Removing tolls causes traffic spike, accidents

[LordEd]

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/brit ... -1.4348364

More cars, more problems

Traffic spiked by more than 25 percent on the Port Mann Bridge and there was also a substantial increase on the Golden Ears Bridge after tolls were removed on both crossings.

Transportation blogger and Langley city councillor Nathan Pachal says it stands to reason that when there are more cars on the road, there will be more crashes.

"When you have congestion, you increase driver frustration, which also increases risky behaviour," he said.

"That's not surprising, on top of, obviously — more vehicles, more crashes."

Pachal is one of many people in Metro Vancouver who believe the best way to address congestion in the region is to introduce an equitable road pricing strategy.

A commission is investigating mobility pricing and is expected to present its recommendations to TransLink and the Mayors' Council by the spring of 2018.

[The Green Barbarian]

A commission is investigating mobility pricing and is expected to present its recommendations to TransLink and the Mayors' Council by the spring of 2018.

NDP remove tolls stupidly, then appoint cronies to a commission to investigate their stupidity. Rinse...repeat...

[spooker]

Sadly it was a mistake for the NDP to use the tolls as a tool to get elected ... too many people see tolls as a "cash grab" instead of the tool it really is ... a tool either for paying for new infrastructure by the actual users (while the rest of the province holds the loan) ... or as a tool to decrease congestion by reducing demand ...

Everyone could see this coming with the removal of the tolls on the Port Mann ... people want "free" but have no idea what it really costs ...

[Mark5]

Sadly it was a mistake for the NDP to use the tolls as a tool to get elected ... too many people see tolls as a "cash grab" instead of the tool it really is ... a tool either for paying for new infrastructure by the actual users (while the rest of the province holds the loan) ... or as a tool to decrease congestion by reducing demand ...

Everyone could see this coming with the removal of the tolls on the Port Mann ... people want "free" but have no idea what it really costs ...

Everyone in BC uses these bridges even if you do not actually drive on them. Vancouver is a port city as well as a manufacturing centre and goods and services that we all use are transported over these bridges. Canada also has a clause in our charter of rights that states that Canadians have the right to move around freely. Bridge tolls are the result of government mis management.

[Even Steven]

Canada also has a clause in our charter of rights that states that Canadians have the right to move around freely.

This is completely unrelated to tolls.

[LordEd]

Canada also has a clause in our charter of rights that states that Canadians have the right to move around freely.

That means you can move from city to city or province to province, and to seek gainful employment. It also means you are allowed to enter/leave the country anytime you wish (of course, providing the other country allows you entry).

6. (1) Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada.
(2) Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right

a) to move to and take up residence in any province; and
b) to pursue the gaining of a livelihood in any province.
(3) The rights specified in subsection (2) are subject to

a) any laws or practices of general application in force in a province other than those that discriminate among persons primarily on the basis of province of present or previous residence; and
b) any laws providing for reasonable residency requirements as a qualification for the receipt of publicly provided social services.
(4) Subsections (2) and (3) do not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration in a province of conditions of individuals in that province who are socially or economically disadvantaged if the rate of employment in that province is below the rate of employment in Canada.

It does NOT mean you can drive without a license or insurance, or that tolls are illegal.

[maryjane48]

the answer is in first line . more cars more problems. . the solution for large metro areas is mass transit. hyper loops and things that move large amounts of people to where and when they want to go. spending money trying to firgure out how to get more cars on road is waste of money. self growing monster

[Walking Wounded]

the answer is in first line . more cars more problems. . the solution for large metro areas is mass transit. hyper loops and things that move large amounts of people to where and when they want to go. spending money trying to firgure out how to get more cars on road is waste of money. self growing monster

And you can thank the NDP for that, removing the tolls was an idiotic thing to do. But that is what the NDP do, try to buy votes then let the next government fix it.

[spooker]

Everyone in BC uses these bridges even if you do not actually drive on them. Vancouver is a port city as well as a manufacturing centre and goods and services that we all use are transported over these bridges. Canada also has a clause in our charter of rights that states that Canadians have the right to move around freely. Bridge tolls are the result of government mis management.

When tolls are required to move product, those costs are built into the price of the product ... if the toll causes a product to be priced too high to be competitive then a solution will be found either by rerouting the transport, which then reduces the amount of damage (and thus maintenance) to the infrastructure ...

And as LordEd said, "move freely" doesn't mean that you can do it without impact on your wallet ... otherwise shouldn't the government pay for our gas all the time?

[GordonH]

Everyone in BC uses these bridges even if you do not actually drive on them. Vancouver is a port city as well as a manufacturing centre and goods and services that we all use are transported over these bridges. Canada also has a clause in our charter of rights that states that Canadians have the right to move around freely. Bridge tolls are the result of government mis management.

Vast majority of goods coming into the Port of Vancouver are transported out via rail & none of those bridges ever had tolls.

[Dizzy1]

And you can thank the NDP for that, removing the tolls was an idiotic thing to do.

I disagree. Port Mann should never have been tolled to begin with.

[Piecemaker]

Removing tolls doesn't cause traffic accidents. Drivers do.

[spooker]

Removing tolls doesn't cause traffic accidents. Drivers do.

There are idiots out there on the roads ... thankfully not too many but they're there ... removing the tolls increases the amount of drivers using the bridge and thus increases the odds that there will be an idiot using the bridge ...

So yes, removing tolls will cause traffic accidents ...

[Tony]

Premier John Horgan says he has no regrets about removing tolls from the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges.

His comments come after many commuters complained about a major increase in traffic and an apparent jump in the number of crashes they've seen since tolls were axed Sept. 1.

Highway 1 came to a standstill during the Tuesday morning rush hour when about 10 vehicles were involved in a string of collisions on the Port Mann.

"You never anticipate motor vehicle accidents," Horgan said.

"The volumes on the Port Mann have definitely increased, now that it is as free as the Pattullo or the Alex Fraser. We're watching this."
Busy bridges

Statistics from the Transit Investment Corporation show an increase of about 30,000 vehicles using the Port Mann Bridge every weekday, since it became a free crossing.

There has also been a substantial spike in traffic on the Golden Ears Bridge.

Police say the extra vehicles have kept them busy.

"I haven't run the stats but, anecdotally, what's happening is — it may not be more numbers — but it's more people involved in [crashes], said Sgt. Roland Pierschke with RCMP Lower Mainland Traffic Services.

"So, instead of getting one and two car fender benders, we're getting three and four car fender benders."

Horgan says the Ministry of Transportation is closely monitoring the situation, but the majority of people he hears from are pleased they no longer have to pay a toll.

"It's unfortunate it's slowed the commute," he said.

"On balance, the response I'm hearing from people in Surrey, particularly, but also Maple Ridge, and all those that use our infrastructure to move around — not just for business but for pleasure — are delighted that they're not being penalized for where they live."

That's a CBC story today. The last line cracks me up. If you use the bridge, then you paid tolls. If you didn't then you didn't pay tolls. NOW we are ALL paying the tolls, even if we never cross those two bridges.

NDP screwed the rest of us in order to get elected.

[twobits]

Canada also has a clause in our charter of rights that states that Canadians have the right to move around freely. Bridge tolls are the result of government mis management.

That is one of the top ten stupidest and uninformed posts I have read in the last month.