Highway Robbery

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So, the folks at the 407 ETR are increasing the tolls on the highway again? As a resident of North Burlington (approximately 5 minutes from the on ramp), and a commuter to the 401 and Islington area in Toronto, I find this appalling. When this highway was built (by our tax dollars), I can remember the toll being around 4 cents a km off hours, and 7 cents a km peak time. We are now looking at 12.95 cents a km peak and 12.10 cents off hours! When our government sold the highway to a private company (at a loss), we were told that the rates would not rise by a great deal. What a joke! Since the 7 cent a kilometre days, the toll has increased 85\% during peak time, and over 300 \% in non-peak hours. Here is my problem:

When I moved to Burlington 4 years ago, it took me approximately 15 minutes to drive hwy. 5 to the 403. With the building that has occurred during the past few years, it now takes over 30 minutes. I understand the growth in the area, however due to the amount of time spent in the car, I am now forced to either use the 407, or drive to the QEW and take my chances. From Appelby Line to the 403 (in the 407 world, this is 15.22 km, but on my odometer it is more like 12 km), it will now cost me $1.97 per trip. If I take this two times a day, five days a week, four weeks a month, it will cost me $78.80 a month, plus $2.00 for the transponder for a grand total of almost $1000.00 a year. At 7 cents per km, this would cost $42.61, or $535.00 per year.

Will someone please help us? How can this company get away with Highway Robbery (pun intended)? Is our provincial government asleep at the wheel? Once again, they have blatantly lied to us. Am I the only one that feels like this (I hope not)? My only recourse here, and I think everyone that commutes should think the same way, is NOT to use the 407 again until the toll is eliminated (or brought down to a reasonable level) . If I drove the same distance on the New York State thruway, my cost would be 50 cents (78 cents Canadian), less than half the price! And if an out of province car enters the road, they do not pay! Our taxes in Ontario are such that we should not be required to pay to use a road at all. When you combine income tax, gas tax, sin tax, property taxes, GST and PST, don't you think it is enough? It is time that the provincial government grew a spine and stepped in. Enough is Enough!

The ultimate goal in this petition is to get the Ontario Provincial Government to step in and revoke the contract that they signed with the owners of Highway 407. This is a highway that we, the taxpayers, paid for, and then sold by the Ontario government at a loss. We were told that increases were minimal. The tolls have risen by 85\% during peak time and over 300 \% non-peak times.
We, as Canadians have become too complacent and let things slide. Let's change that now.

Regards,

Donald Parkhill
(One irate commuter)
Burlington, Ontario

741 Signatures

  • Don Parkhill
  • Nevil Corbeth
  • William Ezekiel
    • Comments
    • Thanks Mr. Parkhill...You might also have seen the comments in the Toronto newspapers regarding another IRATE Burlington resident who is constantly being 'DUNNED' by the billing people...although he has never used 407ETR. You will also recall the comments of Brad Clark, when he was minister of transport, faced with the EXTREME HAZARDS at the 403/407 MERGE. His comments were unprintable. 407ETR cost $1.5 Billion, was sold for slightly more than double that amount, and is now 'conservatively' valued in excess of $12 Billion. Everything this government does can be equated to the digestive process...it turns to CRAP which favours their monied friends.
  • Sharen Martel
  • Glenda Gooderham
    • Comments
    • I will never use the 407 again no matter how late I am..the increases are ridiculous!!!
  • Clive Sonderegger
    • Comments
    • SOME SECRETS of Highway 407 deal revealedBut toll, volume details still hiddenTuesday, February 05, 2002Made public after a protracted Freedom of Information battle with the highways corporate owners, the document runs to about 900 pages and reveals most of the companys rights and obligations under the 1999 deal. But a court action launched by the 407 ETR has prevented the release of crucial sections of the contract, detailing the toll rates drivers can be charged for using the road or any traffic volumes it should maintain.However, the public is still being denied the right to see if they have any protection from excessive 407 toll ratesAnd its outrageous that the government signed a deal that would prevent the public from knowing what it would be forced to pay in the futureBut the crucial section of the contract officially called the share purchase and concession and ground lease agreements, dealing with tolling, congestion relief and expansion has been deleted from the document.
  • David McCallum
    • Comments
    • Here Here! I agree whole-heartedly! And have you ever tried to get ahold of anyone at the 407 for a billing issue? Nightmare!
  • John MacLachlan
    • Comments
    • Let's boycott the 407 highway
  • Wendy Wilson
  • Bill Asselin
  • James Rae
    • Comments
    • Buy back the 99 year lease with fair interest paid and keep the tolls reasonable until road is paid off, then drop tolls to aminimum for upkeep, also, give discount for frequent users.
  • Stella Parkhill
  • Paul Storey
    • Comments
    • Thanks to Don for heading this up, it's about time we all speak up to force the issue. Lets see who really cares about the little guy or his/her job as a politician!! Ihave 9comercialvehicles that seasonally use the road, sometimes for ease and sometimes of necessity and I'll tell you those bills can add up to a mortgage payment. It's a frickin' rip off!!!
  • Susanne Cockshutt
    • Comments
    • I use the 407 to get to school in Etobicoke, it is way to expensive!
  • Neil Zeagman
    • Comments
    • The blatant lying to and misleading of consumers started even before the highway was opened.The advertised brochures that were handed out prior to it's opening ridiculously stated that there would be "guaranteed no traffic jams or congestion".Can you believe this!How moronic.If this is what they were guaranteeing then I think all of us are due multiple rebates and refunds for the countless times we have endured traffic congestion on our 407 travels.If you get a chance to find one of these promotional brochures,read that paragraph and you'll shake your head at the stupidity of that statement
  • Andy Thomas
    • Comments
    • I hope this catches the attention of our provincial government. Unfortunately, by the time they do anything about it we will have flying cars and we won't need the highways anymore! The best way for us to stop these crooks is to stop using the 407.
  • Steve Ashton
  • Derek Ashton
    • Comments
    • Must change!!
  • Asa Britten
  • Darrin Noble
  • Jim Lowes
    • Comments
    • Theft is against the law
  • Rene Carwell
    • Comments
    • enough is enough!
  • SANDY HAYNE
    • Comments
    • outrageous
  • Heather Hayne
  • Kashmira Parmar
  • Robert Lumley
  • Arthur Hudlin
    • Comments
    • It's time for it to be free. If its not taxes its increases.
  • Glen Oliver
    • Comments
    • I agree! It's disgusting the way our government continues to off-load Millions and Millions of dollars in costs for "essential services" to us ON TOP of being one of the highest taxed countries/provinces in the world. It's disgraceful, and we don't seem to have ANY recourse. How can these things get so out of control!? How can we collectively stand up and STOP the hemoraging of hard earned taxed dollars.
  • norm lamb
    • Comments
    • agreed wholeheartedly
  • Brad Burella
  • David McKissock
    • Comments
    • This has to stop, just a crazy thought, but isn't the government of Ontario suppose to provide transportation to it's citizens
  • Kelly Craig
  • m. schrager
  • Stephan Fulton
  • Dan Lowes
  • Katrina Di Gravio
  • lisa valentini
  • Alex Moore
  • lou di biase
  • Bill Downey
  • andrew maclean
    • Comments
    • its a total ripoff
  • Donna Coulombe
    • Comments
    • This is the tru meaning of highway robbery
  • Andrew Smith
    • Comments
    • The consortium must have FULL AGRICULTURAL RIGHTS TOO! We're being FLEECED! ''In fact, since May 1999, including the Feb. 1 increase, there have been five hikes of the different tolls. A car using the ETR in May 1999 paid 10c per km. As of Feb. 1, that price will be 12.95c cents per km - a hike of 30% in 40 months. Rates in non-peak times have soared as much as 85%.''
  • Michael Tayeb
  • David Casale
    • Comments
    • Thank you and good luck to all of us.
  • Allan Page
  • James Lin
    • Comments
    • They should also move to fix call centre wait times
  • Damir Abramovic
    • Comments
    • I'm fed up with being taken advantage of. I helped pay for the construction of the highway, why am I paying even more now?
  • D. Deconkey
    • Comments
    • I would also like to know why (a) We are not able to claim on our taxes the distance traveled on 407. We have already paid road tax at the gas pumps and have to pay the tolls too. We are paying twice. and (b) How the government of Ontario can force people to pay a private company by withholding licence stickers. If thats the case, I have companies that owe me money. Will the government collect it for me too?
  • J.A. Ash
    • Comments
    • They are arrogant enough to say "don't drive it...", ok, I'm gone.