Breaking news: BC liberals inked ‘hidden toll’ into Sea to Sky highway deal – and we all pay for the next 25 years.

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Laila

For years, I have often wondered why, in such ’tough economic times’, the very expensive Sea to Sky highway was not tolled. I’ve called for it, many of you have called for it, and last year, even Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson called for it as an avenue for revenue to solve Translinks money woes.

What Gregor did not know at the time ( and neither did most of us ) is that the Sea to Sky highway is a very lucrative avenue for revenue – but not for the province of BC. In actuality, the Sea to Sky highway is costing the provincial government money, every single time a vehicle drives up or down the highway.

Sources have revealed to me, that the BC government inked a hidden toll into the agreement to build and maintain the Sea to Sky highway, via a model commonly known in the transportation/road-building industry as a ” shadow toll”. As a result, the provincial government will be paying a shadow toll on every vehicle that uses the highway for the duration of the agreement, which is 25 years. Where does that toll go? To the private company that operates and maintain the road – otherwise known as the ‘concessionaire’ in the agreement with the province – (read more)

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