The Golden Gate Bridge district this week will consider a temporary bridge toll hike to avoid laying off dozens of employees because of lost revenue during the coronavirus pandemic.
The district's board of directors will hold a special meeting Friday to discuss three options to solve a reported budget shortfall of $48 million brought on by the pandemic, the district said.
One option would be eliminating 205 jobs, including 146 layoffs, the district said. To avoid those layoffs, the board also will consider a temporary $2 toll hike on the Golden Gate Bridge. A third option would be a temporary $1.25 toll hike and a one-day-a-week unpaid furlough for employees affected by the potential layoff.
Since the pandemic began in early March, the district has experienced about a $2 million drop in bridge tolls and transit fares every week, the district said. Bus ridership is down 75%, and ferry ridership is down 96%.
Federal grant funding the district has been using to pay its employees will run out at the end of November, the district said.
Friday's special meeting is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.
