Canadian cities have a big problem — well, actually, they have several. Ridership recovery from COVID has not been completed, transit systems are starved for funds, and congestion is very severe.
Congestion pricing is the talk of the town since the New York Governor decided that the “bold” idea that she campaigned on not long ago was actually a bad idea that should be stopped, but not before the clocks ticked down and the MTA spent loads of money on the infrastructure to institute it. If anything is a bad idea, it would be ever electing Kathy Hochul again.
I was really hoping congestion pricing would happen in New York, because it would set a precedent for North America and get the attention of people across the continent and probably the world. If even New York has managed to get this done, then it’s probably a good idea!
Unfortunately, but perhaps unsurprisingly given its recent history of trendsetting delays and cost blowouts, New York will not lead on this, or at least it’s looking unlikely it will (advocates are trying hard, but a second reversal seems even more unlikely). But, despite what is happening in New York, Canadian cities should get on with congestion pricing — and the case is very strong!
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Congestion
Canadian cities have very dense and congested city centres, often with kind of lackluster transit because traffic and road obstructions. Toronto’s downtown has been absolutely slammed with traffic due to the closure of the Gardiner Expressway for its reconstruction and various other big infrastructure projects (the media in Toronto has naturally had a field day with endless hyperbolic pieces about the crisis where they fail to mention that many people could just take the subway or GO train).
But I think what’s clear is that with massively increasing densities that are sometimes similar to those seen in Manhattan, something is going to have to give. We can’t just hope people won’t drive, because old illogical habits die hard, and in the meantime the streets are jammed, transit, commerce and essential vehicles can’t move and the city is being choked with emissions. This is just the reality of making it far too easy for people to drive without a second thought.
Alternatives
Fortunately, alternatives are coming fast and furious. Montreal is getting new REM service, Toronto is getting the Ontario Line, and Vancouver is getting the Broadway Subway. Getting into city centres on transit is already straightforward, and these new rail lines will make it great.
Of course, there is no reason we couldn’t start implementing charges now — people have transit options today.
Once a charge is implemented, cities can also move fast to implement new bike and bus lanes — something they have already been doing, but which would get a huge boost from freed up road space and extra demand from people logically ditching their cars.
I will likely follow this piece up with city-specific congestion pricing ideas for Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, so stay tuned!
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