Amalgamation of these 20 plus municipalities would almost certainly see government savings that would pay for increased useable infrastructure and public transit. Common sense at this point.
Bill - 6 years ago
All the Director of Translink, Mayors, Premiers, MLAs, should contribute their fat income to experience how a guy on a low wage can survey in Vancouver who need his beaten Kia for work.
Stu - 6 years ago
Problem is too many people. Stop making so many people.
The think that 20% of the people voted in favor of more taxes. Stupidity are we taxed enough when will it ever end?
Saif - 6 years ago
I chose no because the current proposal simply just add another tax without considering elevating another tax such as gas tax.
Increasingly I am finding this government and their direction is misleading. Let’s save you MSP but increase property tax, corporate tax, and now mobility tax or better yet stop kinder Morgan and kill the housing market by slapping many more taxes. That will help the economy and British Columbians!
Keetah - 6 years ago
The current proposal for mobility pricing puts the burden on the lower to middle income Lower Mainland residents who are getting pushed further and further out of town by ridiculous housing prices and ridiculous rents and now have to commute ridiculous distances to serve those who can afford to live centrally. Collect on the millionaires dodging property taxes, build an accessible network of high speed rail and then put this sort of scheme in place.
Rod - 6 years ago
If gas tax revenue is in decline its because drivers are working around paying it. Remove the tax entirely and charge a fee that doesn't unfairly punish Valley commuters that have no choice but to drive into Vancouver. Besides, Vancouver isn't a fraction as congested as cities like London. Outlying municipalities are much busier than Vancouver.
terry - 6 years ago
Just another example of poor infrastructure and poorer planning!
All the talk about not being able to afford a house.... now let's take $20 a day out of their savings!
I have a question has anyone ever known a politician in BC that had even the slightest sign of intelligence ?
Laine - 6 years ago
I think this is halarious all the city dwellers complaining about bridge tolls and that it was too expensive but now you cried so loud and big man John Horgan heard you sang you a lie and removed the tolls you patted yourselves on the back thinking you made a smart vote but the honeymoon is over and now you have to open your wallet. No such thing as a free lunch.... I mean bridge have fun paying that tax and all the other taxes being rolled out to cover the cost of killing industry in BC
Dan - 6 years ago
This is what they are not telling you:
The cost for the infrastructure and administration will consume at least half of the $8.00 per day. So rather than charge a few for crossing bridges they now want to change everyone who drives and owns a car.
$8.00 /day only covers the mobility tax costs. The cost will easily be double that as the cost of ALL goods and ALL services will be automatically added onto this cost. No company will absorb these costs and they will be passed on to you and me. Will the government of the day pass a law forcing employers to increase every employees wage x $2000/year to cover these costs? Right!
No other city in Canada has mobility pricing schemes. Toronto has a toll highway that only people that can afford to drive on it use it. Everyone else avoids it for a no tax option. Sound familiar? NYC tried back in 2008 and it failed. Kevin Desmond would know something about this. LA wants to implement the same scheme by 2035. Their population is 10 times that of Vancouver and so would be the vehicle ownership.
These politicians are out of touch with reality. I would suggest that they all sign up for minimum wage pay for 1 full year to see how difficult living in this city is when you not making a six figure salary.
So far 18 million spent on a failed Christy Clark Translink Referendum and another 2.5 million on this study. and the "study" will continue to consume many more dollars. How much more money will be wasted trying to convince drivers to walk, cycle or take transit when most of us commute in a car for over an hour each way everyday? When will politicians stop wasting public money dreaming up new ways to tax us. We are taxed-out.
We already pay mobility pricing - Translink Gas Tax, Carbon Gas Tax, Provincial Gas Taxes all of which should be going toward all transportation but is not. Over 1.6 million vehicles are registered in the GVRD. If every vehicle filled up only once a week: 50 litres x.30/litre (all BC fuel taxes combined) =$15.00/ vehicle per fill up x 1.6 million vehicles = $24 million dollars/week - every week. OR over $1.2 billion/year - every year. They have enough money but they refuse to use it for the purpose intended and want more. Sound familiar?
Art Laverman - 6 years ago
You have got to be kidding right?
If you want money to pay for infrastructure, put a toll on every bridge in thr lower mainland. It doesn’t have to be much, may one dollar per crossingregardless of the time of day. Seevhow fast that will raise cash.
Pedestrian - 6 years ago
Mobility is essential to economic activity.
Policy writers and their paradoxical jobs.
LJ Young - 6 years ago
Mobility pricing would be too difficult to apply and will result in Vancouverites moving out of Vancouver to escape paying this tax. Vancouver will become a ghost town as there will be no local workers or commuters which has already impacted the lower paying industries, such as restaurants. The BC government (Liberal) offloaded infrastructure to transportation to save money but pushed in onto the cities and municipalities. Infrastructure should be under provincial purview to include roads, highways, bridges. Transportation should be using those infrastructures but concerned only with moving people around the lower mainland. Lumping maintenance and servicing of roads with transportation was a money saving ploy by the provincial government trying to make its figures and books look good. Unfortunately we are left in a mess and are now paying the price.
Gavin Hainsworth - 6 years ago
I live in Port Moody, but work in South Surrey. There will never be a transit option for me, since a single trip would take more than 3 hours with multiple transfers (Transit BC won't even calculate the travel time as it is over 3 hours). I also do not believe any reductions in gas tax will be passed on to consumers as the companies will point to one of the many excuses they use to ramp up the rates at the pump (global demand, refineries down, etc....). Not everyone is going downtown, or even want to these days for work or for pleasure.
Julie - 6 years ago
They can’t punish car driving if there is no alternative that is just as fast and accessible. People need to drive to get to work. If we had a full train network like Toronto and Montreal then even suburbians could consider getting out of their cars. One skytrain line doesn’t cut it.
Ralph - 6 years ago
Nothing more than a cash grab road tax . We already pay enough for road use.
Amalgamation of these 20 plus municipalities would almost certainly see government savings that would pay for increased useable infrastructure and public transit. Common sense at this point.
All the Director of Translink, Mayors, Premiers, MLAs, should contribute their fat income to experience how a guy on a low wage can survey in Vancouver who need his beaten Kia for work.
Problem is too many people. Stop making so many people.
The think that 20% of the people voted in favor of more taxes. Stupidity are we taxed enough when will it ever end?
I chose no because the current proposal simply just add another tax without considering elevating another tax such as gas tax.
Increasingly I am finding this government and their direction is misleading. Let’s save you MSP but increase property tax, corporate tax, and now mobility tax or better yet stop kinder Morgan and kill the housing market by slapping many more taxes. That will help the economy and British Columbians!
The current proposal for mobility pricing puts the burden on the lower to middle income Lower Mainland residents who are getting pushed further and further out of town by ridiculous housing prices and ridiculous rents and now have to commute ridiculous distances to serve those who can afford to live centrally. Collect on the millionaires dodging property taxes, build an accessible network of high speed rail and then put this sort of scheme in place.
If gas tax revenue is in decline its because drivers are working around paying it. Remove the tax entirely and charge a fee that doesn't unfairly punish Valley commuters that have no choice but to drive into Vancouver. Besides, Vancouver isn't a fraction as congested as cities like London. Outlying municipalities are much busier than Vancouver.
Just another example of poor infrastructure and poorer planning!
All the talk about not being able to afford a house.... now let's take $20 a day out of their savings!
I have a question has anyone ever known a politician in BC that had even the slightest sign of intelligence ?
I think this is halarious all the city dwellers complaining about bridge tolls and that it was too expensive but now you cried so loud and big man John Horgan heard you sang you a lie and removed the tolls you patted yourselves on the back thinking you made a smart vote but the honeymoon is over and now you have to open your wallet. No such thing as a free lunch.... I mean bridge have fun paying that tax and all the other taxes being rolled out to cover the cost of killing industry in BC
This is what they are not telling you:
The cost for the infrastructure and administration will consume at least half of the $8.00 per day. So rather than charge a few for crossing bridges they now want to change everyone who drives and owns a car.
$8.00 /day only covers the mobility tax costs. The cost will easily be double that as the cost of ALL goods and ALL services will be automatically added onto this cost. No company will absorb these costs and they will be passed on to you and me. Will the government of the day pass a law forcing employers to increase every employees wage x $2000/year to cover these costs? Right!
No other city in Canada has mobility pricing schemes. Toronto has a toll highway that only people that can afford to drive on it use it. Everyone else avoids it for a no tax option. Sound familiar? NYC tried back in 2008 and it failed. Kevin Desmond would know something about this. LA wants to implement the same scheme by 2035. Their population is 10 times that of Vancouver and so would be the vehicle ownership.
These politicians are out of touch with reality. I would suggest that they all sign up for minimum wage pay for 1 full year to see how difficult living in this city is when you not making a six figure salary.
So far 18 million spent on a failed Christy Clark Translink Referendum and another 2.5 million on this study. and the "study" will continue to consume many more dollars. How much more money will be wasted trying to convince drivers to walk, cycle or take transit when most of us commute in a car for over an hour each way everyday? When will politicians stop wasting public money dreaming up new ways to tax us. We are taxed-out.
We already pay mobility pricing - Translink Gas Tax, Carbon Gas Tax, Provincial Gas Taxes all of which should be going toward all transportation but is not. Over 1.6 million vehicles are registered in the GVRD. If every vehicle filled up only once a week: 50 litres x.30/litre (all BC fuel taxes combined) =$15.00/ vehicle per fill up x 1.6 million vehicles = $24 million dollars/week - every week. OR over $1.2 billion/year - every year. They have enough money but they refuse to use it for the purpose intended and want more. Sound familiar?
You have got to be kidding right?
If you want money to pay for infrastructure, put a toll on every bridge in thr lower mainland. It doesn’t have to be much, may one dollar per crossingregardless of the time of day. Seevhow fast that will raise cash.
Mobility is essential to economic activity.
Policy writers and their paradoxical jobs.
Mobility pricing would be too difficult to apply and will result in Vancouverites moving out of Vancouver to escape paying this tax. Vancouver will become a ghost town as there will be no local workers or commuters which has already impacted the lower paying industries, such as restaurants. The BC government (Liberal) offloaded infrastructure to transportation to save money but pushed in onto the cities and municipalities. Infrastructure should be under provincial purview to include roads, highways, bridges. Transportation should be using those infrastructures but concerned only with moving people around the lower mainland. Lumping maintenance and servicing of roads with transportation was a money saving ploy by the provincial government trying to make its figures and books look good. Unfortunately we are left in a mess and are now paying the price.
I live in Port Moody, but work in South Surrey. There will never be a transit option for me, since a single trip would take more than 3 hours with multiple transfers (Transit BC won't even calculate the travel time as it is over 3 hours). I also do not believe any reductions in gas tax will be passed on to consumers as the companies will point to one of the many excuses they use to ramp up the rates at the pump (global demand, refineries down, etc....). Not everyone is going downtown, or even want to these days for work or for pleasure.
They can’t punish car driving if there is no alternative that is just as fast and accessible. People need to drive to get to work. If we had a full train network like Toronto and Montreal then even suburbians could consider getting out of their cars. One skytrain line doesn’t cut it.
Nothing more than a cash grab road tax . We already pay enough for road use.