Reduce truck tolls on Hwy. 407 rather than building Hwy. 413: Environmental Defence
A study prepared for Environmental Defence is arguing that eliminating truck tolls on Ontario’s Highway 407 would better improve freight mobility in the Greater Toronto Area than plans to build the all-new Highway 413.
“Like the 413, the 407 ETR allows users to pass around Toronto without interfacing with the busiest sections of [Highway 401],” the study says, referring to the privately owned toll route. “Unlike the 413, the 407 ETR is already in use, albeit underutilized due to high toll fees. The 407 ETR has the added advantage of being located south of the proposed 413 route, reducing journey times for those looking to travel east to west [or vice versa].”
Subsidized tolls have been proposed by Transport Action Ontario (formerly Transport 2000 Ontario) — a non-government organization that advocates for rail and bus-based public transportation.
Fully subsidizing truck tolls for 30 years would cost $4 billion compared to the projected $6 billion to construct Highway 413, the report says, suggesting that actual construction costs will be higher. Tolls for truckers are as high as $1.87 per kilometer during peak hours and at peak locations.
Truckers would also shave an estimated 80 minutes off trips that would otherwise be on Highway 401. And Environmental Defence estimates the change would move 12,000 to 21,000 trucks a day off Highway 401.
The proposed 52-km Highway 413 would link the Highway 401/407 interchange at the Halton-Peel boundary to Highway 400 north of Vaughan, with two extensions connecting with highways 410 and 427.
Supporters of Highway 413 have argued that the route will alleviate congestion and create jobs, while opponents argue that it will contribute to urban sprawl and cut into natural spaces.
The report was completed by Eunomia Research and Consulting.
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The N D P could not get financing unless they made a toll road because certain banks did not like the N D P. It shouldn’t have been sold off by the next ont gov. It should have stayed at toll road with tolls charged from 600 hrs to 2000 hrs Mon to Saturday at 50 percent of current rates for trucks and cars but been free of tolls for buses and disabled wheelchair van and ambulance. We still need a new highway but not the way the Ford gov is doing it as the 407 has been sold off.
I totally agree that:- i) 407 should never have been sold in the first place at a give-away price so Mike Harris could say he eliminated the provincial deficit; and, ii) that having the province subsidize the truck tolls makes far more environmental and fiscal sense than building 413. As to the projected cost of building 413, I’ve seen figures up to $12 billion and I always double the government’s projections to get the true cost. Building 413 will be a colossal waste of money and another environmental disaster.
407 is definitely underutilized as well as undeveloped within that corridor.
My 2 cents!
It would be smarter to eliminate tolls for the 407 for transports instead of building a new highway which is totally useless fir anyone coming from south Eastern ontario eg kingston also we wouldn’t have to eliminate good farm land
Hwy 413 is the only solution as Ford government promised
I will completely agree with not building a new highway, environment is very important these days and yes will create temporary work for a lot of people ,,but where is this people, when don’t have workers rights now,,are government expectations to grave workers from where ,government is subsiding people to leave in Canada and they dont have control over them ,and if that was not enough they find work and get cash paid, and where we stand here ??? paying, paying to build new higways just to feed the big companies monopoly???!!!
Leave the 407 alone. It’s the only highway in the GTA that isn’t a parking lot. It’s great not having truck crashes closing the highway every day. It’s expensive, but well worth the cost.
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We need to toll another 700 km of roads around the G T A from 600 hr to 2200 hours Monday to Saturday and the $ used for road improvements truck parking and for transit and wheelchair bases and intercity transport hubs and natural gas fueling stations And for first response tow or service trucks on certain higher traffic locations at peak traffic times
ive said long time ago
if we let transports go right across the 407 for free non stop its save wear and tear on 401 and congestion as well .
only stipulations are you cannot get off . if they get off charge them full rate . its only a few miles so fuel or regulated rests shouldnt be an issue but a truck stop prob wouldnt hurt .
Allowing all those trucks on the 407 would cause more accidents and backups. It would also make it far less attractive for commuters to use with all the additional problems.
The last I heard the 407 was leased – not privately owned by an outside organization – the lease needs to be broken or renegotiated so that we are not paying the World’s highest tolls of any road ways
Enough is enough
Going from Niagara/Windsor to Vaughan/barrie between 7am and 7pm is ridiculous because the low speed ramp from eastbound 401 to 400 north, it gets really backed up sometimes from 410/403 so… Having 413 allows you to avoid the Martin Grove section of the 401, also hwy 413 would help the 410/427 north stubs, they can actually lead somewhere without a red light.
i suggested this years ago but with astipulation
1 for trucks going thru gta not into it
so if you get off you get charged (could be at a lower rate)
this would help keep 401 clearer and i think reduce maintenance as well
Sadly a former government sold the 407 to a private consortium which unless I’m mistaken has legal right to charge tolls on their highway. The 407 should’ve never been built with tolling in mind and for sure should’ve never been sold which would have given the current government the ability to quickly make the 407 a viable option