While some are lauding Premier John Horgan鈥檚 that tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ear bridges will be axed as of Friday, are also being heard.
Surrey Mayor that while she is pleased the 鈥渂urdensome鈥� and 鈥減unitive鈥� bridge tolls for people South of the Fraser are being removed, it leaves unanswered questions about how the expected tolled replacement for Surrey鈥檚 aging Pattullo Bridge will be paid for.
鈥淭hat is going to be a serious discussion over the coming months,鈥� Hepner told Black Press after Horgan鈥檚 announcement. 鈥淪o we will have to look to the province about how we鈥檙e going to stay whole in that respect. All that has yet to be addressed.鈥�
However, Hepner noted the elimination of bridge tolls will be good for regional businesses and help even out traffic flow.
White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin, too, said he has concerns about the financial impacts of the decision, adding that he feels that some type of 鈥榤obility pricing鈥� 鈥� having those who use the roads more pay a greater share of infrastructure costs 鈥� will likely have to be considered.
鈥�(The provincial government) is following through on their election promise, and good for them on that,鈥� he said Friday. 鈥淲hat it will do is replace toll revenues with money from taxes. The government will pay that amount from the money we鈥檙e counting on for revenues.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 up to them. But since they鈥檝e removed the tolls, that makes it a little difficult to achieve mobility pricing. We have to make up that revenue somehow and that鈥檚 either going to have to be through some other form of mobility pricing or else property taxes.
鈥淲e鈥檒l see.鈥�
Horgan said Friday that 鈥渟crapping unfair tolls鈥� on the Port Mann and Golden Ears will make life more affordable for many people.
鈥淵ou shouldn鈥檛 have to pay tolls based on where you live,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is about fairness.鈥�
After the announcement, Surrey Board of Trade saying it supports the NDP government鈥檚 announcement to eliminate the tolls, but the group is calling for mobility pricing to be considered.
鈥淭he (board) understands the B.C. government鈥檚 move to eliminate the tolls,鈥� CEO Anita Huberman said. 鈥淭he focus now needs to be on how to fund the present and future transit and transportation infrastructure needs for Metro Vancouver. Mobility pricing is an option that needs to be explored.鈥�
Meantime, Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver 鈥� whose party formed an alliance with the NDP after the May 9 election to defeat the BC Liberals 鈥� called the removal of the tolls 鈥渞eckless.鈥�
鈥淭here is no question that the affordability crisis facing so many British Columbians is a significant concern,鈥� Weaver said in a news release. 鈥淗owever, this policy is high cost and low impact. There are lots of good, high return-on-investments decisions that government can make, such as education, student housing and child care. It is disappointing that the first major measure that this government has taken to make life more affordable for British Columbians will add billions of dollars to taxpayer-supported debt.鈥�
The removal of the tolls is estimated to save families who regularly have to cross the Fraser River an average $1,500 a year and commercial drivers averaging one crossing a day will save $4,500 a year or more.
Each day, an estimated 121,000 vehicles cross the Port Mann Bridge, with another 40,000 vehicles taking the Golden Ears.
, who ran as an independent in Surrey South in the last B.C. election, spent four years trying to get the tolls cancelled.
He collected a petition with 1,100 names and presented it to the then-BC Liberal government. His efforts didn鈥檛 go anywhere, though the BC Liberals proposed during the May election capping annual toll fees to motorists at $500.
鈥淵ou know what the secret is?鈥� Hee said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 give up.
鈥淗ave faith, hope and determination.鈥�
Hee says that the government should just impose a new fee to licence plates, to be applied provincewide, in order to raise money to replace the lost bridge-toll revenue. 鈥淲hy make it more complex?鈥�
Bills for tolls up to Aug. 31 will still need to be paid.
Currently, the toll to cross the Port Mann is $3.15 for cars, pickups and SUVs, $6.30 for medium-sized vehicles and $9.45 for commercial vehicles.
The toll to cross the Golden Ears is $3.20 to $4.45 for cars, pickups and SUVs, $6.35-$7.55 for medium-sized vehicles and $9.45-$10.70 for commercial vehicles.
Preliminary costing estimates anticipate an annual cost to government of $30 million for the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges, based on the number and frequency of commuters who cross them.
Construction of the six-lane Golden Ears Bridge and associated roads project began in April 2006 and opened in June 2009.
Translink stopped the Albion Ferry, a free vehicle and passenger ferry service across Fraser River, for the bridge鈥檚 opening. The ferry service sailing between Albion in Maple Ridge and McMillan Island near Fort 91原创 had been operational since June 1957.
The Port Mann, a 10-lane cable-stayed bridge, opened in 2012, replacing the previous arched structure. It is the second-longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and was the widest bridge in the world until the opening of the new Bay Bridge in California.
