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SFPR needs a toll to realize full economic benefits: experts

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DELTA (NEWS1130) – The commute is likely to improve significantly later this month for many living south of the Fraser River, but several experts say the full economic benefits of the South Fraser Perimeter Road won’t be realized without a toll.

The $1.3-billion project is touted as a critical piece in helping to ease goods movement through Deltaport, in turn expanding our trade relationships with Asia. By slashing the travelling time for trucks which are transporting goods, it is expected to help to make the port more competitive.

But Transportation Economist Robin Lindsay worries the road will be overused by commuters and won’t ease congestion as much as hoped for trucks.

“Truckers could benefit from traffic demand management because they have very high values of time and the value of reliability in the supply chain. Indeed, you could put a value of $100 or more an hour on a truck,” explains Lindsay.

Ken Peacock with the Business Council of BC says it’s about being competitive.

“Reduced time in terms of getting containers through the port and out onto the road network. The ports really are in competition on the west coast here for getting goods from North America and into Asia. So anything we can do to reduce congestion, speed up delivery time and ensure high quality service will help. It’s that accessibility, it really is important,” he tells us.

Although it came at the expense of some farm land, Urban Planner Peter Hall says the road is expected to further industrial development south of the Fraser though.

“They might expand there or might move further up because they now have better accessibility [to the port],” says Hall.

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