Tolls may have unintended consequences

Re A proposal for our future, Editorial Nov. 25 I live within a short distance of the Don Valley Parkway in a high density area of the city that has many schools and residential buildings.

I sympathize with Mayor John Tory’s plan to introduce a toll on the DVP and Gardiner Expressway as a way to generate revenue to invest in aging infrastructure and ease traffic congestion.

But in his efforts to deal with one issue, the mayor may inadvertently be creating another issue. Many drivers have expressed concerns that they will turn to using alternative routes or secondary roads to avoid paying tolls. Let’s call it the spinoff effect from drivers’ aversion to paying tolls.

The possibility of such action may be based on hearsay or a spontaneous reaction to paying tolls. But the probability that a fairly large number of drivers will use alternative routes is real and will come to impact many neighbourhoods, including my own, with more vehicles travelling through busy intersections and sensitive school zones.

Mayor Tory and city councillors must address a highly divisive issue but few people would embrace an outcome that would only serve to open another can of worms. Robert Ariano, Scarborough Re Support for road tolls may depend on how

question is framed, poll suggests, Nov. 28 Come on, fellow commuters on the DVP and Gardiner Expressway. What’s the beef? Where else in Toronto can you park for an hour for $2? A. King, Sharon, Ont.