Assigning The True Cost of Transportation

I haven't yet gathered all the facts and figures but I believe it highly unlikely that the taxes and fees remitted to the government as a result of vehicle operation come anywhere close to paying the full cost of the provision of highway infrastructure. I can already hear the vehicle owners screaming as they insist they pay too much already with their gas taxes and licensing fees. Let's do some number crunching on the back of an envelope.

First, let's consider what remittances the vehicle owner makes to the government directly related to their car ownership. I think they can be divided into the following categories:

1. Taxes paid when fuel is purchased.
2. Annual Licensing fees.
3. P.S.T. & G.S.T. paid on operating expenses such as maintenance & insurance.

I am now going to make up some numbers to calculate how much car owners pay. (I know these are ball park numbers.)

1. According to OntarioGasPrices.com Ontarians pay taxes of 14.7c/l plus 5% G.S.T. for gasoline. To make it real simple I will assume that the average owner drives 20,000 kms./yr in a car that uses 7 liters/100kms. and that gas costs one dollar a liter. Such a driver would consume 1400 liters of gas, paying $280 in taxes to the government.
2. Annual license fee of $72.
3. Annual additional operating expenses of $3,000 results in $390 of P.S.T. & G.S.T. payments.

So, it looks like an "average" car user can expect to pay at least $750 in taxes and fees to the government annually, depending on how much they drive. I'm willing to round that up to $1,000 per year and then double it again to $2,000 per year. I then multiply that by the roughly 7,000,000 vehicles on Ontario roads and I come up with a total vehicle owner contribution of $14 billion toward the cost of providing and maintaining our road network. Does that come even close to paying for unlimited access to tens of thousands of kilometers of roads across this province? What does it cost to build and maintain all these highways and byways? In Ottawa alone, we pay tens of millions of dollars every winter just to clear the snow.

Now, I also know that I haven't accounted for the vastly increased taxes paid by the trucking industry. However, they should pay more, as they are responsible for most of the heavy pounding our roads take.

Calculating the expenses involved in providing and maintaining our extensive public road network is a massive undertaking. First, we need to know what the province as well as every municipality is spending annually on development and maintenance of their roads. We also need to know the cost of policing these roads versus the revenue collected from fines. It would also be valuable to know the total number of lane kilometers in the province.

My goal in collecting this information would be to determine the total cost of providing the Ontario road network and compare it with the total amount of money paid by all drivers for this network. I understand that the network provides a benefit to all Ontarians, whether one drives or not, but I do believe that by far the greatest benefit is accrued to drivers. I simply want them to pay an amount commensurate with the service provided to them.

With this information in hand I would propose that we start to re-allocate the benefits more equitably. I am now going to again to the back of my envelope to paint a broad picture. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that after all the numbers are calculated, that the taxpayer provided subsidy for the use of the road network amounts to $1,000 per year. This is a subsidy not received by non car users. If automobile users are getting $1,000 transportation subsidy, every citizen should have access to the same benefit. The question is: How do you rectify this imbalance?

I have decided to engage in some "blue sky" thinking to get us to where I think we should be. First, I propose the development of a province wide "Transportation Card" which would replace the current driver's license. If you are a driver, it would include information about the class of vehicle you are permitted to drive. It also, however, could be used as a transportation pass for any transit system in the province, including inter city bus and train travel. As every citizen requires transport, every citizen would be entitled to receive a card. Public policy would determine the total amount of taxpayer provided subsidy to the transportation system. This would include the cost of providing a road network for all users as well as the provision of publicly funded mass transit systems. The per capita value would then be embedded annually in each card distributed to Ontarians.

Public policy would need to establish a hierarchy of what form of transportation receives the highest subsidy. I advocate that the most efficient and sustainable forms of transportation should receive the highest subsidy, such as walking, cycling and mass transit, with ultimately no subsidy being provided to individual automobile users. You are free to use your car, but expect to pay the full cost for such convenience. To develop a user pay system I would want gasoline taxes and licensing fees to move toward paying for the full cost of the road network.

The ultimate idea of the"Transportation Card" is that every citizen would be able to use the subsidy embedded in the card for the type of transportation they wanted. If the car driver wanted to use the entire $1,000 subsidy to pay for gasoline or licensing fees, go right ahead. Swipe your card at the pump until the money is used. Alternatively, it could be used for a bus pass or intercity travel. Use it to buy a bicycle. Spend it on whatever type of transportation service you want. However, the more efficient and ecologically friendly your transportation choice is, the greater the subsidy from the taxpayer, and the farther you will be able to travel.

I know I am in the extreme minority on this issue. The vast majority of people I know are wedded to their vehicles. I can hear the laughter already. It is hard for most people to imagine being without a car. The point is, though, that one day personal automobiles will be a thing of the past. The question is: What is the best replacement for such an inefficient system?

Another criticism would be that this is another form of "social engineering" as I am having the government try to shape individual transportation choices. But, don't we do that already by providing a taxpayer subsidy that promotes automobile use?

The idea of having the taxpayer pay for the infrastructure of an auto-centric road network was based on the twentieth century assumption that ultimately everyone would own (or at least want to own) a car. With that in mind it was a no brainer to keep subsidizing this system. We are beginning, slowly but surely, to understand that this is not sustainable into the future. We need to start thinking about travel in entirely different ways if we are to respond effectively to the twin threats of peak oil and climate change.

The Crush of the Automobile

My decision to give up car ownership several years ago has required me to turn to other forms of transportation. For local travel I initially turned to cycling and walking, while carrying a strip of bus tickets in my wallet as backup. Since June, for several reasons, I have been using the local bus system more (known as OCTranspo here in Ottawa) , so I have purchased a bus pass, in conjunction with membership in a car sharing organization, vrtucar. So far so good, until, a week ago, within hours of the city being hit by its first major snowstorm, and in the midst of the already increased traffic generated by the holiday season, the bus drivers went on strike.

I now recognize the extent to which I had become dependent on OCTranspo for my sense of freedom. Over this past six months I have enjoyed the hop on hop off freedom that a bus pass provides. Now, my world feels a little bit smaller.

So much of this sense of a "smaller" world though, can be attributed to the expansive landscape that I have come to assume to be my rightful place on the planet. Back at the turn of the last century people shopped and socialized locally because, well, there really were no other options. Britannia Bay (part of what is now western Ottawa), was considered a summer retreat area because people went there seasonally, for recreation. It was not part of the daily commute of the masses.

Historic street scenes, as shown below in this 1900 photo of Mulberry Street in Little Italy, New York, inevitably show cities teeming with people who had everything they needed within walking distance.


Similar scenes can be observed in modern day European cities where the streetscape came before the automobile, as shown below in Dublin Ireland in 2003.


But, here in North America, this is what we contend with daily. Not a human being to be seen, yet so much activity over such a wide area.




Several years ago, as our community of Overbrook wrestled with yet another public school closure and its conversion into an upscale private school (tuition $10,000+), much of the concern was about the traffic that would be generated. My comment was that I didn't mind visitors to the community, but I wished they didn't feel it necessary to bring two tons of metal with them every time they dropped in to bring their kids to school.

Our cities have become great car dumps. Is it any wonder we are so spread out? We don't have any room left for people.

Questions from L'Image of Sandy Hill

Questions for the Candidate

1. Funding for Schools

What is the position of your party on extending provincial funding for religious schools?

The Green Party believes in a single publicly funded education system that treats all students fairly and equally. The UN Human Rights Committee has twice censured Ontario for violating the equality of its own citizens by funding Roman Catholic schools but not schools of other religions. The GPO does not support the John Tory solution of funding all faith-based schools. We believe that we should move to one school system with English and French streams.

What is your position for funding other types of private schools (ie. non-religious) like some which operate here in Sandy Hill?

As stated above, the Green Party believes in a single publicly funded education system. We do not support public funding of schools outside of the public system.

What is your party’s position on class size (maximum number of students in a classroom)?

The Green Party recognizes the success of the current government in reducing most class sizes to 20 from Kindergarten to Grade 3. We believe we must extend this effort through to Grade 12.

2. Transportation

What would your party do to provide an alternate route for the heavy truck traffic which currently passes through downtown Ottawa?

I recognize that the need to remove truck transport from downtown Ottawa is great. We must use it as an opportunity to make wise long-term investments in our infrastructure. Our first goal should be to reduce demand for automobile infrastructure by ensuring that a seamless inter-provincial mass transit system is included in any proposal. Second, recognizing that rail is a far more efficient use of energy, the province must begin to plan now for greater reliance on it as opposed to trucks for the transportation of goods. Third, any new infrastructure should be tolled to appropriate cost to users. Finally, we must ensure that we do not repeat the mistake of the King Edward Bridge and allow truck traffic to split apart another community.

3. Homelessness

How does your party plan to address the growing problem of homelessness in the downtown cores of our cities?

I believe that a society is judged by the way it responds to the needs of its most vulnerable. With respect to homelessness, particularly when combined with mental illness and/or drug addiction, our legacy is shameful. Our societal response is patchwork at best, with various agencies scrambling to do what they can for those in need. All too often we resort to “blaming the victim” for their plight. This is inexcusable in the 21^st Century. It is essential that the province develops and implements a comprehensive long-range plan that would ensure that acceptable housing is available to every citizen. We also must ensure that every individual who needs help with drug addictions is provided the treatment needed on a timely basis. Our failure in this area continues to compound problems that destroy neighbourhoods.

The Green Party proposes to address poverty through improvements in the minimum wage, indexing Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program payments to the rate of inflation, and adjust shelter allowances to reflect average local rents as defined by CMHC.
We also propose to divert future budget surpluses to create a $5 billion Long-Term Affordable Housing Investment Dedicated Fund. Annual interest from this Fund would be used to continuously build supported housing, seniors accommodation, affordable housing, rent-to-own housing, coops, co-housing, sweat equity housing, eco-villages.

4. University Education

Sandy Hill is home to many university students. How does your party propose to help these students meet the increasing expense of their education?

The Green Party believes that high tuition is counterproductive to developing both a competitive economy and a qualified, engaged workforce. To address this issue, the Green Party of Ontario will provide $500 million per year by 2011 to cap university tuition at $3000 average per year and college tuition at $700. The Green Party understands that in the 21st century Ontario needs well-educated citizens who are able to achieve their full potential.

5. Public Transit

What support will your party offer to Ottawa as it tries to improve its public transportation system and meet the challenges of future growth?

The Green Party of Ontario is committed to cleaner, cheaper, more efficient and safer forms of transportation. Ontario’s current transportation system is inefficient, expensive, polluting, dangerous and unsustainable. The Green Party envisions a transportation system that does not reduce our quality of life. Our Plan for sustainability would Divert 75% of all money budgeted for new highway construction until 2012 to public transit such as GO Transit, Toronto Transit Commission and Ottawa’s OCTranspo. This will fund the service improvements, expansion and infrastructure renewal required to create a world-class transportation system, relieve gridlock and eliminate the need for new highways.

Will your party support Ottawa’s public transportation system? If so, how?

As noted above, we would shift our transportation investments from highway construction to a far greater emphasis on public transportation.

6. Medical Care

We are fortunate to have the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre in this neighbourhood but the current wait time for Sandy Hill residents to register with this facility is two years. What strategies does your party propose to increase access to primary care for our community in the next 4 years?

The GPO’s health plan takes a broad approach to wellness, with an emphasis on healthy communities, healthy lifestyles and a healthy environment, not just health care. Reducing toxins in our environment, addressing the social determinants of health and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices are important components of the Green Party’s health plan.

Health care reform is urgently needed if we are to have a health care system that is sustainable and viable in the future. The Green Party plan will offer more choice, emphasize prevention and be accountable to the public. The Green Party of Ontario will provide Ontarians in the lowest 75th percentile of income an additional health care allowance of $1,000 per person, phased in over five years at $200 per year, for purchase of prescription drugs and/or care from any practitioner mandated by the Regulated Health Professionals Act (RHPA).

We will immediately increase the budget of the Ministry of Health Promotion from its current 1% level to 2% of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s budget. Since many illnesses result from lifestyle choices, the GPO believes that health promotion is fiscally prudent and will lead to improved wellness. These funds would be used to place nurses in the school system to promote healthy lifestyles and to assist in identifying youth at risk of long-term health problems.

We will increase the funding and effectiveness of primary and preventive health care by:

1) Creating a joint commission of stakeholders to explore best practices for implementation of preventive and primary health care by family doctors, with an emphasis on improved outcomes. This may include rewarding doctors who successfully assist their patients resolve risk factors such as obesity, smoking or uncontrolled high blood pressure.

2) Increasing support and incentives for multidisciplinary clinics and practices that team

doctors with nurses, dieticians, psychologists, counsellors, physiotherapists etc. This is particularly important for taking a holistic approach to mental health, addiction and lifestyle counselling.

Traffic Congestion

To: Letter Editor, Ottawa Citizen

Date: November 30, 2006

As a member and Past President of the Community Council of Overbrook, I attended the Rockcliffe Development Open House held on Wednesday, November 28 at the Aviation Museum. I brought with me concerns expressed in my own community about the impact of traffic on the surrounding neighbourhoods. Arriving by local transit, I initially thought that perhaps community interest in this project was waning, as I was the only person to get off bus #129 at the Museum. Such fears were quickly dispelled upon entering a crowd of several hundred people. A quick survey of the parking lot showed me how people were arriving.

Unsurprisingly, the impact of traffic topped the list of concerns expressed by CARAD (a consortium of area community groups). Isn’t it curious, I thought, that all these people hopped in their cars to express concerns about traffic congestion?

When are we going to realize that we will only come to grips with traffic congestion when we start taking more seriously the impact of our own transportation choices? If you find yourself sitting in your car complaining about congestion, remember that you are part of the problem from every other driver’s perspective.

Leonard Poole