Environmental watchdog recommends road tolls for Ontario
Posted May 31, 2011 9:58 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Ontario’s environmental watchdog is recommending a “serious discussion” be held on road tolls to lessen traffic and reduce greenhouse gases.
Gord Miller said tolls would reduce traffic gridlock, which imposes huge costs on the economy, the environment and public health.
The suggestion is included in his new greenhouse gas report.
Liberal Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne said her party do not plan to impose any new tolls.
“We’re not looking at road tolls. The decision we made was that we were going to take money from the gas tax and put that into transit,” said Wynne.
PC Leader Tim Hudak said it will not happen under a Tory government either.
“I’m a young Dad, I get stuck in traffic too and I feel it. When I’m stuck in traffic it’s time taken away from my wife Debbie and my daughter Miller. I want to make sure that we get families closer to home as fast as possible,” said Hudak.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said her party is not interested in the road toll solution. Horwath said her party wants to make public and mass transit more accessible, affordable and available to commuters.
On Monday, Mayor Ford said he did not support road tolls and would not use the money generated by them to pay for the Sheppard subway extension, as was suggested by Toronto Transit Infrastructure Ltd. president Gordon Chong.
