Mayors promising a Pattullo Bridge replacement to shore up support for the transit referendum are misleading voters, according to the “No TransLink Tax” campaign.

Replacing the aging Pattullo is one of several carrots Metro Vancouver mayors are offering residents in exchange for the stick of a 0.5 per cent provincial sales tax increase, but opponents argue the bridge will be replaced whether the referendum passes or not.

“No” campaign spokesman Jordan Bateman pointed out that B.C. has already committed to funding a third of the new Pattullo, which will also generate revenue through tolling.

“This bridge will be funded by the tolls and the provincial government contribution. TransLink and the TransLink Mayors are just playing games by pretending it should be attached to this tax,” Bateman said.

Bateman suggested the Pattullo offering is designed to sway drivers who don’t care about the other planned projects, most of which revolve around public transit.

“The only reason that it’s in this plan is to trick drivers,” he said.

Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore admitted the Pattullo will eventually be replaced either way, but said the process will be sped up significantly if the referendum passes.

“Of course you have to replace everything eventually but it’s not in the foreseeable future for TransLink,” Moore said. “The budget calls for additional repairs to the bridge but it doesn’t call for a replacement.”

TransLink has already planned $100 million in repairs on the existing bridge to keep the 76-year-old crossing safe. Moore said continuing to spend that kind of money instead of building a new bridge would be a waste.

“Ultimately, that’s why we put it in the plan because we know we need to replace it,” he said.

According to the mayors, the tolls won’t cover the whole cost of the replacement, and the old bridge will stay up for the foreseeable future if the referendum fails.

The proposed PST hike is intended to fund a total of $7.5 billion in projects over 10 years, including the Broadway SkyTrain line, light rail in Surrey, additional buses on busy routes, general road maintenance, and more.

The vote is expected to take place this spring.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Mi-Jung Lee