Toronto’s Economy Will Pay The Toll For Wynne’s ‘No’: Globe And Mail Op-ed
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced on Friday that she will not allow the City of Toronto to proceed with road tolls. I’ll leave the politics of this decision to others, but the economic consequences of the decision will be more congestion and myriad problems for cities reliant on unsustainable provincial grants.
How did we get here? About a decade ago, the province granted the City of Toronto – and only Toronto – the power to levy tolls on roads it operates, among other new tax powers. There was a catch, however: The province retained the final say by having to pass a regulation allowing such a road toll. In December, Toronto City Council voted in favour of asking the province to allow Toronto to place…
Ben Dachis on BNN: pipeline decisions now ‘divorced’ from carbon emissions
C.D. Howe Institute’s Ben Dachis joins BNN to discuss the policy approach to pipeline approvals and why he thinks it’s important to note that carbon emissions have now been “divorced” from pipeline decisions.
The Time for Tolls is Now, but Toronto Must Get it Right: Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Putting a toll on Toronto’s expressways may be the biggest policy idea of the year – perhaps the decade – in Toronto. If the city approves the plan and gets the design of the toll right, it will mean lower property taxes and reduced traffic congestion.
Mayor John Tory announced on Thursday he will support the introduction of tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, the two major expressways into the downtown core. It is now up to City Council to decide whether to support him. Here is why they should.
The toll will not be double taxation. Far from it. Gas taxes, vehicle licences and other revenues from drivers have covered less than 70 per cent of roadway expenses across Canada since 2008…
David Dodge – Canada’s Infrastructure Bank Done Right
From: David Dodge To: The Minister of Finance Date: November 3, 2016 Re: Canada’s Infrastructure Bank Done Right Congratulations on establishing the Canadian Infrastructure Bank which, based on evidence, will advise, design and negotiate revenue generating projects as well as using innovative tools to invest in and attract private support for projects of national and […] David Dodge on BNN: Canada’s infrastructure is falling behind, hurting productivity
David Dodge, Chair of the Institute’s National Council and former Governon of the Bank of Canada, discusses the quality of Canada’s infrastructure and its impact to the economy’s productivity levels
Alex Laurin on BNN: infrastructure bank a great way to attract private capital
Alex Laurin, Institute Director of Research, discusses his reaction to the latest fiscal update from Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
Jonathan Hall – HOT lanes can help everyone
From: Jonathan Hall To: The Hon. Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation Date: September 15, 2016 Re: HOT lanes can help everyone This week’s opening of high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on the QEW is a welcome first step towards fighting congestion in the GTA. However, we could do better. The province should quickly move […]Donald Dewees – Don’t Rush to Electric Avenue
From: Donald N. Dewees To: Minister Glen Murray CC: Premier Kathleen Wynne Date: June 7, 2016 Re: Don’t Rush to Electric Avenue Recent press reports suggest that the Province of Ontario is considering a plan to greatly increase the sales of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles in Ontario, with a goal of having 1.7 million of […] David Dodge – Infrastructure Spending: Plan Now Needed
From: David Dodge To: The Minister of Finance Date: May 24, 2016 Re: Infrastructure Spending: Plan Now Needed In Budget 2016, you expressed your intent to invest more than $120 billion in infrastructure over 10 years. Phase 1, totaling $11.9 billion, spreads spending over a wide range of objectives primarily in the next two years. Phase […]Better Roads To Affordable Housing Than Ontario’s Inclusionary Zoning: Globe And Mail Op-ed
The Ontario government announced recently that it will give cities the power to require home builders to set aside housing in new developments for low-income families. Municipal politicians might like the plan, but it will be costly for home buyers and is not the most effective way to give low-income families good housing.
The province’s plan is called inclusionary zoning. Inclusionary zoning is about changing the way social housing is built in our cities. Currently, the City of Toronto owns 62 per cent of government-subsidized housing. Inclusionary zoning would put more of the burden of building low-income housing on private developers instead.
Why do governments support such a change?
First,…
Tapping the Land: Tax Increment Financing of Infrastructure
Cities across Canada should consider new and innovative approaches to financing their share of infrastructure spending, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Tapping the Land: Tax Increment Financing of Infrastructure,” author Adam Found shows how cities could use tax increment financing (TIF) to finance infrastructure ranging from sports arenas to public transit. Getting More Buildings for our Bucks: Canadian Infrastructure Policy in 2016
Canadian governments need to spend wisely in order to maximize their infrastructure dollars, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Getting More Buildings for our Bucks: Canadian Infrastructure Policy in 2016,” author Benjamin Dachis provides Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments with a blueprint for sound infrastructure investment.