As someone that has occasion to use the Golden Ears crossing through various hours of the day as part of my job, I found the TransLink figure of 25,000 crossings per day a little hard to believe until I did the math.
That number divided by 24 hours equals 1,042 crossings per hour divided by 60 minutes. It equals 18 crossings per minute (figures rounded up).
Split both ways, it’s nine crossings in each direction every minute, which is about one car every seven seconds in each direction.
That is a little more in synch with my experiences, as no matter what time of day I use the bridge, it seems like a massive waste of resources for the amount of vehicles on the bridge.
It always seems empty.
TransLink’s experiment of lowering the toll in off-peak hours to attract users seems like a half-baked wasted effort.
Commuters are well aware of the convenience of the bridge as numbers were far greater during the free grace period when the bridge first opened. The bottom line is drivers will take the free alternative every time as opposed to doling out thousands of dollars a year for the privilege of using the new crossing.
If TransLink is serious about increasing traffic on the new crossing, why not decrease the tolls to a level that actually encourage people to take the shorter route.
I predict that usage will triple or more if the toll is set at a dollar each way, more than making up for the decreased income from reduced tolls, not to mention decreased volume and pollution on the Port Mann – at least until they start tolling it and making it the only tolled portion of the Trans-Canada Highway in the country.
Of course, then volumes on the Pattullo, Alex Fraser, and George Massey tunnel will increase.
I have never paid a toll to cross the river and never will as long as there is an alternative.
The only losers will be the businesses of Maple Ridge I will no longer patronize.
The citizens south of the Fraser River do not deserve to be held hostage by TransLink and their tolls, while the elite travel to Whistler on their new highway, toll free.
Rick Javens, Surrey
Why are just locals tolled?
TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie continues to make excuses as to why the expected numbers of crossings on the Golden Ears Bridge is not up to expected projections.
As I remember, it was stated after the original tolling was proposed, that vehicles registered out of province would not pay tolls.
Apparently, the powers that be were unwilling, or the technology was not available, to track out-of-province registered vehicles. This means that commercial hauling semis, many registered in Alberta or the U.S., are not required to pay a toll, only those B.C. vehicles registered in B.C. pay tolls.
I would hazard a guess that many of those vehicles crossing the Golden Ears Bridge are non registered in B.C. Does TransLink do a count of how many B.C-licensed vehicles compared to out-of-province licensed vehicles cross the Golden Ears Bridge?
Anywhere I have travelled , in the U.S. or Mexico, everyone must pay a toll whether you are a visitor or a local.
Only in B.C. are we held hostage by our provincial government.
I’m wondering if the new Port Mann Bridge is set up the same way – out-of-province registered vehicles will not pay tolls.
David Hammer, Surrey
