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New Transit Funding Sources

Not to be too persnickity.......Ms Horwath is not a "minister"....you have to be in cabinet for that. She is more appropriately addressed as Member or Leader of the 3rd Party.
 
Gweed, great idea.

I'd like to elaborate on that. Insurance in Ontario is mandatory, i.e. you must present your sticker to the police officer if pulled over. It's only fair if the Province lists which parts of the insurance are mandatory (3rd-party liability? Comprehensive? Collision?) and make only these parts insurable through the public insurance company with fixed public rates. The drivers will not deal with the public company directly, but rather through their usual private insurance company; the premiums for mandatory coverage will be remitted to the public company the same way as taxes. Private insurance companies would be free to add options on top of that mandatory coverage, but will be required to sell the bare government-required minimum if the customer so desires.

This scheme is effectively used in several countries, and works rather well. It's only fair that if some service is mandatory, the price/premium for that mandatory services should be controlled and collected by the mandating government, instead of letting private sector collect easy profits.
 
Thanks for that letter Gweed! Please do keep us informed if Ms. Horwath or one of her representatives responds.

Will do! I'm hoping someone from her office does, but you never know.

Gweed, great idea.

I'd like to elaborate on that. Insurance in Ontario is mandatory, i.e. you must present your sticker to the police officer if pulled over. It's only fair if the Province lists which parts of the insurance are mandatory (3rd-party liability? Comprehensive? Collision?) and make only these parts insurable through the public insurance company with fixed public rates. The drivers will not deal with the public company directly, but rather through their usual private insurance company; the premiums for mandatory coverage will be remitted to the public company the same way as taxes. Private insurance companies would be free to add options on top of that mandatory coverage, but will be required to sell the bare government-required minimum if the customer so desires.

This scheme is effectively used in several countries, and works rather well. It's only fair that if some service is mandatory, the price/premium for that mandatory services should be controlled and collected by the mandating government, instead of letting private sector collect easy profits.

Very interesting idea! I like the idea of 'mandatory minimum coverage' coupled with 'optional additional coverage'. That way people have a choice. Either way, I just want to see some of the revenue going to transportation projects.

Not to be too persnickity.......Ms Horwath is not a "minister"....you have to be in cabinet for that. She is more appropriately addressed as Member or Leader of the 3rd Party.

True, haha, I didn't consider that. Oh well, now I know for next time!
 
oooh yay. I can finally see what we might actually be seeing for the taxes.. I hope they don't go for road tolls, that seems like the most politically sensitive.
 
Anybody taking bets on what the short list will be? Haha

My guess is:

1) 1% Sales Tax
2) Parking Space Levee
3) HOT lanes

I think they'll save the full tolling for later on. Hopefully they'll also announce a tool whereby local municipalities in the GTHA can add their own tools (ex: VRT) as they wish.
 
I'd guess for the short list (not that I think anything other than a gas tax, sales tax, or parking tax, would actually happen).

- gas tax

- sales tax

- tolls/congestion charge

- parking tax

- vehicle tax

- property tax

- land transfer tax

- employer tax (per employee)
 

I highlighted the 5s in the report's summary table:

J1uPcly.png
 
Somehow I don't think that the current light rail only plan will survive if transit taxes are implemented. It only made sense with a severe funding shortage. If a transit tax is implemented, voters will realize that building only light rail makes no sense if you have a much larger budget (say $30 billion). I would expect to see Rob Ford get his Sheppard subway (and Eglinton elevated) in exchange for full funding of the DRL.

We need something like this: <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_paris_express.svg>. This subway expansion plan in Paris costs 30 billion euros, and the majority of it does not go "downtown". (The western extension of RER E is not shown on this map, and a number of additional tram lines are planned or under construction). This will reduce traffic congestion on congested Paris ring roads. Similarly, an Eglinton subway with a western extension to Pearson Airport/Square One, and a Sheppard subway with an extension to Pickering (running in median of 401 east of STC) would provide relief to the 401, and a Don Mills subway to Leslie/7 would relieve the DVP/404.
 
Somehow I don't think that the current light rail only plan will survive if transit taxes are implemented.
What current light rail only plan? The next two Metrolinx lines in Toronto (in their next wave) after Finch and Sheppard LRT lines are the Yonge subway extension and the Downtown Relief Line. In the currently funded projects we have the Spadina extension.
 

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