Should we toll major Saskatchewan Highways?

Image from USA Today

Right across this country of ours including Metro Vancouver and Montreal, whenever Transit or biking is presented the term taxpayer dollars is thrown around. What I find fascinating is that many people are unaware of the expenses it requires to maintain roadways, build news ones and rehabilitate old ones. 

These are the lists of highways that should be tolled for "non- transports/ semis", i.e passenger and light commercial vehicles. 

- Hwy 1: Maple Creek- Moosomin via Regina Bypass

- Hwy 11: Saskatoon - Chamberlain; Findlater - Regina

- Hwy 16: Saskatoon- Maymont; Battleford - Lloydminster

The method of collection of tolls should be as automated as possible. Access will need to be modified in order to reduce the number of access roads to the highway, considering most highways in Saskatchewan are not grade separated. 

Driving a personal vehicle is extremely subsidized in Canada, considering Saskatoon and Regina transit only get a 60% subsidy and they have to make up the rest through the fare box and advertising. Driving also increases GHG emissions and the practice is really not good in the long run. 

These are a few costs related to highways. One would be planning and appropriating land for the infrastructure. Two would be building the infrastructure which in the case of Saskatchewan would include the roadway, culverts and bridges. Three would be maintaining infrastructure through periodic inspections, repaving, filling potholes, etc. Four would be upgrading infrastructure such as building a passing lane, installing rumble strips installing new signs, etc. There is also the cost of labour, whether it may be the ministry itself undertaking the task or through a private contract. 

In order to get an idea of the costs of highways in the province with the Regina bypass being the outlier, I shall attempt to give you an idea. The cost of grading 10 kM for the bypass around Vanscoy was $9.5 million. That is only the grading and minor upgrades such as realigning the access roads and rebuilding 2 railroad crossings. This does not include the construction of the road itself. 

According to the 2019/2020 supplementary estimates as provided by the government of Saskatchewan, the operating expenses for the Ministry of highways was $248,281,000 and the capital costs were $457,799,000. I am not sure of the amounts listed in both cases include payment on debt. The total expenses for the ministry was $706,080,000. 

As far as the budget estimates for  2020/ 2021, the amounts are as follows:

$104,942,000 Surface preservation (pot holes etc) 

$117,340,000 Highway rehabilitation 

$17, 000, 000 Bridges 

$29, 500, 000 Winter maintenance  

That would be a grand total of $268,782,000 (Note: Operating expenses only)

Operating and capital expenses could be offset by the use of a toll. On top of that the next big challenge which would be a lot more catastrophic, would be the effects of climate change. An introduction of a toll could disincentivise people travelling for personal reasons from driving and moving on to public transportation. Business should be able to apply for a tax rebate as part of business expenses. That being said trucks carrying grain should be exempted from paying a toll. The same should apply to small business supplying farms. 

Governments in North America, including B.C. and Quebec are under immense pressure from the automotive and oil and gas sectors to prevent the constriction of vehicles and to maintain the status quo of the car being King at all times. Mainstream media outlets including the CBC are not very keen to discuss subsidies involving private vehicles, ever expanding highways and the costs which happen to come out of the public purse.