Vancouver Sun

‘All options are on the table’ for mobility pricing commission

- JENNIFER SALTMAN jensaltman@postmedia.com twitter.com/jensaltman

Paying a fee for every kilometre you travel or a tax to enter downtown could soon be a reality for Metro Vancouver drivers, depending on the recommenda­tions that come from a commission that’s been struck to examine mobility pricing.

On Tuesday, the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transporta­tion and the TransLink board of directors announced that Allan Seckel, CEO of Doctors of B.C. and former deputy minister and former head of the B.C. public service will chair the mobility pricing independen­t commission, and former NDP MLA Joy MacPhail will be vicechair.

Daniel Firth, who worked on institutin­g congestion taxes in Stockholm and London, will be the executive director of the commission.

“We need to improve the system that we have now — that’s the work we’re charging the independen­t commission with,” said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who chairs the mayors’ council. “Basically all options are on the table. It’s a wide-open approach that will look at every possible option.”

The idea of mobility pricing has been around since 2014, when the mayors first conceived their 10-year transporta­tion vision for the region.

The first phase of the plan is being rolled out, but Robertson said more investment is needed for the second and third phases of the project, which include building a light-rail line in Surrey, a subway extension in Vancouver and a new Pattullo Bridge.

Mobility pricing is a “key pillar” for the plan, Robertson said.

“We need lots more investment coming in the next phases. We have to figure out how to pay for all that.”

Mobility pricing, which involves charging for transporta­tion network usage and can involve tolls and road pricing, is supposed to help deal with the region’s worsening traffic congestion, the current ad hoc approach to tolling and the fact that regional transporta­tion investment is funded in large part by a fuel sales tax, which is considered unreliable with the growth of more efficient vehicles.

“We’ve got a pretty important mandate,” said Firth, adding the commission is in the process of putting together a work plan and the chair and vice-chair will meet later this week.

The other 10 members of the commission have not yet been announced, but they will come from across the region — Burnaby, Richmond, Langley, Delta, Surrey, North Vancouver and the Tri-Cities — and have background­s in business, social service, labour and industry. More than 50 people applied to be on the commission.

The commission will research mobility pricing best practices from around the world — including congestion pricing in Stockholm, London and Singapore, and implemente­d and proposed per-mile road-usage charges in Oregon and Washington — and conduct technical analyses, public education and engagement and make policy recommenda­tions.

It will be supported by a staff secretaria­t and several advisory panels, including residents, stakeholde­rs and experts.

Firth said there are more questions about mobility pricing than answers at this point. Some aspects to consider include the effect on everything from the economy to the environmen­t, the cost to implement and operate mobility pricing, what it will cost individual­s, how much revenue it will bring in, and whether there are enough transporta­tion choices.

“We need to find a solution that’s going to work for this region for the challenges we have here,” Firth said.

Robertson said people in the region are already paying for transporta­tion in a number of ways, including gas taxes, parking taxes, tolls and their time. He said repeatedly that the current tolling system is unfair and “broken” and mobility pricing will be a more fair system.

When asked how the commission will make mobility pricing fair for everyone in the region, Firth said it will be one of their most important tasks.

“It’s going to be a really big part of our work. I don’t have answers as to how we’re going to do that right now, but it’s one of the biggest things we’re going to be doing,” Firth said. “We’re looking at trying to find a proposal that creates as many winners as possible.”

The commission has a budget of $2.31 million. Commission members will receive a stipend of $550 per meeting, and the chair and vice-chair will receive $2,500 and $1,166 per month, respective­ly. It’s expected that the commission will meet about once per month.

The commission will make policy recommenda­tions by next spring, and TransLink will consider them for about six months. Depending on what is put forward, the recommenda­tions could require legislatio­n from the government to be implemente­d.

We’re looking at trying to find a proposal that creates as many winners as possible.

 ?? NICK PROCAYLO ?? Daniel Firth, left, seen with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson on Tuesday, will be the executive director of the independen­t mobility pricing commission, which will make recommenda­tions next spring.
NICK PROCAYLO Daniel Firth, left, seen with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson on Tuesday, will be the executive director of the independen­t mobility pricing commission, which will make recommenda­tions next spring.

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