Ask Not for Whom the Bridge Tolls—It Tolls for Thee
Budgeting for New Bridge Project Needs Balance
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Montreal’s infrastructure is falling apart—the streets resemble a piece of Swiss cheese, the potholes are so big they have their own potholes and a few of the city’s bridges have been hanging by a thread for a while now.
The federal government recently announced that they’ll be building a new bridge across the St. Lawrence to replace the crumbling Champlain Bridge.
This project is necessary and urgent—but the gravity of the situation means that the cost of construction isn’t going to be cheap and someone’s got to pay the bill.
Alongside a public-private system, one means of funding the new bridge that’s been suggested is implementing a toll system.
The Gazette reported that, although Provincial Transport Minister Pierre Moreau did not support the idea, Federal Transport Minister Denis Lebel would be in favour of using a toll system to fund the project, as would Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay.
Lebel was quoted saying, “The idea of a user-pay system is a popular one worldwide and it makes sense that we follow it.”
Using tolls would provide a useful safety net that could guarantee that, even if the government needs to reallocate resources due to a financial crisis, the bridge would not be left alone to crumble.
The toll system could work, but in order for it to be fair and effective, there are some caveats that must be
considered. A flat rate is not the answer—the fare paid on the tolls should differ according to every individual’s usage.
This means that the newly implemented toll system must take into account that people driving cars aren’t the only ones using the roads and bridges. People walk, take buses, taxis and ride their bikes.
The new system should also consider that people living in the South Shore that come to work or study in Montreal several times a week—who generate income to the city, in essence—should pay a lower fare.
Tourists and other “casual crossers” should pay a higher fare. Transport trucks, which carry an estimated 20 billion dollars a year in products
on and off of the island, should pay a “by wheel” fare. It’s a
system used in many countries based on the premise that the bigger the truck, the more it damages the road— therefore it should cost more.
The STM should pay a fixed annual fee that could be reflected in a small increase on the public transport fare. And cyclists—if the new bridge has a bike lane (which it should, in my opinion)—should pay a symbolic fare.
If the government can implement tolls in a fair and balanced way, then they have my support. But if I’m paying every time I cross the bridge, I expect the government to be transparent. I want to know where my toll tax is going and I want my fee to be relative to the amount and way in which I’m using the bridge.
