Whereas vehicle congestion leads to a plethora of issues, such as increased air pollution, increased GHG emissions, and reduced quality of life for individuals; And whereas congestion charges have been successful in cities around the world: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to enact legislation to enable local governments to impose and collect vehicle congestion charges.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Government is committed to making life more affordable and getting people moving in the Lower Mainland. That is why we continue to work with the Metro Vancouver region to advance the Mayors Councils vision to get people out of traffic and home with their families. While we are aware of the interest among some Metro Vancouver municipalities to examine mobility pricing as a possible approach to manage congestion, reduce greenhouse gases, and serve as a revenue source for transit and transportation, it is vital that any transportation solutions in the region be fair and affordable for everybody, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect peoples travel patterns and mode choice. Accordingly, governments focus has been continuing to work with TransLink and adjacent regions to deliver on immediate needs in response to COVID-19 to ensure the continued delivery of essential transit services in the Lower Mainland. This work includes supporting TransLink with long term planning by working with them and Metro Vancouver as part of Transport 2050, the Regional Transportation Strategy for the Metro Vancouver, as well as the agencys next Investment Plan which will identify funding sources from senior governments and TransLink, with the goal to facilitate and promote mode shifts to transit and active transportation options.