Why?

Bay Area residents don't want variable tolls on the bridges. This is according to a Bay Area Council survey--or the San Francisco Examiner's reporting of that survey. I looked all over the Bay Area Council's website, and I can't find any mention of the poll. No survey results, no press release. The only place I find mention of this toll poll is in the Examiner, which says this:

While transportation planners have suggested raising bridge tolls for rush hour commuters only -- perhaps to as high as $5 -- Bay Area drivers give the idea of variable tolls a big thumbs-down.

If there has to be yet another toll hike, 58 percent of Bay Area residents prefer a $4 toll that stays the same at all times of the day, according to a recent survey by the Bay Area Council. Just 32 percent said they would like to see a $5 toll heaped on drivers during the busiest commute times and $3 for the rest of the day.

So, Bay Area drivers don't want variable tolls per se or they don't want $5 tolls? Assuming, as the Examiner implies, the survey only gave two scenarios, all-day $4 toll and $3/$5 variable toll, the results are inconclusive. Is the public willing to pay $4 during peak hours, instead of $5? Would the public accept variable tolls if the off-peak price were seen as a discount--e.g., $2 off-peak instead of the current all-day $3?

The survey as represented in the Examiner should not be read as the public's rejection of variable tolling, and more questions need to be asked.

Michael Patrick 11:33 Pacific | #post |