METRO VANCOUVER — TransLink is considering reducing tolls and "marketing" the Golden Ears Bridge to lure more truckers and non-commuters if traffic doesn’t reach anticipated levels.
About 22,300 vehicles are now crossing the bridge daily, down from the 29,400 vehicles per day that were projected to use the crossing in 2004.
To boost the numbers, TransLink is developing a business plan with potential options that include lowering tolls during certain times of the day, said TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said.
But he added it’s still too early to say when, and how, this would be done.
"It’s an option as we look at building the use on the bridge; the demand can be there," he said. "We can certainly say we’re watching the volumes on the bridge. If we feel we need some sort of support or boost, we’ll have a plan in place.
"We’ve flagged it as an issue but the specific measures we would take would come after careful analysis."
TransLink blames the economic downtown, less-than-expected residential and industrial development in neighbourhoods around the bridge and more transit riders – on both buses and the West Coast Express – for the reduced traffic.
Fewer vehicles on the bridge means TransLink is about $220,000 under budget for the first quarter of 2010 and a few million dollars for the first year of operation, Hardie said.
TransLink had forecast in 2004 that it would bring in $32.2 million from the bridge but that is now projected at $26.5 million from July last year to July 2010. But Hardie predicted TransLink shouldn’t be too far below projections for the year, as it will continue to roll in the $5.2 million that had previously been allocated to the Albion ferry operation.
He added traffic is also rising each month, with about 688,500 vehicles crossing the bridge in April, up from a low of 605,000 last November. TransLink is also looking at marketing the bridge to get more non-commuters – such as the trucking industry and service providers – using the crossing.
"What we have now is capacity on the bridge," he said. "We don’t want to necessarily or gratuitously increase traffic but if there are trips that could be made … it makes sense."
Paul Landry, president and CEO of the B.C. Trucking Association, said he suspects the cost of the tolls are likely steering some truckers to the Port Mann or other crossings.
Drivers of large trucks are tolled between $8.30 to $9.40 a trip. And while truckers can get a break by registering for a transponder, Landry said it would cost too much to outfit all their vehicles.
"We do tend to pay higher prices as a consequence of that," he said. "Every time there’s an opportunity to use the bridge they think about the price and cost. Right off the hop we’ve got an built-in disadvantage because most truckers can’t use transponders because of the expense. There’s no question a reduced price would help."
Meanwhile, TransLink has still failed to find buyers for the Albion ferries, which have been out of service since last July, a month after the bridge opened.
ksinoski@vancouversun.com
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.