NDP MLA Rob Fleming said on Tuesday that electing the party’s candidate Pauline Greaves in the Surrey South byelection is critical to ensuring that the Massey Tunnel replacement project is completed on time and that river crossings remain toll-free.

“People want to spend less time in traffic and not pay unfair tolls because of where they live,” said Fleming. “But [B.C. Liberal Leader] Kevin Falcon says he’ll cancel the Massey Tunnel replacement and he still supports tolls on river crossings, whether they’re tunnels or bridges. Surrey South would pay the price for his plan to keep people stuck in traffic even longer and make life more expensive for commuters.”

He noted that Falcon says he would halt the current tunnel project that would result in another environmental approval process and delay completion of the crossing until at least 2033. It would also mean writing off millions of dollars that have already been committed to work on the tunnel, including the Steveston Interchange which broke ground earlier this year.

He also pointed out that when Falcon was Transportation Minister, he promised to build a six-kilometre SkyTrain Station by 2020 and failed to deliver. He also still defends his decision to impose tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges costing commuters an average of $1,500 per year.

The NDP’s plan to reduce congestion includes completing the toll-free Massey Tunnel replacement by 2030 and extending the Skytrain to Langley by 2028.

In addition, the government is investing $23 million to expand the interchange at Highway 99 and 32 Avenue. This will reduce traffic at rush hour and help shorten people’s commutes.

“We can’t afford Kevin Falcon’s plan to cancel the Massey replacement and bring back tolls,” said Greaves. “Voters have the opportunity to send a clear message to Kevin Falcon that they want the Massey crossing completed and that they want river crossings to remain toll-free. I’m going to work with the BC NDP government to keep important projects moving forward.”