The California State Assembly transportation committee voted unanimously last week to name a San Francisco tunnel after the late Robin Williams.
While the “Robin Williams Tunnel” is not yet official, as the bill still needs to pass both the full state Assembly and Senate, the transportation committee voted 16-0 to set the name and it is expected that both chambers of the Legislature will pass the bill by this summer, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) introduced the bill after more than 60,000 people signed a petition requesting the name change on Change.org. Levine told the Chronicle that the tunnel would be a fitting tribute to Williams, who used it to commute to comedy club gigs in San Francisco.
“He knew how to make us laugh and that made people feel like they knew him,” Levine told the paper. “He had a career that transcended the Bay Area and this tunnel was part of his daily commute.”
The tunnel to be named for the late comedian has reportedly never had an official name. Many people call it the “Waldo Tunnel,” because it travels the Waldo Grade on U.S. Route 101. The tunnel connects the city of Sausalito with the Golden Gate Bridge.
Williams committed suicide in August of last year by hanging himself at his home in Tiburon. The comedian had long struggled with depression, and reportedly had Parkinson’s disease. He was 63.