Port Mann tolls may stay stable thanks to registered drivers
Posted November 2, 2012 12:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – If you’re worried about paying tolls on the new Port Mann Bridge, the province says it may be able to keep rates stable, thanks to a huge number of people registering for online tolling accounts.
Far more people have registered than than what was first anticipated and that potential added revenue could help pay off the $3.5-billion project faster.
The goal was to have 300,000 vehicles registered through the TReO tolling system by early 2013. Two-hundred thousand people have already signed up and Transportation Minister Mary Polak says it could point to fewer drivers opting for free alternatives.
“Our modelling does show that people who are regular users of the bridge will enjoy the time savings, the savings in gas, the maintenance on their vehicle cost, and they will be travelling over the new Port Mann Bridge,” she says.
“I think we’re seeing that with the registration,” she adds.
“From the looks of it, we’re going to surpass [our] goal, so that’s really good news for keeping tolls low,” notes Polak.
It could also be good news in terms of revenue generation, considering on average, about 120,000 vehicles cross the Port Mann Bridge every day.
When westbound traffic begins crossing in December, the new bridge will be toll-free for the first week. After that, tolls of $1.50 each way kick in. Rapid bus service is slated to start in early December, as well.
The toll rate for non-registered users climbs to $3 in March, but the discounted rate stays for registered users until December 2013. There are also free trip incentives for drivers who register before the end of November.
