The Economic Case against Highway 413 – Toronto Star Op-Ed

Ontario’s Highway 413 project continues to be actively discussed in the media. A recent op-ed (February 18, 2023) in the Toronto Star by Tom Rand summarized the economic case against the Highway. It extensively utilized research and reports by Transport Action Ontario, namely:

• For the same capital cost of the Highway (about $8B), various rapid transit lines could be built which would have a capacity to carry about 4 times as many people per hour as the Highway
• Providing a toll subsidy for trucks on the 407ETR toll road would be much more cost-effective than building the Highway to move freight.

The author also reviewed the value of the lost agricultural and ecosystem services provided by the lands that would be paved over by the Highway.

The article can be viewed here