Don Cayo writes in local Postmedia outlet the Vancouver Sun. He seems to me to be reading tea leaves and chasing after trial balloons — but nonetheless, something is changing at Provincial Gov’t level with respect to transit funding. It seems to be related to the big green waiting in Ottawa.
Cayo has strong opinions on the need for road tolls both as traffic management, and as funding source.
Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport & Cultural Development & Responsible for Translink
Last week, however, Fassbender showed some new-found willingness to at least consider charging drivers based on when and how far they travel.
Some form of comprehensive congestion tolling, mobility pricing — call it what you will — has worked well in other cities around the world, both to moderate traffic flows and to pay for the transit alternatives and/or the roads and bridges needed to keep it moving. Not surprisingly given this track record, tolling is the favoured form of transit funding put forward by the regional mayors this spring following the defeat of a plebiscite on a proposal to raise the money for expansion through a 0.5-per-cent regional sales tax.
To me, the problem with bridge tolling as implemented, is very discriminatory to those living in Surrey and connected communities as those are the only tolled bridges. That certainly didn’t help the cause in the recent plebiscite. If they want to use bridge tolling, in fairness then all major bridges should be tolled.
I think the fairest way is some sort of congestion tax, so that the further you drive, the more you pay.
Agreed. With a “toll all the bridges plan”, one could still drive from Burke Mtn. to UBC without paying a toll, while someone driving from Richmond to Oakridge would be paying.