Drivers will feel pain from road tolls, then relief, experts say

If Toronto goes ahead with tolls on its two major urban highways, drivers will feel pain initially, but everyone should benefit if the money is invested to reduce congestion, transportation experts say.

Matti Siemiatycki, an associate professor in the department of geography and planning at the University of Toronto, said drivers are right to think it will be disruptive at first.

"The cost is going to be borne initially by motorists, and the key is that you have a viable public transit so you have real alternatives that you can use," he said.

"You need to have an extensive transit network that can be an alternative network for people who need to get around the city who now don't want to pay the toll."

Cities such as London and Stockholm already had extensive public transportation networks before road tolls were introduced, Siemiatycki told CBC Toronto.

The Toronto Transit Commission, while one of the largest in North America, still has far to go compared with some European transit systems. And initially, as more people pile on to the existing TTC system to avoid paying the new tolls, commuters could face overcrowding.

"The question is can the TTC handle the extra traffic?" asked Jonathan Hall, an assistant professor with U of T's department of economics and School of Public Policy and Governance.

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"Yes, the University and Yonge lines are crowded, but things like the [regional] GO buses are easy to add. But yes, the University and Yonge lines are crowded and this might make them more crowded."

Introducing tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway — two of most heavily used routes to and from downtown — will affect taxis and delivery services.

Kristine Hubbard, the operations manager for Beck Taxi, the biggest taxi brokerage in North America, says the company dispatches more than eight million rides a year, which is more than in Chicago (riders hail New York City's Yellow Cabs on the street).

"Taxi drivers hope that they will be exempt, but if not, the costs will be passed on to the end user. And that translates into trucking and everything else," said Hubbard. "If it costs more to transport the goods, the people who buy the goods are going to pay more."

But Hubbard said her industry is not generally opposed to tolls.

"People are more than happy to pay, if they know the money is well spent," she said.

Siemiatycki predicts there could be many potential losers, but also big winners if the money collected goes to improving transportation.

"It's really important that the money is going to transportation, and I'd say first to the roads, to make sure they are in good condition, that the maintenance is done quickly and well, so the trip is smooth and efficient," said Siemiatycki.

"Then, invest in the broader transportation network, whether it's other roads or transit to make sure people have a viable choice. Right now, a lot of people will look at this and say, 'You are going to charge me more. There is no other choice.'"

Transit systems likely big winners

The tolls as a source of funding for operating and expanding public transit make agencies like the TTC and Ontario's regional transit authority, Metrolinx, the likely big winners.

"All of these agencies: the TTC, the city, Metrolinx, GO, are all talking about how they have these huge infrastructure backlogs. So, having money coming in from a stable reliable source that can be directly linked to transportation will be a big benefit," said Siemiatycki.

"Motorists complain about two things: the high cost of driving and congestion," he said. "This is going to be a way to pay for the infrastructure … so they can get to where they are going to faster and there's a value to that. There's a value to your time even if you are paying a small amount up front. That's actually putting money back in your pocket."

And he predicts that as motorists and commuters start to enjoy the benefits, so too will taxi and delivery drivers and other people who drive for a living.

"In initial phase their costs of business may go up, but there are real costs to congestion," said Siemiatycki.

"If they can fit more jobs, more trips in one day, then that's actually profit for them. This region suffers from $6 billion in lost productivity. So there's an up-front cost, but eventually they'll be able to make it up by making more deliveries, more trips in a day."

Prof. Hall said on balance the result of the tolls will be positive over time.

"This kind of toll can create winners and losers," he said. "Every policy we do creates winners and losers, but we should never not do anything because of that."