Golden Gate Bridge
Update: The Golden Gate Bridge West Span is Open!
Starting May 23 at 3:30 pm, you can pedal your way across the Bridge on the west span, enjoying the new, smoother approach to the Bridge.
Please note that there were will be some brief closures on Sunday, May 27 for the 75th Anniversary celebration. See the Golden Gate Bridge Page for details of these brief closures.
Winter 2012: One More Detour for Better Bike Access
The west sidewalk of the Golden Gate Bridge will be closed again for a few months, this time to create a better, smoother new pathway approach. From January 17 to approximately mid-May (inclement weather and soil conditions have pushed that date back a bit), bicycle traffic will roll on the bridge's east sidewalk around the clock, sharing the narrow right-of-way with pedestrians — please be extra alert and courteous as you make your way across.
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service are making improvements to the section of the Battery East Bay Trail on the south end of the bridge, including the portion leading onto the west sidewalk; this construction effort is the final phase of improvements on the Battery East Bay Trail and will include installation of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lanes, trail re-surfacing and grade improvements, replaced fencing and lighting and construction of the Fort Point Vista. In addition to the west sidewalk closure, detours through the Golden Gate Bridge plaza will change over the three month period to accommodate other construction activities so mind the detour and take it easy riding across everyone's favorite giant orange landmark, and we'll look forward to a terrific new pathway before long.
See this page on the Golden Gate Bridge District website for maps and the latest information
Earlier News
August 2011: The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District has installed pavement markings and signs along the east sidewalk of the beloved bridge, if you haven't yet seen them in person you can take a look at the photos accompanying this Chronicle story. The markings and signs are meant to help sidewalk users sort themselves out; they're a good start, though a bit late in arriving. We're continuing our call to have the District provide better accommodations for non-motorized users of the bridge — add your voice to the call for better non-motorized right-of-way on the bridge, see the bottom of this section for more info.
Summer 2011: The Golden Gate Bridge District has closed the bridge's western sidewalk for four months to complete seismic retrofit construction work. During this detour, all non-motorized bridge traffic — people walking and biking — must share the eastern sidewalk through at least September 2011. Despite the SF Bicycle Coalition's repeated requests and suggestions, the District has implemented no special measures to mitigate this 50% reduction in space during the bridge's busiest season for walking and biking (over 10,000 pedestrians and 4,600 bicycle riders on an average weekend day). And as expected, it's been a chaotic mess on weekends, as the Examiner reported in July.
The SF Bicycle Coalition asked for added measures to help bridge users understand what's going on and safely manage the capacity reduction (such as posting uniformed staff at key points to help sort things out), as well as asking the District to provide roadway space for bicycle traffic during the sidewalk closure, or at least bike shuttles across the bridge (already done for other bridge sidewalk closures). But the District claims that it can't be done.
Really? Impossible to mitigate the loss of half the bridge's non-motorized capacity? If the District had closed half of the bridge's roadway lanes for four months would they just shrug and look the other way? We're letting the District know that cramming all their summertime foot and bike traffic onto just one sidewalk is impossible — it's time to bring real solutions to this serious (and long-planned) capacity reduction. For safety, for dignity, for equity, give bicycle traffic a lane, or give it a shuttle!
You can let them know as well — tell the District what you think at ggb@sfbike.org. Take extra care if you do get out on the bridge, and please show some extra kindness to other folks dealing with this disruption — now more than ever it's about giving and getting respect.
The SFBC has partnered with the Marin County Bike Coalition and the Golden Gate Bridge District to try and keep the Bridge safe for everyone. The SFBC is urging patience and respect for all riders and walkers. Click to Enlarge! 
