After road toll plan killed, Tory says he's tired of 'begging and pleading' with province
Mayor John Tory and Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca appeared on Monday's Metro Morning

CBCNews.ca
Jan. 30, 2017
Lauren Pelley

On Monday, Mayor John Tory said he was led to believe the Liberal government would allow road tolling — under the condition that it wouldn't come into effect until transit options were available.

"I wasn't expecting the gas tax increase," Tory said in a Metro Morning appearance, adding it wasn't "under discussion."

Last week, Premier Kathleen Wynne shot down a plan for tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, a move Tory previously called "short-sighted."

City staff projected that a toll of $2 per trip on the two major arteries leading into downtown Toronto would have brought in $166 million every year.

But while Wynne may have pulled the plug, the Liberal government did commit to eventually doubling payments from its gasoline tax.

"What I got was no tolling, and the gas tax money," Tory said on Monday.

He stressed that Toronto is the biggest city in Canada, and called it "frustrating" that a city of Toronto's size has to do "begging and pleading" with the province, and is often told no.

Del Duca: There's a 'gridlock challenge'

Ontario's Transportation Minister, Steven Del Duca, told Metro Morning the province wants to continue working with Toronto, but questioned the merits of the toll plan.

"When you look at $166 million a year, at $2 a trip — which was what was proposed for transit — the premier comes along and says, 'We get that, but we don't have the alternatives in place,'" he said.

He stressed the unfairness of tolling roads before building an adequate level of transit. "In this region, the gridlock challenge that we have is not unique to one postal code."

Del Duca also emphasized the high level of investment into Toronto-area transit from the province.

"We're on track... to deliver on the transit network that the people in this region need," Del Duca said.​

Tory, Wynne meeting on Monday

So with the road toll plan killed, what is Plan B?

"We're going to have to go back and see now," Tory said.

When asked about other money-raising strategies — such as the previously ruled-out vehicle registration tax — Tory said the likelihood of such a tax passing city council is "way less than 50 cent."

"That would be just frustrating again," he said.

Tory said he will also be raising the topic of road tolls at his regular monthly meeting with Wynne, happening Monday morning at Queen's Park.

Click here to listen to the Metro Morning interview: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tory-tolls-delduca-1.3957835