TORONTO — A task force that favors tolls and variable rates to battle congestion in Toronto is on the verge of making its recommendations to the province.

The plan, which also includes possible truck restrictions in the downtown core during peak hours, is being floated by Metrolinx, formerly known as the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority.

Public comments received after today, Thurs. April 17, will be considered for the next phase of discussions leading up to an official recommendation to the Ontario government in June.

Revenue collected from the tolling plan and other concepts would go to fund transit programs in the GTA.

“Congestion is threatening our competitiveness, and our reliance on cars and trucks poses other challenges, including rising emissions of greenhouse gas and increased health risks. Furthermore, too many of our residents lose their lives or become critically injured on the roads. We need to change the way roads are planned, maintained and utilized,” the agency says in an executive summery of the report, titled “Green Paper No. 6: Roads and Highways.”

In total, the agency is proposing three “Alternative Futures.”

Plans to limit truck deliveries and pickups in Toronto just won’t die.

The complete details of each blueprint can be viewed at the Metrolinx website (link below), but essentially, the first focuses on implementation of limited High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.

Alternative #2 discusses integrating the prioritization and design of roads and highways ; converting current lanes into HOV lanes; employing “transportation pricing” and “clean air corridors”, giving priority to active transportation on select routes on smog days; and “limited goods movement and delivery” during peak periods.

The final plan would employ the concept of “complete streets” on local roads, increasing “social space” and innovative shared-space techniques, such as “naked streets.” Also, increased dedicated transit lanes, with high speed higher-order transit on regional roads; and “comprehensive transportation pricing, incorporating time of use, degree of amenity provided by the infrastructure, parking use, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and other emissions.”

Of course, notes the report, “these alternatives are not mutually exclusive and it is reasonable to think that the road system in 2031 will have components of all three.”

Several large cities on North America are mulling various “congestion” fees. N.Y. state officials recently scrapped a plan by the city’s mayor to implement such fees for cars and trucks entering Manhattan.