IT’S a peculiarly North Shore affliction. And we could call it the NOMBY (Not On My Bridge You-don’t).

‘This apparent aversion to the idea of paying tolls on an improved First Narrows cross- ing is similar to a mild med- ical condition that will only subside given time and rest.

In this space last month, F argued thar user fees are prac- tically inevitable for any new crossing over Burrard Inlet.

In this sense, tolls are simply

~~ asign of the times — and

they’re fast becoming a fact of life throughout North America.

*a+ In the face of taxpayers’ rage, governments every- :. where are cutting back expen- . ditures and inviting the pri-. Wate sector to help build . needed infrastructure. And

ese projects. .. There’s also another “important aspéct to. paying a user fee: it-will be roughly equivalent, to the cost of pur-

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chasing a ticket to ride the public transit system. In other words, a toll will provide a disincentive to drive your automobile through the over- congested downtown area, where you'll need to pay for parking as well. Instead, some people might become more inclined to take a bus, or the Sea-bus. And once North Shore residents begin to more enthusiastically embrace pub- lic transit, we'll be ready for improvements to our local transportation system.

It’s difficult so far to find

‘many vocal champions for

placing a toll on an upgraded Lions Gate Bridge — that’s

_ the nature of NOMBYism.

And part of the problem, it

seems, is that no one wants to .

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be first. In other words, if tolls were instituted on other bridges or transportation bot- tlenecks in the Lower Mainland, North Shore com- muters would be be willing to do their part too.

I’m sure the North Shore mayors believe they're fight- ing the good fight with their rearguard effort to oppose tolls. But it’s an exercise in futility. Eventually, they'll wake up to the political reality and economic necessity of user fees. And hopefully this awakening will occur sooner rather than later, because we're going to need the con- structive attention of our local governments in order to ensure that tolls work in our favor.

Are the North Shore may- ors representing their con- stituents by proclaiming out- right opposition and hosulity to paying user fees? Or are they lagging behind a silent majority who are actually pre- pared to pay the price of an inproved crossing over Burrard Inlet? The available research is not on the side of

the mayors.

Over the past 18 months, the provincial government has commissioned two major public opinion studics on the subject of tolls. In February of this year 1,500 GVRD resi- dents were polled, 300 of them on the North Shore. Overall, 72% (including 64% of North Shore residents) were in favor of a toll for Lions Gate Bridge users. These results were consistent with a poll conducted a year earlier showing that 58% of North Shore residents sup- ported payment of talls by drivers every time they use a bridge or road during rush hour. And it’s interesting to note that this represents high- er support for tolls on the North Shore than in the GYRD region as a whole.

The government-commis- sioned poll is also noteworthy in showing that 74% of North Shore residents agreed with tolling on specific projects until the project was paid for. And a ma jority ¢ of all respon- dents in the region favored tolls when asked to choose

Friday, August 29, 1997 — North Shore News — 7

NOMBY toll foes will soon run out of gas

between them and increased gasoline taxes or higher insur- ance rates as the best way for users to pay for transportation improvements.

I can also affirm that these polls are entirely consistent with independent surveys that I conducted in 1994 and 1995 when I served as a West Vancouver MLA.

OF course, no one wants to pay a user fee if it’s unnec- essary. But is it possible that there’s a broader recognition within our community for the necessity of tolls than some elected representatives are willing to recognize?

No doubt the whining and complaining will continue for some time. But these irksome symptoms of the NOMBY syndrome will soon wear off. And we'll know we’re well on the way to recovery when our local politicians actually start working on strategies to ensure that any future tolls on the Lions Gate Bridge will be paying for the transit improvements so desperately needed here on the North Shore.

—— The North Shore News believes strongly in freedom of speech and the right of all sides in a debate to be heard. The colum- nists published in the News pre- sent differing points of view, but those views are nut necesarily those of the newspaper itself.

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To us...

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