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WIll Toronto Put a Toll on the DVP and the Gardiner?

March 16th, 2016  |  Auto

Toronto city council is launching an in-depth six month study to determine whether implementing tolls on two of the city’s most vital roadways will not only bring in the revenue it needs, but also reduce the congestion it faces every day.

The Toronto Star reports that the tolls would be geared towards recovering the $2.5 billion it will cost to rebuild the east end of the Gardiner as well as possibly raise money for other infrastructure improvements. Toronto has struggled to make significant infrastructure improvements of late with traffic and transit topping many resident’s lists of pet peeves about living in the city.

The council is well aware however that tolls are not popular among citizens especially after last year’s Pan am games brought temporary toll lanes to some of the city’s busiest highways. And so the staff hired to perform this study will be analyzing many different tolling models and projecting the results they would bring in for the city including revenue of course but also how feasible it would be in getting people to buy into the idea.

Last year it was calculated that a $3.25 flat fee for the Gardiner and a 35-cents-per-kilometre distance fee could recover costs for the Gardiner in 10 years.

Mayor John Tory has stated that tolls are the last thing he would want to implement, but considering the costs the city needs to cover Toronto may not have a choice.