2 Friday, August 4, 2017brooklintowncrier.com Slightly More than Half the Picture: By Richard Bercuson Oh, How The Tolls Toll On Friday, March 24, I drove the 407 for 37.2 km from Baldwin to the Don Valley exit and I can't recall why. No, this is not about my mind going to mush, an altogether different problem. Nor is it about my failure to input all appointments into my calendar, which is annoying enough. What's significant about the trip is only partly the $10.45 total charge (where was I going at 10:30 am?) which amounts to 28 cents/km. The portion of the 407 owned by the province, to Brock Rd before a new cha-ching kicks in, cost me $3.06 or 23 cents/km. From Brock to the 404, the charge came to nearly 31 cents/km. Pricey, no? This trip, however, was a testament to my will power. I'm weak about a great many things: good coffee, imported beer, potato chips, nanaimo bars...You know. The usual. I hadn't been on the 407 nor the 412 since the toll fees kicked in on Feb. 1 for the simple reason I was boycotting it; I did not want to pay. Granted, as a retiree not needing to get to work in the morning, my situation is quite different from those who have to suffer the exorbitant charges to avoid the 401 monstrosity. Toll Connector I rather enjoyed the free period to Feb. 1, especially the stretch along the 412, the only connector road in the GTA where users pay. It wouldn't have bothered me to drop some coin on the 407 part if it meant the 412 was free, or, if not free, then considerably cheaper. In January, we ran a story about local resident Adrian Piccolo who'd gathered nearly 6,000 signatures on an online petition to make the 412 portion free. He sent it to Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca. Whitby's mayor and council had written to Del Duca in December pleading the same case, expressing the (till then) unfounded expectation that a 412 toll road would force people onto regional or town roads, causing immense traffic problems. If you've been on any major Brooklin route during rush hour since Feb. 1, you can vouch for council's statement being both prescient and understated. Neither the petition nor council's plea went anywhere, which shouldn't be a surprise. The double whammy of 412 tolls and one of the most expensive toll charges on the continent bites Durham region drivers who have no choices. It's common now to hear of residents who see $200-300 per month for tolls as being a fixed expense, like electrical bills. Personally, I shudder every time I take that road, often due to poor travel planning. If I'd left 15 minutes earlier... Three issues There are really three issues at play here. First is the cost of tolls from Brock Rd. in Pickering to points west. Because the highway there is not owned by the province, we're at the whim of the conglomerate which does own it. Second is the piece east of Brock, owned by the province, with toll charges that remain prohibitive. Third is the 412 toll. I do wonder if we'd all feel better if other GTA north south connectors had tolls. Regardless, for points two and three, consider there is in power right now a majority Liberal government. Governments - and their elected officials - do not remain in power indefinitely and this one is teetering a bit as we slither to a June 7, 2018, election, just 10 months from the upcoming civic holiday. We here in Brooklin, and Whitby, have zero control over which party will win, let alone if with a majority or not. However, we do have a rather strong say in who we send to Queen's Park and what this person will do for us. Right now, it's Conservative MPP Lorne Coe who won a 2016 by election to get there. So, while I still can't recall why I broke my 407 boycott that March morning, I've learned to plan westward drives or ones to the 401 much more carefully. The province is not getting my snack money without a fight. See page 3 about 407/412 usage since Feb. 1, 2017 "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 • Published 24 times annually Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com Locally owned and operated. A publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: 905-655-7642 Email: yeswomanbrooklin@gmail.com Next Issue: Friday, August 25, 2017 Deadline: Friday, August 18, 2017 Remember when it was free? Jacob Docherty was on the Highway 12 overpass on Family Day in June of 2016.