Raise the Hammer

How does that make any sense? The capital cost of the Luas line was publicly funded and now turns a profit. In North America every transit system is heavily subsidized on an ongoing basis because each and every one of them loses money every single day every single ride. And yet you claim that transit is more heavily subsidized in Europe than it is here? Come on Ryan even you are better than that. In a small country with high population or in a small city with high population the whole transit concept works differently than it does in a large far flung spread out relatively low population city. Can you seriously compare Dublin to Hamilton in any way?

You keep trying to compare Hamilton to cities with huge populations and or small areas. Then you like to pick a city that is the hub of the area. Try comparing Hamilton to a city with the same kind of area, population and importance.

Does referencing other articles you have written give you a special kind of thrill? What I practice is not exceptionalism but realism. Why do you not give it a try and see how you like it, maybe you will get to enjoy it. Be realistic. Use realistic comparisons. Compare Hamilton to a city of similar size and area and lets go from there. Stop comparing Hamilton to tiny cities with huge populations that are the hub of the area.

I believe that your statement

"Most major highways in Europe are toll highways. In Ontario, the government flatly refuses even to consider putting tolls on our highways (with the exception of the 407)."

is just a wee bit misleading. There certainly are some toll roads in Europe and in some countries, like Italy, there are a lot. In some countries there are very few if any. Ireland I believe has three. England I think just opened there first toll highway a few years ago. They have a handful of toll bridges and tunnels if my memory serves me correctly. Germany has none and France has a few. They also have a toll system in place for trucks only. I am not sure how it works. I just remember a couple of truck drivers complaining about them.

I believe that Europes model for modern toll roads is the country and some private company share the cost of building the road in some meaningful way then the company gets to charge a predetermined amount for a predetermined period of time. Compare that to Ontario where the 407 was built completely with public funds over a period of several years, it was to be the 403 after all. Then some maniacal premiere sold it to a private consortium for a billion dollars (Actually it is a 99 year lease) in a failed attempt to balance his books. No controls, no regulations just high and rising tolls. Is the Ontario government still suing whatever company charges tolls on the 407.

I have no objections to realistic and thought out toll roads. Lets start with the mid pen highway. Get a company to help fund the highway and return be allowed to collect a preset toll for a preset and realistic time frame.