London's congestion tax may not suit Toronto
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 | 4:20 PM ET
CBC News
Charging motorists a toll to drive in Toronto's downtown core, as they do in London, England, is not an option Canada's largest city needs to explore yet, says the city's chief planner.
"I'm not sure if it needs to be put into place [in Toronto], to be quite honest," Ted Tyndorf told CBC News over the phone from England, citing differences such as city layout.
Tyndorf was part of a Toronto delegation visiting London to learn more about the congestion tax implemented in 2003.
In an effort to reduce gridlock and pollution, motorists driving into a specified downtown zone during the daytime must pay £8, about $18 Cdn, per day. Cameras read licence plates as vehicles enter the zone, and those who fail to pay are fined. The congestion charge zone roughly doubled in size last week.
London officials say the volume of traffic in the zone has fallen by 15 per cent since the tax was first introduced, said Tyndorf. Money collected initially paid for the £100 million in setup costs, but now goes toward improving transit.
The city planner says he noticed a remarkable difference from when he visited London five years ago.
"Diesel fumes were clouding your eyesight five years ago. And today it's been quite amazing. The air conditions have actually been quite nice."
But Tyndorf says there were other reasons London instituted the charge — mainly that gridlock kept goods, services and people from moving through the city's core, causing a major economic problem.
Unlike London, though, Toronto has wider streets and different road patterns, says Tyndorf.
"Toronto is not a medieval city built on a river," he said.
Before considering such a charge for Toronto, Tyndorf says, the city should first look into other options, such as improving its use of space, the use of street railways, and better bus connections.
