New Port Mann Bridge toll puts pressure on Pattullo traffic

A Surrey resident says the amount of traffic in her neighbourhoodhas been a "nightmare"sincenew tolls were introduced on the Port Mann Bridge last week.

Cars, pickup trucks and small vans hadbeen paying arate of $1.50 for each crossing of the Port Mann Bridge since tolls were introduced in 2012, buton Jan.1rates doubled to $3.

• Read more about increased tolls on the Port Mann Bridge

Ruth Reiter has lived in Surrey's Bridgeview neighbourhood for eight yearsand says she has never seen so much traffic.

"To take a trip up to Price Mart Foods, on a normal day, would take me 15 minutes. Yesterday it took me an hour," said Reiter.

Reiterblames the increased congestion ondriverswho are taking thetoll-freePattulloBridge instead of paying to cross the Port Mann.

"Right now people just don't have a choice. This bridge is free.The Port Mannis not free," saidReiter.

New Westminster city councillorJonathan Cote says he has noticed a difference too.

"We don't have any official statisticsin yet, but just looking at the road networkit does look like there'sbeen impact and congestion has gotten worse since the tolls have increased on the Port Mann," said Cote.

But Surrey transportation manager JamieBoansays there is no evidence that the number of people using the Pattullo Bridge has changed.

"We've actually got cameras and a count station at the approach to the bridge and we have been monitoring that. We actually haven't seen any increase in the volume going across thePattullo," said Boan.

TransLink also monitors the flow oftraffic over its bridges, but was unable to obtain a reading this week because oftechnical problems.

Meanwhile, negotiations over what to do about the75-year-oldPattullo Bridge have stalled.Last June,TransLink presented six options to New Westminster and Surrey for replacing the aging bridge.

• Read more about the fight over the fate of the Pattullo Bridge
• Read more about TransLink's six options to replace thePattulloBridge

Those options have been whittleddown to twoeither a new four -lane or a new six-lane crossing. But Cote says this will be a disaster for the city.

"Adding extra capacity just simply isn't going to work for theCity of New Westminster, because all we are going to be doing is moving congestion further into the city and making an already difficult situation even worse."

The fate of thePattullo Bridge and whether or not it will be tolled will be decided later this year.