TransLink reveals members of Mobility Pricing Independent Commission

The tolled Golden Ears Bridge across the Fraser River between Langley and Maple Ridge. (Shutterstock)

An independent commission comprised of 12 residents with professional backgrounds from communities across the Metro Vancouver region will recommend the best model of road mobility pricing to TransLink’s Mayors’ Council.

Two Vancouver residents, Deputy Attorney General Allan Seckel and former BC MLA Joy MacPhail, will co-chair the commission, which was first launched early last month.

The commission members have been expanded to include:

Burnaby representation
- Elizabeth Model, Board member of the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition and CEO for the Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association
Coquitlam representation
- Iain Black, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Vancouver representation
- Jennifer Clarke, former Vancouver City Councillor and President of JPC Strategies
- Lori MacDonald, candidate for Masters of Urban Studies with a research focus on regional mobility and Executive Director of Emily Carr Students’ Union
- Grace Wong, Senior Advisor International to the Provost and Vice President-Academic at the University of British Columbia
Surrey representation
- Harj Dhaliwal, Chair of the South Fraser District Association and Associate Dean of Marketing Management at BCIT
- Gavin McGarrigle, co-founder of the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition and BC Area Director for Unifor
Langley representation
- Paul Landry, Board member of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Maple Ridge representation
- Graham McCargar, President of MC Freight Systems
North Vancouver representation
- Michael McKnight, President and CEO of United Way of the Lower Mainland
Richmond representation
- Bruce Bozenhart, member of the BC Chamber of Commerce and Economic Advisory Committee for the City of Richmond
Delta representation
- Pip Steele, Vice-Chair of the Delta Police Board

“We’re pleased to announce these new members who are from cities spread right across our region,” said Lorraine Cunningham, TransLink Board Chair and Co-Chair of the Joint Mobility Pricing Steering Committee, in a statement.

“They are a diverse group, and their backgrounds in business, education, social service, labour and industry will provide high value for the commission as it progresses through its work. Their unique views and perspectives are what this commission needs in order to be successful.”

The commission has a mandate to seek a “fair” mobility pricing model that reduces congestion and helps raise much-needed new additional revenues to fund the Mayors’ Council’s multi-billion dollar transit expansion and improvement plans, including underground Broadway extension of the Millennium Line and the new Surrey light rail transit network.

It will explore proven traditional mobility pricing systems in Singapore, Stockholm, and London as models to follow, and examine pricing systems based on fuel taxes, transit fares, insurance rates, and even ride share and taxi charges. Stakeholders and the public will be consulted prior to making a final decision on recommendations.

The Mayors’ Council will provide the paid 12-member commission, supported by a team of researchers and coordinators, with a $2.31 million budget for its research and policy development work.

The final report containing the recommendations is to be delivered to the TransLink Board and Mayors’ Council by spring 2018.

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