02 Mar Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.
Cybersecurity Ventures and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge
The 1.7-mile suspension span between San Francisco and Marin counties has become one of the most beloved bridges in the world. A work of art, an engineering marvel, and an American icon, the Bridge is flanked on both ends by the natural beauty of the Golden Gate National Parks.
We’ve piloted some new homepage concepts, but our followers insist that we keep the Golden Gate Bridge right where it is. There’s many things about it that serve as inspiration for our team.
They said it couldnt’ be built
The world-renowned bridge — featured on our homepage — is named for the Golden Gate Strait.
The strait that connects the Pacific Ocean with the San Francisco Bay is one of the most unforgiving stretches of water in the world. It is 6,700 ft (2,042 m) wide and in the center 500 ft (150 m) deep.
Because of the tides moving in and out of the bay the water is subject to strong, swirling currents. Sometimes as the air is forced between the high hills on either side (which is called the “gate“), heavy, gusting winds result that can move as fast as 75 miles per hour. When the wind drops, the area is also often shrouded in heavy fog with near zero visibility.
In 1916, because of these factors, San Francisco’s city engineer, Michael M. O’Shaughnessy, estimated that a bridge to span the strait would cost $100 million to construct, an incredible amount of money for that period of time.
On May 27, 1937, the public for the first time could drive, walk, or bicycle directly from San Francisco to Marin County in the north. Now, 110,000 cars pass over the bridge a day. That’s more than 20 million cars a year.
In its first full year of operation, the bridge generated toll revenues of nearly $1.6 million. The most recent figures for FY 2014/2015 are $129.5 million.
The Cybersecurity Ventures west coast office is in Sausalito, a small seaside city in Marin County, Calif., situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The history of the Golden Gate Bridge resembles the daunting security challenges we face, and the innovations being developed by our brave cyber-fighters.
So, rather than remove the bridge from our homepage (as some so-called marketing experts have suggested) – we’ve built upon the theme. What readers can see there now is a new cybersecurity or cybercrime statistic every 5 seconds — alongside a gallery of new photos.
6 Things You May Not Know About the Golden Gate Bridge…
1. The military wanted the Golden Gate Bridge to be painted in stripes.
2. The Golden Gate Bridge’s signature color was not intended to be permanent.
3. The Golden Gate Bridge’s original design was universally rejected.
4. The Golden Gate Bridge is the top suicide location in the world.
5. The Golden Gate Bridge had an impressive construction safety record.
6. Local citizens put their own properties up as collateral to finance construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
More info on these points at History.com
And one more point from Cybersecurity Ventures…
7. There are 24 cybersecurity companies in San Francisco — home to the Golden Gate Bridge — which appear on the Cybersecurity 500 list. That’s more than any other city in the world.
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the wonders of the world, and one of the most photographed things on the planet. In 2012, c|net posted 37 magnificent photos celebrating 75 years (now 80) since the bridge opened.
San Francisco Travel provides a guide to the Golden Gate Bridge with little known facts, things to do, movies featuring the bridge, and more.
The Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District website provides breaking news, current events, ferry, bus, tolls and transit information.
Walking is the best way to experience the immensity of the Bridge. It is 1.7 miles long and it takes approximately 45–60 minutes to walk across.
Follow the Golden Gate Bridge on Twitter
–The Editors at Cybersecurity Ventures
