Toronto: Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne finds a better alternative to implement tolls on Toronto highways

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced at a press conference in Richmond Hill, near Toronto this morning about her government’s decision to double the provincial gas tax allotted to transit funding from two cents per litre to four cents per litre.

Wynne pointed out that this increase will provide Toronto with approximately $170 million annually; but will not increase the amount Ontarians pay at the gas pumps.

“So while the share of the gas tax that goes to your local transit agencies will increase, the price that you pay for gasoline itself, will not increase with this investment,” she said, CTVNews Toronto reports said.

The province had already committed $334.5 million from the provincial gas tax to 99 municipalities across the province. The boost will bring that number to $401.3 million between 2019 and 2020 and will continue to increase to a projected $481.5 million between 2020 and 2021.

The announcement was made a month after Toronto City Council voted 32-9 in favour of the right of province to introduce road tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway.

But Toronto’s Mayor John Tory argued city’s gain of $170 million will fail to meet the target.

The money generated from the tolls would have paved the way for much-needed, but unfunded transit infrastructure, including SmartTrack, and the rerouting of the Gardiner Expressway.

Wynne’s decision to reject Tory’s proposal was based on the fact that Tory did not give better affordability options for the commuters and added that her plan would fetch the city the same amount of money that was put forward in Tory’s proposal.

Tory told reporters at a news conference following Wynne’s announcement that Wynne’s plans were short-sighted and it will hurt the Ontario residents, especially some of the most vulnerable people that need transit and housing the most.

City staff previously estimated that a $2 toll on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway would generate approximately $166 million annually. However they had also floated the idea of a higher toll, that would have generated more than that.

Transit riders were also not thrilled about Wynne’s announcement.

Transit advocate Sarah Thomson told CP24 “To turn around and say ‘Oh we are going to mess things up because we talked to a few people outside the city that may have to pay the toll’ is not taking into account the long-term plan for the city and what the right thing to do is,” she said. “Tolls are inevitable. Every major city has tolls. We need the tolls and we need them dedicated to transit.”

On the other hand, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie told CTV News Toronto that she welcomed the announcement made by Wynne.

Crombie said that the gas tax will require the City of Mississauga and the rest of the 905 to reinvest in transit projects and transit infrastructure but she figured out an additional $33 million worth of investment to upgrade the transit projects.

Crombie argued that Tory’s advocacy for road tolls, would unfairly hit the 905 population, their businesses as well as the tourism industry.

(Reported by Asha Bajaj, Image of Premier Kathleen Wynne: Wikipedia)