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You guys in Alberta have a good revenue stream from your oil production so it has helped you to avoid provincial sales taxes and toll roads etc.
Off topic but if we BC'er would get our heads out of our asses and allow for the pipelines to go thru, you guys , BC and Canada in general will benefit from the instant lift in Alberta oil prices. I don't think the vast majority of Canadian realize that Alberta oil is selling at a 20% - 30% discount because it cannot be shipped out efficiently.
Back on topic.
The concept of road pricing is inevitable. I am surprised that there is not a bigger uproar from those who live south of the Fraser over the inequity of tolling just two bridges and the possibility of a third bridge being tolled. The MLA's from Surrey, Langley, Delta, White Rock should all be feeling a lot of heat from their constituents. BTW I'm in Burnaby so it doesn't really affect me but I don't like the inequities.
While the idea of tolling differently for peak and non peak hours is a good concept. How does one do this effectively. Certainly the idea of a GPS tracking device is NOT going to fly. Geographically there are only a few points of entry from the south and west side into Vancouver. You have to use the Burrard, Granville or Cambie St bridges. But on the east side there are numerous roads that you can use. Do you block off all but a few. How would that help congestion.
Also Vancouver is not the only destination what about Richmond, Burnaby etc. How would you meter travel at peak times to those destinations?
BUT seeing as all politicians cannot make a rational decision if their life depended on it. I am sure we will end up with the billion dollar solution instead of the logical solution.
As you can tell by my rants I have thought about this a lot. Especially as I sit in a long line driving into Vancouver.
Toll highways, congestion fees, road pricing is inevitable. It exists all around the world.
I don't mind having to pay to use the roads. In fact I don't mind paying a lot of $$$$ to use the roads. I just want to see my money going directly into improving the roads, relieving congestion etc.
I don't like paying into general coffers just so some old retired fat journalist can renovate his house on my dime.
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