December 2009
Toronto’s Road Pricing and Public Acceptance conference, which examined the public acceptability of road pricing in Ontario, has sparked considerable public and media interest in Canada.
Sponsored by Halcrow, the event took place in Toronto in early November. The aim of the conference was to consider how negative public perceptions of road pricing proposals can be addressed. A number of international experts shared their views on public perceptions to pricing schemes in different cities from around the World. The event was organised by Healthy Transport Consulting and the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario.
Andrew Price, Halcrow’s London-based chief economist presented an insight into the UK’s experience of road pricing schemes, focussing on the issues and lessons raised by the London congestion charge.
The conference, which was attended by politicians, government officials, transport professionals, community groups and media organisations, coincided with an announcement about a forthcoming OECD report which is set to recommend that measures such as tolled lanes and congestion charging could help improve Toronto’s competitiveness.
The conference has attracted considerable media interest, with mentions appearing in print, online and in the broadcast media. Andrew Price was featured on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning show and was interviewed live from London by Toronto’s Business News Network as part of their headline lunchtime news programme. Click the link to the right to view the broadcast.
Dave Crowley, vice president of Halcrow’s Toronto-based transport planning business said: “The conference was a great success and has generated a great deal of discussion about this politically sensitive issue. Road pricing is a key issue in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton area because of the chronic congestion and lack of public funding for transport improvements. It will be a hard sell for politicians, but it is important that the issues surrounding road pricing are debated.”
Sue Mackenzie-Gray, director of Halcrow’s economics and business solutions team added: “It’s vital that policy makers address economic and pricing issues related to transport networks. Our key role in supporting this conference demonstrates that Halcrow is well-placed to provide advice on these issues.”