12/27/25. Slow traffic here! Toll must be paid @$8. Beautiful scenic ride! Bridge is accessible by bicyclists and runners! Definitely a memorable trip over the bridge. Here we come Sausalito! read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Nice scenic view 12/27/25 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

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12/26/2025 On our way to Novato to visit granddaughters and their parents!! No traffic ..smooth ride, no rain !!! 5.5 miles strectch on this double deck bridge with bike as well as pedestrian access! read more

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Like others have said, it's a bridge, what can you say lol The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is a double-decker toll bridge on I-580 connecting Contra Costa (Richmond) and Marin (San Rafael) counties. I haven't experienced too much traffic going across this bridge. It opened in 1956, replacing ferry service and it definitely looks like an older bridge. My biggest complaint is with the rising bridge toll cost. I have no idea what the toll was when it first started, although saw a review on here in 2015 that the bridge toll was $5.00. The bridge toll is 2025 is $8.00 and will increase on January 1st, 2026 to $8.50. The Bay Area Toll Authority continues to increase the price to make up for shortfalls and the people that sadly end up paying the most are daily commuters to work. I read that the BATA plans to increase the toll to $11.50 by 2030, which is just insane. The price to go over the bridge just keeps climbing and it doesn't help that there are several bridges in the bay area so you just feel price gauged in every direction you go. It seems like part of the problem is that they took a loss in revenue during the pandemic and they experienced post pandemic revenue shortfalls so now they are gauging everyday people going across this bridge to try to make up for it. read more

We took the Golden Gate Bridge to get to point Reyes and decided to come back home via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. It's a grand beautiful bridge with two levels. Since we were going East, we were on the button level. From the bridge, you can see down town San Francisco in the distance along with the bay bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. read more

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A true engineering marvel!! At around 5 miles long, the upper deck has a bike/walking lane, but with cars whizzing by you at 60+ mph, not sure how comfortable you're gonna feel there, I know I was thinking the worst. Like all Bay Area bridges now, the toll booths are gone, they snap a picture of your license plate and you get a toll invoice in the mail. The bridge itself does feel old, but sturdy. And with the ups and downs of this bridge when you're driving, it's does feel different. But it gets you from Richmond to San Quentin and, eventually, to San Rafael in a very timely matter!! read more

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This bridge is almost 4.8 miles long. My gps told me! On my way back from San Francisco today and this bridge goes on seemingly forever. It is obviously an engineering marvel, but if you're afraid of earthquakes and/or drowning and have a fear of heights, it might not be the bridge for you. Just saying. It was much lower traffic than many routes, however. We made great time to get back on interstate 80 to Sacramento. Nice views until my sidekick said, "You do realize there's traffic above us going in the other direction, right?" Time to have a stiff cup of coffee. read more

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is a beautiful and scenic way to cross the bay. Driving westbound at sunset gives you sweeping views of the water, Mount Tamalpais, and the Marin hills. Traffic can back up during peak hours, and the lanes feel a bit narrow compared to newer bridges. It's an architectural marvel. read more

Definitely from Marin and Sonoma Yes, what other choice is there! Definitely no comparison to the Bay Bridge, now that's a nightmare I will never venture. Take me to the Greek via the Richmond San Rafael Bridge! read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Yes that's the bridge, can view the entire span from our deck. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

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Sweet crossing that can be a cool backroad access from the East Bay to the golden gate of you need to get to those points n the city. We were headed from Sacramento to lands end and Waze prompted this path for us. In terms of on the water the bridge is a nice gateway from the east bay waters to the open bay in the way to the city. read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

"Ride your bike across the bridge" they said. "It'll be nice to get exercise" they said. So look we was fresh out the pandemmy and I was just saying yes to anything that got me out the house..and I made some questionable decisions (visited Phoenix in the summer, Portland in the winter etc.) My mom said it would be fun to ride our bikes across the bridge to San Rafael and check out the farmers market... it was so hard. The whole ride is uphill. I was panting so freakin hard and the wind was battering me and knocking the Mario coins out me. Meanwhile my mom is just riding up there with no problem and everybody else is cruising by me like la la la this peaceful. No it wasn't! my mom is in her 60s it was embarrassing. BUT I did do it and I did feel proud of myself. Overall the bridge is fine like it's not that girl like the Golden Gate in terms of beauty & only having 2 lanes just stress me out but she's a cool lil bridge or whateva. read more

This is structurally the worst bridge in the bay area to be on during an earthquake. Its very rigid and not flexible - which is what is necessary to survive an earthquake. I try to avoid this bridge. I sometimes find myself going over the Bay and Goldengate just to avoid it. I've spoken with some structural engineers and they say this is a ticking time bomb. It reminds me of the look and feel of the old Bay Bridge that didn't survive the 1989 quake. I still remember the 89 world series quake - I think many are too young or memory too cloudy to care. I don't have any confidence with this thing. And memories now are about the Maryland bridge that fell. I don't know if there is anything that would keep this safe in a similar accident. This double decker bridge is something to avoid. It needs to get rebuilt or just torn down and not replaced if its too expensive. People can just go around the other way. A little more traffic is ok. Its better to be safe than sorry. read more

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, opened in 1956, it cost $62-million to build. Upper deck has a protected bike and walking pathway. Lower deck has a 3rd lane for commute hours. That's great right? Not really, it takes away the emergency lane. So, upper deck is westbound with 2 lanes and a great view of San Quentin State Prison on the left. Lower deck is eastbound with 2-3 lanes, and not much view. Toll plaza is all electronic now, with no human toll takers. It's either scan your FasTrak device or a camera snaps a photo of your plate. That's why everyone needs a front license plate and no plate covers. Why 4-stars? Because I usually get stuck in the traffic delays when they do night maintenance. 3 lanes merge to 1. Well, you do have choices.....you can use Hwy 37, or the backroads of Sonoma, or cross the Golden Gate Bridge and drive thru San Francisco to get to the Bay Bridge. Usually I just sit in traffic (see photo of June 2, '22). Great bridge! Useful and saves time. Let's you avoid driving thru SF. read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - 10pm Thursday night, eastbound - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

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this review isn't about the bridge, which isn't really such a bad bridge considering the issues that engineers had to resolve in its design. the structure has been maligned in comparison to the others in the bay to the south. no fancy architecture to be sure, as many deride is as downright ugly, while the more kind-hearted simply liken it to something stuck together by a child with tinker toys or erector set gizmos. little do these same people understand that this area of the bay is difficult to construct such a bridge, with a wide range of soil and subsoil conditions, that it must function as an active port for petroleum products, and yes there are the inevitable environmentalists' concerns that seem to pop up everywhere. but this review isn't about the bridge at all, and it would function perfectly well if allowed to do so as originally designed. there was a time when the three lanes were all open, all the time other than for occasional maintenance. back then traffic rarely backed up even in rush hour; not so today as anyone who regularly uses the bridge during morning or afternoon drivetimes. and the primary issue for the backup, at least going west, is that someone had the bright idea of blocking one of the three lanes in order to provide bike and pedestrian access, 24/7. i realize there are many bike enthusiasts who consider this bike lane to be a reasonable step forward in the fight against the greatest demon of our time, man-made global warming. to the contrary, i am not alone in seeing this view entirely specious. the bike lane is in fact almost entirely for recreational use of the bridge and it causes daily traffic jams, i find no justification for allocating 1/3 of the capacity of the bridge to a handful of bikers who ride across this bridge on any regular basis. but we seem to have simply absorbed this along with any number of other misallocations of public resources. so as it goes now i suspect we will never return to the time when decisions about public resources were determined less by politics and virtue signaling and more about efficient use for intended purpose. happy biking. read more

Yes, I've reviewed bridges, tunnels, and gates (yes, gates) on Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/collection/abcC5X49U7tk5Zl1kqfzEw/Bridges-Tunnels-and-Gates. It's been a while. I thought the Richmond-San Rafael bridge was alright. Just kidding. It's good. It's not nearly as well-known and popular as the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, but it's still impressive and has nice views of the northern part of San Francisco Bay. The views include Point San Pablo and Point Molate sticking out to the west and Red Rock Island just south of the bridge's midsection. Practically speaking, the bridge is I-580 over the Bay. It connects Richmond and Contra Costa County on the east side to San Rafael and Marin County on the west side. Like the Bay Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is a double-decker. Two to three lanes go eastbound on the lower level. Two lanes go westbound on the upper level. The FasTrak toll is westbound-only. At the time of writing this review, it's $7.00, equivalent to all the other Bay Area bridges except for the Golden Gate Bridge ($8.40). Here's a quick comparison of the bridges that cross the Bay, sorted by age (oldest to newest) with approximate lengths. * Carquinez Bridge (1927): 0.66 miles * San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (1936): 4.46 miles * Golden Gate Bridge (1937): 1.70 miles * Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (1956): 5.50 miles * San Mateo-Hayward Bridge (1967): 7.00 miles * Dumbarton Bridge (1982): 1.63 miles In 2019, a bike and pedestrian path was added to the top level. Nothing like it existed since the bridge's opening in 1956. In August 2022, John Ramos of CBS News Bay Area reported "new data points to this path being severely underused": https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/new-study-shows-bike-lane-on-richmond-san-rafael-bridge-is-underused/. Some say the path creates more pollution and traffic on the interstate: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/10/25/richmond-san-rafael-bridge-bike-lane-adds-to-pollution-and-congestion-detractors-allege/. Generally, the bike/pedestrian path is open 24/7 except for when it closes for maintenance (e.g., monthly maintenance overnight, 9pm-5am). This bridge is also known as the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge. McCarthy was a California senator from 1950 to 1971 and helped to create BART: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bart-bay-area-rapid-transit-oakland-2. This stretch of I-580 is also known as the John T. Knox Freeway. Knox was a California assemblyman from 1961 to 1980. read more

Crossing the bridge on my way to Sausalito Nice view of the bay Double decker bridge Total length 5.5 miles Official name of the bridge is John F McCarthy bridge Pay for toll via Fast Track read more

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This bridge serves a function. it essentially achieves its objective. but it does so quite dangerously. This is a narrow bridge with no emergency pull-off lane. it's extremely long, so there's a reasonable chance a car will break down. read more

Five stars! Solid bridge and it gets you across water! I supposed you could ask for more lanes but it works for me! read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

Heaven only knows how I didn't end up randomly reviewing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in spring 2008, when I was binge-writing Yelp reviews of everything and anything I could think of to keep my mind off of some awful stuff that had happened at work. It's difficult to believe that was sixteen years ago--which is probably the average age of the kids I worked with at the time, meaning they're all in their early thirties now! That is insane, and it makes me feel like a Bay Area person even though I still feel like a Southern Californian despite living here for the better part of the past twenty years. The bridge. It gets you from point A to point B in a not terribly inefficient manner. When I used to dog-sit (RIP, Bulu) for my cousin in Marin County and work in Berkeley, this bridge was my daily commute for from three-to-fourteen days at a time. I really don't like the approach from San Rafael, but the toll plazas in Richmond are even worse. Everything leading up to and following the bridge can be annoying, but the bridge itself is--what is it, actually? It's fine. It reminds me of the old eastern span of the Bay Bridge, but it feels simultaneously less rickety than that bucket of bolts and more dangerous. I don't know why it feels dangerous. I think it has to do with how you can see down into the water while you're driving, whereas on most other Bay Area bridges, you can see the water above the railing but not down next to the roadway. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Going eastbound, I always like to spy Red Rock Island and Castro Rocks. The Richmond Long Wharf is also easy to see, but it freaks me out to see tankers right there pumping their crude to the refineries, because I always think of how much an oil spill would ruin the bay. Ugh. Ick. Egads. Heebies to the jeebies. It's quite an eyesore from, say, Paradise Beach Park. I'm glad you can cycle across it, but I don't think I would ever do that. It's not my favorite bridge, but it's not the worst, either. read more

The poor Richmond - San Rafael Bridge. Its sort of the the ugly duckling of the Bay Area bridge set. It spans the bay connecting the city of Richmond to San Rafael. Its a vital roadway no doubt thus sparing many commuters hours of time each day. However, unless you are commuting, heading in a specific direction, or one of the other bridges is closed many simply forget this bridge is even there. Its spot as the forgotten bridge is manifested in the movie "Sneakers". When trying to figure out a kidnapping route they mention 5 bridges on the Bay YET only name the GG, Bay, San Mateo, and the Dumbarton. That being said, in the classic Dirty Harry movie Magnum Force it can be seen in the distance. The span is quite long mind you at 5.5 miles, but it is an odd mixture of cantilever sections, and other types of construction. Its as if they had leftover stuff from other bridges and like the old erector set, they used whatever they had. The other oddity is that it goes up and down in an undulating pattern (like an old wooden roller coaster). There is not alot else to the bridge. One one side you can see Red Rock Island which is noteworthy as being one of the only private island in the bay. Its presently listed at $5 million if you have money to burn. On the San Rafael side is California's notorious Max prison and home to death row, San Quentin. The bit of good news is a planned bike and pedestrian lane should be finished soon! read more

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Bridge is long and seriously one of the best views of the Bay Area that I love! They have no toll takers so make sure you have FASTRAK or you can also pay online. They also have a bike lane and really a walking lane starting from the Marin side. It's a double decker bridge so from east to west is the upper deck and lower deck is west to east. Highly recommend it if you're going to Marin read more

I can't even begin to fathom how many times I have driven across this bridge for one reason or another and now I've come to find it has it's own Yelp page? I could have been checking in this whole time lol! I used to take this bridge every weekend, back in the day, and I rarely ever had issues with it. Sure, people can go a little slower than is ideal, but you get to drive over a bridge that provides a beautiful view of the Bay. I always bring my FastTrak with me since it's faster than paying with cash. Frequent trips over this bridge can cost quite a bit of money apparently lol, but it's a beautiful area and I love seeing it. Marin County has a lot of cool places to see and I think it's well worth the money and the drive. Places you can go after the bridge: -Mount Tamalpaias -Target in San Rafael (bathroom break, has clean bathrooms) -Sausalito -Marin Headlands read more

This bridge is spacious, but I can barely see the ocean view in my honda civic. Sigh At least there's barely traffic :) read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - san rafael bridge in the fire haze - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

Somehow, even a bridge leads me to talking about foods. I just know I can't get from point A to point B without these wonderful bridges. It's my lifeline to the East Bay and beyond. These bridges are my best friend, kinda like my cellphone. Besides the Golden Gate Bridge, this is my second favorite bridge! It keeps me sane when I'm craving Korean BBQ or need to stock up at Ranch 99 in El Cerrito. Everyone knows Marin is the death of Chinese food and Asian supermarkets. Sometimes, I need my boba fix and if Marin sells boba, I would be leery. There are some things the city and East Bay can perfect! Margaret Cho of Yelp will travel for delicious FOOD!!! P.S. Forget about Black Friday, it's all about Cyber Monday :) read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

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The Richmond - San Rafael Bridge (officially, the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge) is the East Bay gateway to Marin. It opened in 1956 and replaced the ferry service in place at that time. The Bridge is 5.5 miles long and spans two principal ship channels. It has 2 separate and identical cantilever spans. As a result, there's a "dip" in the central section, giving the bridge a "roller coaster" appearance and nickname. This span certainly does not have the engineering and historical pedigree shared by the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, but the scenery (especially from the upper deck) is every bit as good. Rumor has has it that Jerry Garcia conceived the idea for the Grateful Dead song Terrapin Station while driving across the Richmond - San Rafael Bridge. The Richmond approach sometimes makes me nervous, especially after reading occasional stories over the years about Freeway shootings on I-580. You can also approach the Bridge off the Richmond Parkway, but parts of that neighbourhood are also "interesting".. But once you arrive at the sometimes congested Toll Plaza and see a Chevron ship at the dock, the real scenic adventure begins. The Marin-side approach (via Sir Francis Drake) is even better as you pass San Quentin State Prison and gaze at the beauty beyond. read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Richmond Bridge at Night - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

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This route across the bay is by far one of the most traveled, but falls short in sheer aesthetic design by comparison to its other counterparts around the greater San Francisco Bay area - that being said, it's about the only direct way to access Richmond/Oakland from the 101 and vice versa. There are upper and lower levels with one way traffic flows on each, the normal fast track lanes at the ends and it still even has a few toll booths open for cash paying drivers, unlike some of the other area bridges that are now completely automated and cash is no longer an option. It's old, and not very pleasing to the eye, but it does serve its purpose getting to and from the east and west, on the north side of the bay. 3 Stars - it's a bridge 00557 read more

$5 toll This bridge connects east Richmond to west San Rafael. Toll is $5 and is collected on westbound heading to San Rafael. We crossed this bridge when we came from an East Bay Yelp Elite Event in Oakland heading to Muir Woods in Mill Valley. Once again, having a FasTrak zips you right through the bridge. Three left lanes are for FasTrak, otherwise, stay on your right for cash customers. The bridge is about some 5 miles long. San Quentin State Prison is just beyond the edge after the bridge heading westbound. Also, one can see Mount Tamalpais as well from here... Drive safe California! Review #0271 read more

Finally. I can drive to the east bay without being jammed up. They have opened another lane and traffic is not stopped anymore. How refreshing. Watch the lane hours as it is closed during off hours for bridge Maintenance. TY SO MUCH. read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - They have finally started using the third lane on the richmond-san Rafael Bridge and traffic is moving smoothly. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

Nice bridge. Went from Marin to Berkeley on a Saturday, weather was great and there was no traffic. No toll either. Overall pretty good read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

Nightmare during commute hours. Gets very backed up with lots of accidents. Poorly designed how it goes down to two lanes after the toll booths. Many individual drivers in the carpool lane to save money while honest people pay. That bike lane needs to go. Don't get me wrong, I love biking and the environment but most people driving across this bridge for their commute have too far to go to bike. So biking is an option only for very few people and it just doesn't make sense to have the traffic backed up causing so many accidents just so a few people have a bike lane to themselves. Not good environmentally either. And what's with the construction at nights? Has been going on for months if not years. They close two of three lanes causing major delays just so a handful of people can work on a very very small stretch of the bridge. How about having 20 people do this work if your gonna go through the hassle of closing these lanes? At the current rate it will take years to finish the project with backups every night. read more

This bridge connects east Richmond to west San Rafael. Toll is now $6 and is collected on westbound-80 heading towards Vallejo- Pay the TROLLS. I can't believe I can rate a bridge. Great view over the bay. The only downside is that I dont think I have ever encountered anyone whom really seems friendly in collecting the moneys read more

Less popular then the golden gate obviously, but is normally not as congested. You have beautiful views of north bay. You also get a tour of San Quentin from a distance if entering from the west. I typically take this way just to avoid going trough the city. read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

Really bad during rush hour. I drove here for the first time inbound to San Francisco in the morning (7am) and it was horrible! I don't understand why this bridge turns into two lanes when there were like 10 toll booths. After passing the toll booths, the lanes all merge together until it's only two. You need to have patience to do this everyday. read more

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Marin, California

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Hahah... that's so funny that one can give the bridge a review. Well, so her we go: Dear Richmond Bridge: I am really happy that you are here because driving from Point Richmond over the bay bridge and Golden Gate Bridge to get to Sausalito would really suck. However, you are really old now and you are terribly noisy. A new modern single deck design would be much quieter for all the people who live close to you and we could have a lane sharing system like the GG bridge. Time to retire baby!! read more

I rarely ever get to come across this bridge. I will say that the views are spectacular for not being near San Francisco. When I do get a chance to come out this way I make sure to take full advantage of my views. For being so long its also pretty fast. I thinks its due to the two lanes each way. Getting onto the bridge from the Richmond side is pretty painless. Then when you get to the Marin side you get that ominous view of San Quintin. Then I laugh and go about my business because I'm not a criminal. read more

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Ended up taking this bridge home from Sacramento over the weekend. This was the 1st time as a driver, it was weird seeing a lone line for people still paying cash tolls. The FasTrak lines moved smoothly and it reminded me of a narrow Bay Bridge. The bridge itself was a smooth ride just the connectors from and off are not. read more

I've traversed it aplenty and reviewed it none. The pretty SR-R bridge--- I spy East Bros. B&B! The larkspur ferry-- Chevron, San Quentin, Point Molate, sailboats, Nicholl Knob! Of all the bridges crossing the Bay, I personally deem this one least headache-worthy, and relaxing to behold the views. The 2 left lanes are for local Fast Trak holders, and all in all, quite fortunate to live a bridge away from paradaisical and magical Marin. PS relatively quick way to head from East Bay to the part of the City where Gary Danko and Waxman restaurants are located. Fort Point too! read more

What can you say...it's a bridge...lol Traffic can be a you know what at times. Be aware when driving across the bridge, even though the speed limit is 55 most people do like 65 or 70 when on the bridge and get impatient even when you are doing the speed limit. When coming back from the East Bay is when you have to pay the toll, they do have numerous lanes dedicated for FastTrak Only and still have (2) Cash or FastTrak Lanes unlike the Golden Gate Bridge. It's cheaper to cross than the Golden Gate Bridge, but how long that will last...well that is up to good ol' CalTrans. SYOY! read more

I dont know why this bridge doesn't get more shine in the spotlight. So, here I am giving it a little ray of sunshine. I took this route home from Sausalito and it was way quicker and the bridge is a better ride and scenic route altogether, until you hit the El Cerrito area, then it just seems like you're in the back alley where Ricky got shot. So, I enjoyed my ride home opposed to the one I would have had on the Golden Gate Bridge at a dam near dead stop. read more

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Is it weird to have a favorite bridge? Probably anywhere else but in the Bay area, but I have to say this one is it for me. It's not as iconic as the Golden Gate, but it also doesn't get as much traffic- I love the stacked lanes for that! Two lanes up top going one way, two lanes beneath going the other- recipe for success that I wish all bridges would follow. It's a long-ass bridge, too, and gorgeous to drive at night or early morning- you can peek through the slats to see the water as you drive and it's gorgeous seeing the moonlight reflected off it's surface. Even in day time, it's a decent sight too- iron bars and arches and lots of cross sections above the lanes, it's architecturally impressive. Sadly there doesn't seem to be a way to walk this bridge, which is probably more due to the area and length than any other factors. Would probably find that sad if I lived close enough to consider walking here, but for now it doesn't bother me. I have yet to hit any traffic whatsoever on this bridge, which is also why I like it. There seems to be some construction coming out on the end that isn't Marin, though- not clear what they're trying to do, and traffic slows down right after the bridge, but it so far has not become problematic and I hope that doesn't change. read more

What do you get for $5, well it depends on the time of the day! Hit it early in the morning and you will find a quick commute right over, hit it during prime time hours and you can spend a hefty amount of time on it. The same really goes for many bridges in the area, so if you are used to the bay area, this is nothing new. On the bright side, it does offer some beautiful views and most of the time, you can take in some awesome ship sightings. Just remember to be patient during peak hours and remember you could be stuck in a tunnel staring at concrete wall versus peaking at the beautiful bay. read more