Congestion Pricing Downtown
Price motor vehicles entering the metropolitan core. Congestion pricing will reduce the number of motor vehicle converging on the Downtown every morning, and will make lane re-allocations and pedestrianised streets an easier process due to reduced demand for road space.
MZan
shared this idea
The City supports the idea of road / congestion pricing, and bridge tolls are one possible implementation. A regional (as opposed to a downtown or city) approach might work best, given travel behaviour, patterns of movement, and jurisdictional issues. This lies outside City jurisdiction, so our role is limited to advocacy; changes to Provincial legislation are required.
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Janine Brossard
commented
Good idea.
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Angie N
commented
I absolutely agree with this idea! While naturally expected to be unpopular with suburban commuters, this is the best way to encourage greater use of our transit system and maybe even get people out of their cars and onto their bikes. As mentioned in a previous comment, London has already instituted a congestion fee with much success - the same could certainly be done here.
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bshell
commented
I like JS's idea. Perhaps the revenue from the congestion tax could pay for covered bike routes and public electric outlets for those exempt plug-in electric vehicles. A full overnight charge for a typical all-electric car costs about $2.00. A top up during the day would cost about a dollar. Electric bikes can be fully charged for less than 10 cents. Maybe Vancouver could invest in a fleet of public bikes, similar to systems in Paris and Montreal, except they could be electric.
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JS
commented
London England began such a system in 2005 and provided exemptions for hybrids and electric cars. The congestion tax has made a huge difference in London's downtown traffic, allowing surface transit to be effective, and for those who do drive downtown, allow them to get to their destinations with less time and frustration. The exemption for electric vehicles has accelerated that cities adoption of EVs.