Dear Editor:
The B.C. NDP promise to eliminate tolls on the Port Mann Bridge will make a big difference to reducing the overwhelming
traffic in my neighbourhood. Except at rush hour, trips through New West by my home add only about five minutes between Surrey and Burnaby or Coquitlam. That five minutes is an affordable cost for those already tapped by our extremely high cost of living. The $3.15 toll, meanwhile, is completely unaffordable for many.
Proponents of the tolls seem to have two arguments: first that road pricing reduces driving overall and second that tolls fund infrastructure.
The tolls don’t come close to paying for the bridge infrastructure. Much lower than expected traffic levels on the Port Mann means revenue falls far short of costs even amortized over 40 years. That revenue is then supplemented from other forms of taxation paid by all British Columbians. Meanwhile, higher traffic levels caused by tolling divert traffic through New Westminster and increase travel times for residents and those avoiding tolls – everyone anywhere near the bridge ends up driving more not less. Since we are all paying for the Port Mann anyway, why are we trying to stop people from using it?
I support John Horgan’s plan to eliminate the tolls. Let’s get traffic out of our city and back on the roads are better designed to handle it.
Morgan Stewart, by email
