The elimination of tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges could be good news for Tri-Cities’ commuters who use arterial routes like the Mary Hill bypass and Lougheed Highway.
Coquitlam Coun. Craig Hodge said making the bridges free to cross may ease some of the pressure on those routes by commuters from Maple Ridge and eastward who use them to skirt the tolls.
BC Premier John Horgan announced the elimination of the tolls on the two bridges, effective Sept. 1, today (Friday) from a pier at Citadel Landing with a view down the Fraser River to the Port Mann.
Hodge said since the toll bridges were built, he’s noticed increased congestion along the bypass and Lougheed Highway although he’s not certain how much of that is due to population growth in Metro Vancouver’s eastern suburbs.
“When the bypass was first built, it was a true bypass,” said Hodge, who attended the Premier’s announcement along with a number of local elected officials. “Today, it’s gridlock. It’s as bad as a lot of the routes it was supposed to bypass.”
Hodge said dropping the tolls may encourage commuters from the east part of Maple Ridge and beyond to use the Golden Ears Bridge to access Highway 1 and then head to or from the rest of Metro Vancouver over the Port Mann.
“Traffic follows the path of least resistance,” Hodge said, and one of those barriers pushing commuters to the Mary Hill bypass and Lougheed Highway was the expense of crossing the tolled bridges.
In making the announcement, Horgan said eliminating the tolls will save the average commuter who uses the bridges regularly about $1,500 a year and commercial drivers who cross the bridges at least once a day at least $4,500.
A one-way crossing of the Port Mann costs $3.15 for cars, pickup trucks and SUV’s, $6.30 for medium-sized vehicles like a car with a trailer and $9.45 for commercial vehicles.
On the Golden Ears, cars can pay $3.20 to $4.45, medium-sized vehicles pay $6.35 to $7.55 and commercial vehicles are dinged $9.45 to $10.70.
“Many people have been travelling out of their way to avoid tolls because they simply cannot afford them,” Horgan said. “Getting rid of tolls will shorten commute times and clear up other routes.”
But Hodge warns that may come at a price as well by encouraging more people to move eastward and use their cars to get around.
“As you provide more pavement, more people look at cars for their transportation,” Hodge said.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claire Trevena said the government will continue to make investments in roads, bridges and other transportation projects, including transit.
“We’re going to deliver on the investments needed to serve families and grow our economy across B.C. in a way that is fair for all families,' said Trevena.
