It's New Bridge Time (again)!!!

[Traum]

Originally Posted by dinosaur

I'd like to see .50-$1 tolls. $3-4 is too much.

People will always bitch about tolls...but less would bitch about 50 cents. I think people can see the justification at 50 cents per use for a new bridge.

Can't wait for the announcement that the tolls are going up in a few years

Given the tolling technology we have today, I'm very much in favour of having these token toll amounts. Not only will they help finance road maintenance and such, token tolls can also be a very effective method of volume control. If something is free, tons of cheapa$$es will flock to use it without regard of whether they actually need to use the facility. But the moment you gotta pay, even if it was just a tiny amount, tons of cheapa$$es will refrain themselves from using it, thus cutting down on the volume.

[Gridlock]

Originally Posted by Traum

Given the tolling technology we have today, I'm very much in favour of having these token toll amounts. Not only will they help finance road maintenance and such, token tolls can also be a very effective method of volume control. If something is free, tons of cheapa$$es will flock to use it without regard of whether they actually need to use the facility. But the moment you gotta pay, even if it was just a tiny amount, tons of cheapa$$es will refrain themselves from using it, thus cutting down on the volume.

Have not used the port mann bridge yet since tolling began.

His logic? It's sound.

[Mike Oxbig]

That's just a huge waste of money to build the bridge if people are avoiding to pay for the toll while cutting down on the volume. Just don't support it, eventually it will be free?

[JesseBlue]

where is the option to just get rid of the big rigs at patullo? they're the ones causing traffic...

[fliptuner]

I use whatever's convenient, regardless of tolls.

Why the fuck would I waste my time to go from say Guilford to Coq. Ctr. via Pattullo, just to save 3 bucks? My time and fuel are worth a lot more than that.

Sure, paying to use something that was once free sucks BUT if it's upgraded/new and faster, sure, no problem.

Some people just need to bitch cause if/when the new Pattullo gets built and tolled, they have get used to paying, just like those who use the Golden Ears and Port Mann. Eventually, they'll accept it and move on.

[murd0c]

I kinda accept the Port Mann tolls right now but when Dec comes around and the tolls are $3.00 each way now thats pathetic. I still don't understand how they are allowed to toll the #1 highway.

[Traum]

Originally Posted by Big Earl

That's just a huge waste of money to build the bridge if people are avoiding to pay for the toll while cutting down on the volume. Just don't support it, eventually it will be free?

The main takeaway here is, mostly only the unnecessarily trips will get taken out. For those who need to use it, they are still totally willing to pay. And with a token toll, it won't be too hard on those who need to use the infrastructure.

[EuterVanWasser]

Originally Posted by predom

Vancouver+burnaby+coquitlam are gonna be up in arms over this. No one wants more traffic from surrey.
Posted via RS Mobile

I got a chuckle out of this too.

Let's apply this logic a little further ~ cuz it's fun! If traffic volumes from Surrey are expanded in to Vancouver+Burnaby+Coquitlam, we should therefore see an immediate reduction in assessed property values.

Next, we should see a reduction in property taxes which should more than offset any tolls we from Vancouver/Burnaby/Coquitlam are forced to pay to 'slum it' and travel in to Surrey once or twice per year.

This sounds like an awesome trade-off! I say BUILD!



Back to reality.. user pay society.. get used to it. We don't live in the hay-days anymore (like the baby-boomers) where civic and provincial capital expenditures can be looked at like "meh... we've got the largest bulge in demographic history with 25+ years left to work, pay taxes, and pay this sucka off.. APPROVED!"

I'm all for replacing a piece of infrastructure that's no longer safe, but don't see why we need another engineering marvel mega bridge here. Keep it simple IMO.

[MindBomber]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

Oh mindbomber. Sweet sweet bends so left its right again mindbomber.

I am literally holding my head in my hand, in a facepalm.

Originally Posted by dinosaur

Dude man, how would that ever work??? Will it be based on how much your car is worth? Do you need to submit a pay stub at the toll office?

You cray cray (with love).

in my head, it makes sense.

medium and high income earners and transportation business owners are not against tolling, because the time savings is worth the expense.

low income earners are against tolling, because the expense is a strain to tight finances.

so, offer a more affordable rate to low income earners and everyone will be happy.

Annually, users would submit an application based on the prior years earnings.

it would simply be added to the users current account information, which already includes a tiered pay system.

that doesn't seem to complicated, it is very left, but not crazily so.

Originally Posted by EuterVanWasser

I'm all for replacing a piece of infrastructure that's no longer safe, but don't see why we need another engineering marvel mega bridge here. Keep it simple IMO.

I agree.

stick to a four lane or rehab option, please, translink.

i support the most affordable Patullo option.

we can't have everything, and we want to continue to expand the Skytrain network, so..

[dinosaur]

Originally Posted by EuterVanWasser

I'm all for replacing a piece of infrastructure that's no longer safe, but don't see why we need another engineering marvel mega bridge here. Keep it simple IMO.

I agree with this 100%!

[Geoc]

Why would they rebuild the bridge elsewhere?

The bridge is at a perfect location, it connects to the main artery which King George Hwy, along and Scott Road is right there when you get off.

The speed trap and 50km/h right off the bridge is not helping either. If they raised the speed limit there, I am pretty sure the traffic backup will improve immensely.

[Gridlock]

Here's why I was facepalming you man.

The low income earners. The ones...with cars. The ones that put gas in, and put insurance on and maintain them.

Tolls are a tax just like any other, and I get frustrated on 'tolls' on a lot of things. I mean, we could have less tolls and have a BC tax rate that is equal to the rest of Canada.

Then we could have free shit.

I do think $3 is a bit high for 15 seconds of bridgin'.

[Gridlock]

Originally Posted by Geoc

Why would they rebuild the bridge elsewhere?

The bridge is at a perfect location, it connects to the main artery which King George Hwy, along and Scott Road is right there when you get off.

The speed trap and 50km/h right off the bridge is not helping either. If they raised the speed limit there, I am pretty sure the traffic backup will improve immensely.

I'm actually ok with that, as I'm pretty sure its keeping me alive.

Yes, its in a great location for Surrey...and a shitty one for New West.

Cue brand new tangent about 'New West sucks and who gives a fuck'

[Bouncing Bettys]

I say build more troll bridges that drop hunks of ice on motorists.

[hotjoint]

Originally Posted by unit

i lived in surrey for about 13 years, and asides from fraser heights, fleetwood (these days), and south surrey, it pretty much lives up to its reputation.
i live in richmond now and i gotta say theres nothing like going for a run and never thinking twice about what neighborhood you're in.
i would not go for a night run in most parts of whalley or guildford.

I have no problem running or walking at night. I just carry my nine with me

Originally Posted by murd0c

I think every bridge should be tolled but have it a small amount $.50 then they would get overall more more money and it would be more fair since everyone does use the roads. How is targeting one ground of people fair since most of the time they are taking those routes to go to work which is helping this BC economy grow.

This is what I've said all along. Toll every bridge and make it .50 - $1. Everyone pays into it!

[Everymans]

I'm a bit tipsy but i managed to design this impeccable map of how the gvrd highway system should have looked. A highway running from the mary hill bypass with a major cloverleaf at the port mann crossing then a highway along front street instead of the mess currently there and unstopped highways all the way to knight street where it would become what it currently is. Also south perimter road with an actual intersection for the port mann and for a better working intersection for the alex fraser. And the queensburough would be a 6 lane bridge. I'd also like to see a lower toll for the port mann. With the size and capacity for the bridge I believe that traffic could flow smoothly between surrey and new west with just the port mann and alex fraser/queens bridges connecting the two. Also instead of intersections on the loughheed between maple ridge and coquitlum i'd make it a highway with over passes. Erryday there's at least one accident in those intersections and it's called a friggen highway! How can you call it a highway if it has stop lights on it. That's an avenue if I've ever seen one.

[murd0c]

I gotta admit I like that Portman HOV lane trick that was on the news last month. Jump in the HOV lane right before you pass the camera's and you will save $0.36 each time.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by murd0c

I gotta admit I like that Portman

LOLWUT??

HOV lane trick that was on the news last month. Jump in the HOV lane right before you pass the camera's and you will save $0.36 each time.

Right up until they station cops after it and it costs you a $168 ticket...

[murd0c]

I would do time to hit that shit LOL

The cops said they don't care at all about that. I always look for cops tho and won't take it if I think I could see one.

[Gridlock]

I'm sorry everyman...but you want all the waterfront to be highway?

What a waste.

I can't believe that we're allowing the fraser perimter road to run along the river on river road. What an absolute waste of river frontage.

[yray]

^better for the whole region than a 2 level parking lot that no one uses

[murd0c]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

I'm sorry everyman...but you want all the waterfront to be highway?

What a waste.

I can't believe that we're allowing the fraser perimter road to run along the river on river road. What an absolute waste of river frontage.

It's a perfect location for it, what do you expect all water front property should by sky rises? It's not a waste at all if it's the right location being the fraser river it's and not a nice lake or inlet.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

I'm sorry everyman...but you want all the waterfront to be highway?

What a waste.

I can't believe that we're allowing the fraser perimter road to run along the river on river road. What an absolute waste of river frontage.

Have you actually driven the current section of the SFPR? Most of it has a MAJOR RAIL YARD between it and the water, a rail yard that's been taking up that waterfront for DECADES. Where the yard ends, there's other existing industrial lands. The only place it's even close to the waterfront is where it runs under the Alex Fraser bridge, and there too, it's going through or over existing industrial lands. There's no "prime waterfront property" being lost to this road.

EDIT: Here's the thing: rivers and shorelines have been critical transportation routes THROUGHOUT HISTORY, long before anyone thought or cared about "pretty waterfront views." Cities grow up around them with good portions of the shoreline STARTING OFF as industrial sites with rail lines and transport roads connecting them. Complaining about it NOW is revisionist at best.

[vitaminG]

Originally Posted by Soundy

Right up until they station cops after it and it costs you a $168 ticket...

you'll just have to get away with it a few hundred times until you break even

[satek]

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