Skip to content

Drivers have made the move to the free Golden Ears Bridge

TransLink has released initial usage figures since the tolls were removed Aug. 31.

Drivers didn’t waste time getting onto the Golden Ears Bridge once the tolls were removed on Aug. 31.

The next day alone shows a 29 per cent increase in users compared to the same day in 2016. So 53,800 vehicles crossed on Sept. 1 compared to 41,600 on first Friday of September 2016. The usage also represents a 19 per cent increase compared to the average August 2017 volume.

“These preliminary numbers offer an early snapshot of traffic volumes following the removal of tolls at midnight, Aug. 31, 2017,” TransLink said in its announcement on initial numbers. “It is still early days. We anticipate that it will take some time for travel patterns to adjust as people explore different options for getting around the region. Later in the fall we will have a more reliable snapshot as more data is collected and people settle into new routines.”

Sept. 2: 40,400 users but that’s still a 43 per cent increase compared to the first Saturday of September last year.

Sept. 3: 37,000 vehicle crossings, a 31 per cent increase over the August average volume and a 42 per cent jump over last year.

Sept. 4: The B.C. Day holiday Monday usage was 35,100. Last year on the holiday, there were 22,700 so this year represents a 55 per cent jump on that one day.

Sept. 5: The daily traffic volume was 51,300, compared to last year’s 40,600 (a 26 per cent increase).

People still must pay any tolls they incurred before the toll removal. Quickpass will send people final invoices.



Heather Colpitts

About the Author: Heather Colpitts

Since starting in the news industry in 1992, my passion for sharing stories has taken me around Western Canada.
Read more