkspur Ferry vessels, referred to as teh Spaulding vessels (after the designer).
May 1, 2002
The second shipment of massive cranes, at a maximum height of 227.7 feet above waterline, bound for the Port of Oakland, passes under the Golden Gate Bridge with an estimated clearance of about 7.9 feet.
May 27, 2002
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 65th anniversary.
June 14, 2002
A third shipment of massive cranes, at a maximum height of 227.7 feet above waterline, bound for the Port of Oakland, passes under the Golden Gate Bridge with an estimated clearance of about 10 feet.
September 1, 2002
Golden Gate Bridge toll increases to $5.00 cash, $4.00 FasTrak and $2.50 per axle (for
vehicles exceeding two axles).
May 28, 2007
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
September 17, 2007
TransLink®, the Bay Area’s smartcard fare payment system, is made available to all Golden Gate Transit and Golden Gate Ferry customers.