S.F. Marathon:
Plan would halt northbound traffic during S.F. Marathon
Safety concerns may force closure of Golden Gate Bridge lanes.
Safety concerns, including worries over terrorism, are prompting Golden Gate Bridge authorities to consider a proposal to close all northbound lanes of the iconic span during the upcoming San Francisco Marathon, officials said Wednesday.
It would be the first such closure for the bridge in the history of the marathon, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary with the July 23 run that is expected to draw about 15,000 runners over the bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District board is set to vote on the proposal Friday. District officials said recent terrorist attacks abroad gave them cause for concern.
The proposal calls for all northbound lanes to be closed from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on the day of the marathon.
Priya Clemens, a spokeswoman for the district, said the London bridge terror attack that left eight people dead in early June spurred the proposed lane closures.
In past years, runners have been separated from northbound traffic by a series of traffic cones and a single empty lane. Though there have been no major incidents at the marathon
before, the precaution seemed to make special sense this year, Clemens said.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen locations where people have driven into crowds to cause harm, and they’ve caused that harm,” Clemens said of terrorist attacks in other countries. “That’s not something we can allow to happen at the Golden Gate Bridge.”
Under the proposal, southbound vehicle traffic will be limited to two lanes and blocked from the northbound side by the bridge’s movable barrier.
Golden Gate Transit buses will be allowed to travel northbound in an open lane, Clemens said, accompanied by security that will patrol the course.
The 26.2-mile race starts along the Embarcadero, before winding north along the water and through the Presidio, across the Golden Gate Bridge and back, before looping its way back near its starting point.