Ford government ‘in conversation’ with Hwy. 407 owners as buy back calls grow

The Ford government says it has been “in conversation” with the owners of Highway 407 arsenic calls turn for the state to either bargain backmost the way oregon subsidize motortruck tolls to determination transport vehicles disconnected Highway 401.

A spokesperson for the curate of proscription told Global News conversations had taken spot but didn’t accidental what the authorities was considering oregon however acold it had gone successful its discussions with the privately-operated toll highway.

“We volition proceed to find ways to marque beingness much affordable for Ontarians and guarantee they tin get wherever they request to spell each day,” they said.

“We person been successful speech with the 407 and volition proceed to enactment with our partners arsenic we find caller ways to support our roads and system moving.”

The operators of the tolled road told Global News connected Nov. 8 that the authorities had “not engaged successful immoderate discussions with america regarding a imaginable merchantability of the 407 ETR.”

The highway’s operators, however, were little wide erstwhile astir whether conversations had taken spot astir subsidizing the tolls of trucks connected the highway.

Asked respective times if subsidy talks had taken place, a spokesperson refused to corroborate oregon contradict imaginable conversations.

“As portion of our regular people of engagement with the government, we proceed to research opportunities to alleviate congestion crossed the region,” the spokesperson said connected Nov. 8.

The absorption connected Highway 407 comes arsenic the Ontario NDP pitches subsidizing the outgo of trucks moving connected the route arsenic a imaginable solution to gridlock, suggesting it would region them from Highway 401 and escaped up much-needed capacity.

Premier Doug Ford outlined his solution to Highway 401 gridlock successful September, pledging to passageway a 2nd expressway beneath the route.

The premier besides suggested astatine the clip that helium had considered buying backmost Highway 407, which was leased retired to a backstage relation successful 1999.

“We’ve thought of that arsenic well,” Ford said in an interrogation astatine the extremity of September. “Previous authorities sold it disconnected for $2.3 billion, which was the biggest mistake I’ve ever seen.”

Ford claimed that Highway 407 is present “worth astir $35 billion” but said the authorities decided not to fork retired to bargain it backmost due to the fact that of studies completed internally suggesting “all the 400 bid highways are going to beryllium astatine afloat capacity” successful the adjacent quarter-century.

Later, astatine the opening of November, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria refused to beryllium drawn connected whether oregon not immoderate enactment had taken spot to enactment retired however overmuch buying the way backmost would outgo oregon however it mightiness work.

Asked astir the program again this week during question period, Sarkaria was evasive, alternatively touting affordability measures introduced by the authorities relating to transit and driving.

“We’ve removed $125 sticker fees disconnected of vehicles and trucks arsenic well, due to the fact that we cognize that that wealth is amended with the radical of this state and not with the government,” Sarkaria said connected Tuesday successful effect to questions from the NDP astir Highway 407 tolls rising.

“It’s astir putting much wealth backmost into your pocket.”

At the aforesaid time, unit for the authorities to instrumentality enactment connected Highway 407 could beryllium increasing from a caller area, arsenic a brace of municipal councillors petition a survey of the outgo of buying backmost the way — oregon a one-year toll subsidy pilot.

Vaughan Coun. Marilyn Iafrate, backed by Coun. Rosanna DeFrancesca, plans to present a section assembly question adjacent week offering its enactment to the thought of the authorities studying a 407 buyback program oregon implementing the one-year subsidy pilot.

“I’m not the lone 1 — astir radical successful the GTA don’t attraction what you bash oregon however you bash it, conscionable escaped it up, unfastened it up, trim those tolls, region those tolls,” Iafrate said.

“I cognize that the due of undertaking this is doing a feasibility. So fixed the premier has mentioned implicit and implicit again that he’s unfastened to that, I privation him to cognize that we accidental that. And I privation this question to spell to each the municipalities on the 407 due to the fact that I would deliberation they’re reasoning similar we are. Their residents are being gouged connected that highway.”