But in a major speech to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Wynne on Monday stressed any levies must be earmarked to improve public transit and roads.
“I believe that any investments from new revenue must be entirely and transparently dedicated to transportation projects so that the cost is directly tied to a measurable result,” the premier said.
“People need to know what they are paying for. They need to see where the money is going.”
Wynne said motorists alone should not unjustly bear the burden of bankrolling the new infrastructure .
“This cannot just be about one group of commuters. Contrary to what some people will have you believe, there is no war on cars, or cyclists or transit.”
That was a clear shot at Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who opposes road tolls or congestion charges and was elected in 2010 in part because he campaigned against “the war on the car.”
Last week, Ford strongly criticized Metrolinx for its shopping list of potential tools to raise money for transit.
“We are all fighting for a better way forward,” insisted Wynne, adding that she shares Greater Toronto residents’ “obsession with thinking about congestion.”
“And so any new tool cannot disproportionately impact one type of commute, but must recognize the strains across the system. Some of the tools that are used must encourage choice and be designed to have a positive impact on people’s behaviour,” she said.
“They must be tied to smart city building and efficient land use planning, and endeavour to accommodate this region’s growing population in the most efficient way possible.”
Still, Wynne pointedly declined to say whether she favoured tolls, congestion charges, parking fees or other “potential revenue tools,” saying she would await the provincial transportation agency Metrolinx’s June report on its investment plans for the region.
“As premier of Ontario, I can’t pre-empt their strategy by talking about what tools they might choose to put forward to the government. But I can tell you generally about what I think needs to happen when it comes to transit investment in the GTHA (Greater Toronto Hamilton Area).”
Wynne, however, did highlight what the city of Los Angeles did in 2008 with “a dedicated, 30-year, 0.5-per cent regional sales tax, which is expected to pour approximately $40 billion into their transit expansion effort.”
“They recognized the problem, they came up with a plan that was right for them and they took action,” the premier said, noting potential solutions may also be found in Europe.
She also pointed to Stockholm, Sweden, where in 2006 officials began charging congestion tolls based on the time of day in a six-month experiment.
“During that same period, they increased the availability of public transit. Six months later, the improvements to commuter travel times were even better than expected. There was a measurable, positive impact on Stockholm’s air quality and on the downtown economy,” she said.
“The trial also had a positive impact on traffic in the whole region, not just within the city limits. And Stockholm citizens overwhelmingly supported keeping the toll.”
Wynne was speaking to a friendly audience. The board of trade has called for sales and gas taxes, a commercial parking levy, high-occupancy toll lanes to raise $2 billion a year for better transit.
Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author: Robert Benzie
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