Make the other guy pay.
Insights West released the results of a poll this week that surveyed Lower Mainland residents on the plan to replace the George Massey Tunnel with a tolled bridge as well as specific ideas to help fund transit projects. The findings on the bridge (51 per cent support the proposal, 32 per cent oppose it) aren't terribly surprising, but when people were asked about transit funding sources, their answers highlighted the divide that exists out there.
Metro Vancouverites were solidly against pretty much any revenue generation idea, with increasing property or fuel taxes, tolling roads or hiking transit fares all opposed by two-thirds or more of those surveyed. Opinions begin to diverge, however, when respondents are broken down by their mode of transportation.
The poll found those who drive to school or work are more likely to support increasing transit fares (41 per cent) than those who take public transit (17 per cent). Conversely, public transit users are more likely to endorse a vehicle levy (42 per cent) than those who drive on a daily basis (25 per cent). As Mario Canseco of Insights West suggests, the preferred solution for some lies in making the other guy pay.
It's only natural to think you're shouldering more of the burden than that other guy, but it also underlines the difficulty regional politicians face when they seek funding sources for transportation improvements. There's widespread agreement on the inadequacy of both the road and transit networks, but who should pay to rectify the situation is far less clear.
The provincial sales tax covers everyone, so the half-point hike that was shot down in last year's TransLink plebiscite might have been, in hindsight, the fairest way to distribute the pain, although it's unlikely we'll see that idea resurface in the inevitable follow-up vote.
No, I suspect Lower Mainland mayors, who are devising a new way for us to pay for much-needed infrastructure, will end up looking to drivers as the primary funding source, although I imagine they'll also be in the pockets of transit users to ensure no segment is singled out or overlooked.
You know it has no chance of flying with voters unless the other guy is made to pay.
