Speakers extol fee-based roads
This short article "offers five things you should know about road tolls" but unfortunately simplifies or omits critical information -- partly as a result of the provincial representatives interviewed. The author also takes Transport Futures information out of context when she refers to new taxes and double taxation. While we acknowledged this issue by adding it to the breakout group questionnaire under individual and business perceptions, we put double taxation on the table because it is one of the many road pricing myths that Canadians "should know about". According to Transport Canada, motorists/truckers are subsidized to the tune of $25 billion a year when it comes to road building and maintenance -- this does not include the $9 billion in environmental costs (emissions, noise) or the $62.7 billion subsidy in direct and indirect costs associated with automotive crashes (almost $18 billion in Ontario).
By MEGAN O'TOOLE
Transport Futures, a conference on road pricing held downtown last week, featured a number of speakers who extolled the virtues of road tolls. Dozens of people packed the room, but the concept does not appear to have gained much traction among policy-makers in Ontario -- although it's hard not to get the feeling all this talk about road tolls is a bid to soften Torontonians up for the inevitable. The National Post's Megan O'Toole offers five things you should know about road tolls:
1 Metrolinx, the province's regional transportation authority, believes governments at both the provincial and municipal levels should strongly consider implementing more toll roads. But tolls are not a "single silver bullet," said John Howe, the authority's vice-president of investment strategy. Rapid transit expansion is also key as the region experiences massive growth and room on the roads becomes scarcer, he said. New transit options and funding sources would allow growth to continue and ensure the region remains competitive nationally, Mr. Howe said. "It isn't about punishing motorists," he said. "It's about giving everyone more choice."
2 A provincial Transportation Ministry official said Ontario has no plans to place tolls on existing roads, which means the 401 would not be on track to be hit with congestion fees. Roads under the City of Toronto's jurisdiction, such as the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway, have often been touted as potential toll candidates, but there is no official plan in the works to make that happen, and Mayor David Miller says any tolls must be regional.
3 A public outcry would inevitably accompany any hike in user fees, experts agree -- particularly if tolls are implemented on roads that were previously free to travel. Some critics argue that tolls are inequitable, because they favour higher-income residents, who are more likely to spend extra money to save time. Others say electronic tracking systems, such as the one used on Highway 407, present privacy concerns. In addition, many motorists would view tolls as "new taxes," acknowledged officials from Transport Futures, and would be resistant to the concept of paying twice for services already covered by their existing taxes.
4 Proponents say people need to be educated on why tolls are a good thing. Patrick DeCorla-Souza, who heads tolling and pricing initiatives for the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, says public education sessions are key. People may become more receptive to the idea upon learning, for example, that proceeds from new toll roads would be rolled directly over into improving public transit infrastructure. This type of outreach has been key to the broader acceptance of toll roads within the United States, Mr. DeCorla-Souza said. In addition, certain types of tolls are easier for residents to accept when it is clear nothing is being taken away from them, he said; for instance, implementing a toll for single-occupant vehicles driving in carpool lanes.
5 Tolls could reduce congestion, improve air quality and recoup lost productivity costs -pegged at $3.3-billion annually in the City of Toronto. The extra revenue is also critical, attendees heard, amid mounting government deficits, aging infrastructure and increasing concerns over the environment. "Road pricing is one way ... to help fill the gap," said Robin Lindsey, a University of Alberta expert on traffic congestion modelling. Currently, tolls account for just a fraction of 1% of funding for roads in Canada, Dr. Lindsey said.