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AlvinofDiaspar
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From the Star:
Support for tolls on rise
45% would pay to use roads if money went to ease gridlock
Miller lambasted for making suggestion in last civic election
Nov. 10, 2006. 05:36 AM
JIM BYERS
CITY HALL BUREAU
A surprisingly high number of Toronto residents say they favour highway tolls if the money raised would be used to ease the GTA's growing congestion, a Toronto Star poll says.
And a top researcher says the poll numbers could help politicians push the idea of road tolls without fearing an electoral backlash.
In a poll taken by Decima Research for the Star, Toronto residents were asked, "Would you support or oppose road tolls if the money were dedicated to solve gridlock?"
Forty-five per cent of respondents said they'd support the idea, with 12 per cent strongly in favour. Forty-two per cent said they'd oppose road tolls, with 19 per cent saying they'd strongly oppose the idea. The rest said they didn't know or refused to answer.
"You used to be able to reliably predict people would say no to tolls," said Decima chief executive officer Bruce Anderson. "But where it touches on congestion and quality of life, people are open to solutions. Increasingly they're saying we need to try different approaches; we need to get more cars off the road so it's easier to get from A to B, and they believe there are environmental consequences to having more cars on the road.
"And they feel that if we need to build more transit or more roads, we should find a way to fund that out of the pockets of people who are going to be putting all the pressure on the system, and that's primarily commuters in this case."
After Monday's election, Toronto's new council will have a chance to levy tolls and other fees. The new City of Toronto Act grants Canada's biggest municipality the right to collect taxes on everything from bar drinks to tobacco, or even to slap surcharges on Leafs or concert tickets.
The support for road tolls is a marked change from just three years ago.
Mayor David Miller was roasted in the 2003 election when, as a city councillor, he said tolls could be considered — he mentioned a price of perhaps $2.25 — if the city couldn't find other new sources of revenue. Rival John Tory was quick to jump on the idea, and Tory's campaign posted Internet cartoons of Miller dressed as a highway robber. Miller made a quick U-turn on the toll issue and still says they're not a good idea.
Asked if the poll suggests a politician might now be able to talk about road tolls and keep his hide, Anderson agreed.
"If I was a political leader and thought this was a good idea based on the evidence, I could look at these numbers and say, `Well, yeah, I could get hurt, but I could also convince a significant number of the 23 and 19 (those opposed) that this is the right idea and that it will be implemented in the least inconvenient or costly way possible.'"
The poll of 802 residents was made by telephone from Nov. 3 to 5. Results from a sample that size are considered accurate to within 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Of those who support tolls, 21 per cent said the dedicated money should be spent on transit, while eight per cent said it should go to roads. Seventy per cent said it should go to a combination of both.
Women said they support tolls by a 47 to 35 per cent margin, while men were against the idea by a 45 to 43 margin.
Fifty-three per cent of residents who intend to vote for Miller said they support the toll concept, compared to 38 per cent opposed. It was the opposite for supporters of Jane Pitfield: Fifty-three per cent of her supporters said they oppose the idea, while 37 per cent were in favour.
Asked this week about tolls, Miller said he remains opposed because they're not fair to people who live in suburban areas that don't have the access to public transit found in other parts of the city.
Anderson said he thinks the public's attitude has changed on issues that pertain to the environment.
"There is no doubt whatsoever. We see it not just in Toronto but in every other urban centre. The pace of urbanization has created a sense of encroachment and congestion, and people want to relieve it ... using any variety of solutions that might help."
Anderson cautioned that the poll didn't get into specifics, such as price points or how tolls would work.
"As they (residents) get closer to looking at them in detail, they could think the ideas are better or worse."
Anderson also noted that politicians usually worry if the number of people strongly opposed to something is greater than those who are in favour.
The fact that 19 per cent of respondents are strongly opposed to road tolls, while 12 per cent are strongly in favour, he said, is something to worry about as a politician.
AoD
Support for tolls on rise
45% would pay to use roads if money went to ease gridlock
Miller lambasted for making suggestion in last civic election
Nov. 10, 2006. 05:36 AM
JIM BYERS
CITY HALL BUREAU
A surprisingly high number of Toronto residents say they favour highway tolls if the money raised would be used to ease the GTA's growing congestion, a Toronto Star poll says.
And a top researcher says the poll numbers could help politicians push the idea of road tolls without fearing an electoral backlash.
In a poll taken by Decima Research for the Star, Toronto residents were asked, "Would you support or oppose road tolls if the money were dedicated to solve gridlock?"
Forty-five per cent of respondents said they'd support the idea, with 12 per cent strongly in favour. Forty-two per cent said they'd oppose road tolls, with 19 per cent saying they'd strongly oppose the idea. The rest said they didn't know or refused to answer.
"You used to be able to reliably predict people would say no to tolls," said Decima chief executive officer Bruce Anderson. "But where it touches on congestion and quality of life, people are open to solutions. Increasingly they're saying we need to try different approaches; we need to get more cars off the road so it's easier to get from A to B, and they believe there are environmental consequences to having more cars on the road.
"And they feel that if we need to build more transit or more roads, we should find a way to fund that out of the pockets of people who are going to be putting all the pressure on the system, and that's primarily commuters in this case."
After Monday's election, Toronto's new council will have a chance to levy tolls and other fees. The new City of Toronto Act grants Canada's biggest municipality the right to collect taxes on everything from bar drinks to tobacco, or even to slap surcharges on Leafs or concert tickets.
The support for road tolls is a marked change from just three years ago.
Mayor David Miller was roasted in the 2003 election when, as a city councillor, he said tolls could be considered — he mentioned a price of perhaps $2.25 — if the city couldn't find other new sources of revenue. Rival John Tory was quick to jump on the idea, and Tory's campaign posted Internet cartoons of Miller dressed as a highway robber. Miller made a quick U-turn on the toll issue and still says they're not a good idea.
Asked if the poll suggests a politician might now be able to talk about road tolls and keep his hide, Anderson agreed.
"If I was a political leader and thought this was a good idea based on the evidence, I could look at these numbers and say, `Well, yeah, I could get hurt, but I could also convince a significant number of the 23 and 19 (those opposed) that this is the right idea and that it will be implemented in the least inconvenient or costly way possible.'"
The poll of 802 residents was made by telephone from Nov. 3 to 5. Results from a sample that size are considered accurate to within 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Of those who support tolls, 21 per cent said the dedicated money should be spent on transit, while eight per cent said it should go to roads. Seventy per cent said it should go to a combination of both.
Women said they support tolls by a 47 to 35 per cent margin, while men were against the idea by a 45 to 43 margin.
Fifty-three per cent of residents who intend to vote for Miller said they support the toll concept, compared to 38 per cent opposed. It was the opposite for supporters of Jane Pitfield: Fifty-three per cent of her supporters said they oppose the idea, while 37 per cent were in favour.
Asked this week about tolls, Miller said he remains opposed because they're not fair to people who live in suburban areas that don't have the access to public transit found in other parts of the city.
Anderson said he thinks the public's attitude has changed on issues that pertain to the environment.
"There is no doubt whatsoever. We see it not just in Toronto but in every other urban centre. The pace of urbanization has created a sense of encroachment and congestion, and people want to relieve it ... using any variety of solutions that might help."
Anderson cautioned that the poll didn't get into specifics, such as price points or how tolls would work.
"As they (residents) get closer to looking at them in detail, they could think the ideas are better or worse."
Anderson also noted that politicians usually worry if the number of people strongly opposed to something is greater than those who are in favour.
The fact that 19 per cent of respondents are strongly opposed to road tolls, while 12 per cent are strongly in favour, he said, is something to worry about as a politician.
AoD
