Tolls in Hamilton? Couldn’t happen, right?

Late last year, Toronto Mayor John Tory came out with strong support for tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway.

His endorsement shocked many, especially as Tory had previously been a vocal critic of tolls. But faced with grim financial reality, his ideology morphed into a more pragmatic attitude. His city and region simply can’t pay for transportation infrastructure needs with a limited revenue stream. Tolling is not a panacea — it is predicted a proposed $2 toll would raise $200 million a year, something between a drop in the bucket and a modest contribution.

When Toronto council eventually supported Tory’s initiative shortly before Christmas, the outrage was palpable, especially from drivers from around the province who have no choice but to drive into the city, either for work or personal reasons. Why should we have to pay for Toronto’s roads?

The fuss is understandable. But we might want to get used to the idea.

Cash-strapped governments all across North America are wrestling with how to pay for infrastructure. They can’t keep increasing taxes. Tolls are increasingly common in the United States. Halifax has a tolled bridge into and out of downtown. British Columbia has toll bridges. Even Alberta has considered the idea. The right-leaning Fraser Institute, not typically a fan of users fees and taxes, says tolls are a lesser of evils.

Tolling roads is no longer a ridiculous concept. But surely it couldn’t happen in Hamilton, right? Thankfully, we’re not Toronto. Certainly, you won’t find many Hamilton politicians willing to talk out loud about tolls, say, on the Lincoln Alexander and/or Red Hill Parkway. Most feel that would be political suicide.

But for the sake of argument, let’s consider the possibility.

The downside is obvious. In addition to being expensive to implement due to installing the required technology, there’s the inarguable inconvenience to local motorists. Might many of them simply not use those routes and further congest alternative routes?

But there’s also an upside. A considerable amount of traffic on the parkways is from out of the jurisdiction. Those transient cars, and especially transport trucks, don’t pay a penny to use the two roads, which are local responsibilities, not provincial. Would a road toll, or perhaps even a toll lane, generate enough revenue to be worth considering? Do we have a moral objection to American transport companies helping foot the bill?

This won’t happen any time soon. But now that Toronto has opened the door, it is bound to come up when there is enough local political will. And keep in mind Hamilton is no stranger to tolls — the first incarnation of the Skyway Bridge was tolled. Tolls were lifted in the early 1970s. Food for thought.