Golden Ears Bridge tolls cut in six-week experiment
Golden Ears Bridge tolls will be cut by about 30 per cent during off-peak hours, as part of a six-week trial project.
A single car with a transponder will pay $1.95 to cross the bridge between 7 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends and holidays, including the Easter and May long weekends. A registered vehicle without a transponder will pay $2.35 in the off-peak period, a $1 saving, and those whose vehicles are not registered will pay $2.75, down from $3.95 peak rates.
The experiment begins on April 15.
TransLink, which operates the toll bridge between Langley and Maple Ridge, wants to see if the discounted toll rates attract new trips to the bridge.
"We know that some people have been prepared to spend the time and fuel on a longer trip in order to save the cost of the toll on the Golden Ears Bridge. We will be watching to see if these toll discounts achieve a 'tipping point' at which the convenience and timesavings are seen to be worth the cost," said TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis.
Data collected from the six-week trial period will enable TransLink to formulate a new tolling structure for the bridge. The tolls are intended to offset the $800 million cost of constructing the new bridge. It opened in June, 2009.
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