The “yes” campaign for the proposed transportation and transit improvement tax has been conducting a series of telephone town hall meetings to try and provide answers to voters.
These meetings are not being conducted on a low budget. On Monday, the ninth in the series was held. Thousands of people are being phoned via robocall just before each meeting starts, and asked to listen in. Moderator Bill Good, a former radio host, is part of each meeting, and it’s highly unlikely his services come at a modest fee.
An elaborate system has been set up to enable these town halls to be broadcast on YouTube as they are happening. On Monday, a maximum of seven people were watching as the meeting proceeded, according to my computer.
Screeners select callers whom they allow to get through to the panel. While they are able to ask questions, they don’t always get answers and Good frequently interjects before the panelists, usually mayors or city councillors, can respond.
I’ve had the chance to listen to two of them. The first one took place on Thursday involving Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore and Surrey Coun. Tom Gill. (Mayor Linda Hepner was out of the country).
It was supposed to be Surrey-oriented, and indeed it was. While the calls are screened, it doesn’t prevent criticism of TransLink, the proposed sales tax or other transportation-related issues from being aired.
One issue which came up frequently was bridge tolls. While tolling is not mentioned on the ballot, the Mayors’ Council has said it would like to examine the issue of road pricing further, and potentially have some sort of user-pay system for roads or bridges in place within 10 years.
Surrey and other South Fraser residents are getting hammered by Port Mann and Golden Ears bridge tolls.
The few Surrey residents who have access to the 555 bus across the Port Mann have a free alternative, but the province, TransLink and Surrey council have failed them. There were promises of buses across the Port Mann, but only the 555 route from Langley has been established. It runs infrequently and has one Surrey stop, which was only instituted last September after significant pressure.
Tolls are significant in the mayors’ transportation plan which we will be voting on. The plan calls for a tolled Pattullo Bridge to replace the existing 78-year-old span. The Pattullo is the main alternative to the Port Mann for Surrey residents.
Indeed, provincial cabinet ministers like Kevin Falcon promised it would be a free alternative to the Port Mann, along with the South Fraser Perimeter Road.
A tolled Pattullo means there will be three tolled Fraser River crossings. Premier Christy Clark has promised a new bridge to replace the Massey Tunnel. It too will be tolled. When it opens, there will be just one free bridge between the mouth of the Fraser River and the Mission Bridge – the Alex Fraser, which is already extremely busy.
Gill said Surrey council opposes piecemeal tolling of bridges and wants all bridges in the region tolled at a modest level.
His exact words: “Surrey council disagrees with any tolls on any bridge.” (Those who are interested can find the meeting on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/1B0PVlw) .
Yet he and the entire council support the mayors’ plan and the tolled Pattullo. That sounds a tad hypocritical to me.
During the town halls, it was promised that callers who don’t get through can leave messages, which will be returned. I left a message for Gill about the contradictory message on tolling, including my phone number. I have yet to hear back from him.
Frank Bucholtz is the editor of The Langley Times. He writes weekly for The Leader.