Inaction on tolling policy could be bad news for BC Liberals in 2017
The Alex Fraser Bridge is already more congested than in the past, due to tolls on the Port Mann Bridge and growth in the region. If it remains the only free crossing out of five over the Fraser, traffic jams will be ongoing and horrendous. The BC Liberals are risking a substantial loss of support in the May 2017 election with a continued do-nothing approach to bridge tolling. Independent Delta MLA Vicki Huntington and Delta Mayor Lois Jackson exposed the BC Liberals’ weakness on this issue last week, when discussing Jackson’s call for a $1 toll on all bridges in the Metro Vancouver region. Jackson’s press release calling for $1 tolls say they would encourage drivers to use the most convenient crossing, and at the same time collect the toll revenue needed to pay for existing toll bridge financing obligations. Unlike Transportation Minister Todd Stone, who lives in Kamloops and knows little about Metro Vancouver traffic congestion, or Premier Christy Clark, who repr...