afransen
Senior Member
My ideal scenario would be for the prov to buy the 407's lease, give it to GTTA with a mandate to levy tolls on all 400 series in GGH.
The highway opened in 1997, and highway cost roughly $1.6 billion. The published $1.6 billion dollar cost does not take into account more than $100 billion dollars spent since the early 1970s acquiring the land that it sits on. (Ontario Government Hansard - Wednesday 21 October 1998 - 1520, 1550. Estimates range from $104-107 billion dollars total taxpayer investment as of March 31, 1998)
That wikipedia article also says that the current owners paid the government $3.1 billion to purchase the highway. If it cost $1.6 billion to build, then the government made a $1.7 billion profit on it's sale.
At the same time, earning $60 million a year on a $3.1 billion investment is really bad for the current owners.
These numbers all seem rather dubious.
At the same time, earning $60 million a year on a $3.1 billion investment is really bad for the current owners.
the highway was designed to be a toll highway from the begenning, but only until the cost of building it was paid off, and tolls where not going to be nearly as high as they are now,
No, it could be funding the govt's general revenue account, which means your toll dollars would vanish, and by now the 407 would be full of potholes, with users asking where the money has gone. Instead, we've got a self-funding highway, in which all the money raised is used exclusively for the maintenance of the operation and sustainability (i.e. revenue and profit) of the operators. If it was still government owned, we'd still be paying tolls, but for little apparent benefit, so where's the down side here?Bottom line:
Highway 407 is turning a profit. That is profit that could be funding transit if circumstances were different...
which means your toll dollars would vanish, and by now the 407 would be full of potholes,
Considering that this was a Rae government project, I'd not believe everything they'd said. If Rae had won against Harris in the 1995 election, and Rae was faced with more of the economic challenges he's now using as an excuse for his poor premiership during his Federal campaigns, he would have likely given a sell-off of the 407 a serious look.the highway was designed to be a toll highway from the begenning, but only until the cost of building it was paid off, and tolls where not going to be nearly as high as they are now,
You've obviously never ridden a motorcycle on Ontario's highways. I've just missed some nasty potholes and cracks on the highways going north, such as 400 up to Barrie. When you're in a car, you hardly notice them.Show me a highway, free or not, full of potholes in the GTA.
I've just driven home from Kitchener along the 401 to Trafalgar Road, then south to the QEW and then to the Gardiner. The left lane on the east bound 401 was awful, with chucks of surface concrete missing, especially where the lines are painted and where the shoulder meets the lanes. Then when I got on the east bound QEW there was a near tiring ripping pot hole under the bridge of the 427. Through the entire drive I noted large cracks, pot holes and missing surfacing material on the highways, resulting in a bumpy, rough ride. Sure, they can blame it on the freeze-thaw cycle, but you don't see this on the 407, which is like driving on glass by comparison. Ontario's private-for-profit highway is certainly the best surface around. Honestly Ed, do you drive at all on the 400 series highways much?Show me a highway, free or not, full of potholes in the GTA.
Does the 407 utilize some sort of hybrid surface material, not concrete, but not asphalt?It's too bad that concrete isn't used more often on roads, as it's more durable and requires less maintenance.