Quote:
Originally Posted by hipster duck
Toll roads are a good idea, but Mike Harris selling the 407 to a private consortium for $3 billion in 1999 (an independent auditor found that that was about 1/4 the fair price at the time - now multiples higher), and that private company charging drivers 33 cents per kilometer during rush hour on top of transponder fees and flat toll charges, means that toll roads are a political third rail in Ontario.
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ooh man I can tell you don't drive on the 407! Tolls are now up to $0.67/km in rush hour.
The government owned part of the 407 is a lot more reasonable as there is no entry charge with a transponder and the rates are literally half (actually, 33 cents per km) of that of the private component.
The whole point of the highway has always been to be designed to be kept 100% traffic free at all times. Even before it was sold, it was advertised as being designed that way through posting toll rates to keep congestion off it. it was never going to be an I-90 with tolls set at $0.05-$0.10/km.
But yea - it's made tolls politically toxic in Ontario now as the public can't understand that tolls can be a lot more reasonable.