Highway 407 owner says no active buyback discussions with Ontario government

Should Ont. buy back 407 to relieve congestion? While the owners of the 407 say Ontario has not engaged in discussions to buy back the highway, critics want the option to be explored.

Pressure is increasing on the provincial government to tap into the underused tolled Highway 407 to unclog congestion on Highway 401.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his transportation minister have signalled an openness to consider buying back the 407, which was sold to a private consortium by the Mike Harris government in 1999.

“The Ontario Government has not engaged in any discussions with us regarding a potential buyback of Highway 407 ETR,” Christina Basil, Vice President of Communications and Government Relations for the highway tells CTV News in a statement.

Progressive Conservatives have also urged to pay the tolls for heavy trucks, a proposal aimed to take cargo off the 401 to create some breathing room.

"We're always in conversation with a 407 on a variety of, issues and measures. Our government's response has always been to find ways to relieve congestion in the province,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said Friday when asked what options with the 407 were under consideration.

Transport Action Now President Peter Miasek argues there are many advantages to covering trucker tolls over a 407 buyback or building new highways.

"It can be implemented quickly. It spans the entire GTA. It's lower cost. It saves truckers a lot of journey time," Miasek said in an interview Friday.

“It decongests other highways, not only the 401 but Highway 7 has a lot of trucks and it’s nearby.”

In 2021, using data from a 2017 Wynne government study, Transport Action Now estimated toll relief would move 12,000 to 21,000 trucks off Highway 401 every day.

The cost then was about $260 million a year. Miasek concedes the bill would be higher now with costlier tolls, but points out alternatives are also more expensive.

"We concluded in 2021 that it was half as costly to subsidize trucks on the 401 versus building a new highway."

Last year, advocacy group Environmental Defence estimated the cost of covering tolls would total $4 billion over 30 years. Premier Ford has put the value of Highway 407 at $35 billion.

For now, Steven Del Duca, the former Liberal transportation minister turned mayor of Vaughan, is staying on the sidelines of the debate.

"I know our residents want to be able to move from point A to point B. I sincerely hope that in this case, the province takes a very, prudent and responsible look at all of the options on the table,” Del Duca said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Vaughan city councillors will consider a motion urging the province to conduct a feasibility study of a Highway 407 buyback and to conduct a one-year pilot covering trucker tolls.