California Assembly OKs bill to name tunnel north of Golden Gate Bridge after Robin Williams

A bill to name a tunnel connecting the Golden Gate Bridge to the North Bay after the late comedian Robin Williams blasted out of the state Assembly Thursday on a 77-0 vote.

The proposed legislation, authored by Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, now heads to the Senate’s Transportation Committee.

The tunnel, graced on one side by a double rainbow, currently has no official designation. Many know it as the “Waldo Tunnel” because it traverses the Waldo Grade, which was named after William Waldo, known for his work rescuing immigrants who were stranded by winter storms in the Sierra and for his unsuccessful bid for California governor in 1853 as a member of the Whig Party.

Fans of officially naming the Highway 101 tunnel for Williams see an obvious tie-in with the rainbow motif and the comedian’s role as an alien in the TV show “Mork & Mindy,” which ran from 1978 to 1982 and sparked a huge fashion trend with rainbow-colored suspenders.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.