TransLink is going to need more money to pay for its share of some pretty big transit projects such as the Surrey LRT and the Broadway SkyTrain extension.
A mobility pricing commission looked at 12 options and came up with two: fixed tolling points or distance-based charges.
In both cases, drivers will pay more than they do now, which is something Tri-City residents who drive to get to work are not going to like.
Still, people who are already paying high insurance charges, fuel taxes and other costs to run their cars — not to mention high mortgages and rent — will chafe at more charges.
We’ve already seen what a political challenge it is to charge more fees to pay for transit, such as when the Christy Clark-mandated referendum on a hiked sales tax was roundly trashed.
But we must remember that a 2% gas tax hike helped pay for the Evergreen Extension that mostly benefits the Tri-Cities.
Can we be convinced to pay more so others can get rapid transit close to their homes and businesses, too?
Probably not.
The PR around such a new mobility charge will be a challenge.
