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Driving to fair place

As the effort to extract more money from drivers to address Greater Vancouver’s traffic congestion crisis marches on, there was a sliver of good news for Delta motorists in a report released earlier this week.

As the effort to extract more money from drivers to address Greater Vancouver’s traffic congestion crisis marches on, there was a sliver of good news for Delta motorists in a report released earlier this week.

The Mobility Pricing Independent Commission has been tasked to come up with ways to lessen congestion in the Lower Mainland while at the same time raise revenue to fund improvements to our transportation network. The premise is that if government charges you to drive, you will modify your behaviour, thus reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

The commission evaluated 10 decongestion charging approaches and has settled on two for further study: congestion point charges and distance-based charges. The former would charge drivers for using certain stretches of roads or crossings, or to enter/exit a particular zone (read downtown), while the latter would levy a fee based on the number of kilometres driven.

Both would dip into drivers’ pockets, but given these ideas are being explored because voters rejected a half-point bump to the provincial sales tax, you knew this exercise was going to carry some sort of price tag.

The good news, if there can be any, is the worry that Delta and other outlying communities not well served by transit could end up being the hardest hit is a message the commission is hearing loud and clear.

The statement, “I think it should cost less to drive in areas that have fewer transit options,” received the highest level of agreement out of all fairness statements from those who have provided input thus far, while the statement, “I think people should pay based on how many kilometres they drive,” received the lowest level of agreement.

Both of those bode well for Delta drivers, although the fact the commission is continuing to explore distance-based charges is concerning. Perhaps the disclaimer that those charges could vary by time and location would provide relief here.

The initiative still requires the political will to push it forward, but as they figure out ways to lighten our wallets in the name of reducing congestion, it’s heartening to know the commission recognizes charges won’t fly unless they’re fair for all.