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What John Tory wants you to think
Road tolls on the Gardiner and Don Valley Parkway would cost drivers $1,200 per year (based on $4.50 per day).
The reality
The cost of tolls can be offset by giving drivers who carpool a break on parking downtown, as is done in Europe, where road tolls are only charged during peak hours. In the long run, drivers who carpool will also save on fuel costs.
What John Tory wants you to think
Road tolls will divert traffic and cause a mess in residential areas.
The reality
Experience in England demonstrates traffic calming measures and signage put in place to discourage motorists from taking detours actually caused traffic decreases of up to 20 per cent in residential areas (10 per cent in outlying areas).
What John Tory wants you to think
Big business hates the idea.
The reality
The Toronto Board of Trade’s own survey found that an overwhelming number of its members (80 per cent) are most satisfied with Hwy 407 ETR, a toll highway, and least satisfied with the Gardiner (33 per cent) and the DVP (24 per cent).
Why road tolls make good economic sense
Businesses that rely on vehicles to move their goods are already losing billions because of gridlock. Where tolls are in place in cities of comparable size, like Singapore and Melbourne, there’s been an immediate traffic reduction of 15 per cent during peak times, and overall travel times were reduced by 22 per cent.
Why building more roads or widening existing ones won’t solve the congestion problem
We’ve seen it time and again the world over – when more roads are built, traffic levels quickly grow to fill the new capacity. It’s a vicious circle.
Startling fact
We now spend triple the time travelling to and from work every day that we did less than 20 years ago.
What can’t be stressed enough
The environmental benefits, not just in reduced emissions from idling cars, but also in the exhaust residue that’s washed into our sewers by every rainfall.
Why we need to do something right now
Major roads serving the downtown have been operating at capacity since the mid-1960s, and it’s only going to get worse. The GTA’s population is expected to nearly double to 7.5 million by 2030. We’re at the tipping point.
The burning question for John Tory
If road tolls are such a bad idea, why were they floated earlier this year by conservative councillor Paul Sutherland?
