History
Doyle Drive History
The history of Doyle Drive dates back to 1933 when the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District (renamed in 1969 the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District) started construction on Doyle Drive as the southern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge. Doyle Drive was named after Frank P. Doyle, a director of the California State Automobile Association.
| |
 |
| |
Frank P. Doyle
Photo provided by
Santa Rosa Junior College
|
Mr. Doyle was a roadway advocate and civic leader, and the first private citizen to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Doyle Drive was designed and built to operate with three, three meter (ten-foot) lanes in each direction, separated by painted double stripes. In September 1945, Doyle Drive became a state highway. Subsequently, the California Division of Highways, now known as Caltrans, assumed responsibility for maintenance of the section extending from the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza to the Palace of Fine Arts and the Marina District of San Francisco.