|
Here's something that bothers me. The following is a list of all the major upgrades recently completed in the GVRD.
Pitt River Bridge - $200 Million
Sea to Sky - $600 Million
South Fraser Perimeter Road - $1.2 Billion
Port Mann - $2.4 Billion
Obviously the Highway 1 project is the most expensive one, with the bridge itself taking more than half the construction budget allocated. If the contract to collect tolls was set up in such a manner that it would only pay for the bridge portion, I could get behind it. However, the toll goes to pay for the entire damn project -- bridge, overpasses, on/off-ramps and all. Basically what it means is that the huge majority of people who live on the West side of the bridge can take advantage of this whole thing without having to pay a single toll (or, conversely, those who may drive from Abbotsford out to 152nd in Surrey). Basically the only people who are on the hook to pay this thing off are those who, for whatever reason they have, must drive over the bridge in order to get to work/home. If we wanted to make it fair, why not place toll cameras on every on-ramp between 200th in Langley and whatever road in Vancouver it ends at and charge everyone, say, 50 cents to take the trip? And those who drive over the bridge get tolled another $1/1.50? That way everyone who benefits from the upgrades can pay their fair share.
OR.... if we're talking about paying fair shares, why the hell is the Sea to Sky not fucking tolled? Like when the Coquihalla was upgraded, the S2S was more of a "luxury" than necessity. The SFPR could be argued that it truly was a necessity, but at over $1.2 billion dollars, why are there no tolls on it? And yet, a new Pattullo Bridge, which will cost less than the untolled SFPR project, is expected to be tolled?
Where's the damn consistency? Translink/Mayor's Council is screaming for more money, well... you've got three newly completed projects just begging for some shiny new cameras to be installed.
|