A commission created to look at whether road pricing could come to Metro Vancouver will leave it up to TransLink to come up with details for what system should be in place and how much it would cost.
"There is no doubt that the way we pay for transportation will be difficult, but we believe the opportunity is too great to stop the conversation now," said Allan Seckel, chair of the Mobility Pricing Independent Commission, as he presented its report to TransLink's board of directors and the Metro Vancouver Mayors' Council.
"[But] these are not concepts that you could implement tomorrow … they will need to be refined in order to fully optimize the benefits for Metro Vancouver."
The report outlines two different ways that mobility pricing could be implemented: through a series of fees and checkpoints throughout the region (predominately at bridges), or by distance-based fees.
Those fees could vary from about $1 to $12 per trip, depending on the time of day, how many municipalities are crossed, and what system is implemented.
Those details will be figured out by TransLink staff before a more detailed proposal is put forward, which would then have to be approved by both provincial and local governments, along with the TransLink board of directors.
"It's going to take some significant time to understand the … possibilities and potential with what's been outlined," said New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Coté, who cautioned it would be at least two years before any decision would be made.
More to come