Should city adopt toll roads? Councillor intends to ask that question Monday

THUNDER BAY -- Should the city use some sort of toll system on its roads to make users pay for them?

It's a question at-large Coun. Larry Hebert would like administration to answer. With the cost of infrastructure always on the minds of city council, Hebert got the idea from a member of the public who noticed the amount of traffic coming from outside the city.

"They use our roads and they don't pay for them because they don't live in Thunder Bay through the tax system so he thought if we could develop some kind of toll system tat could work," Hebert said.

Hebert said other communities are looking into whether odometer readings and weight of vehicles could be used to generate revenue when a driver gets a license plate renewed. Perhaps a transponder or other idea could be used instead.

Hebert said he thinks it's worth taking a look at what's out there for the city to use in order to get the people who use the roads to pay for them.

"It would take a number of years to implement I suppose technologically it's possible but it may cost a lot of money and take a long time. It may not be worth doing that," he said.

Hebert said he understands there might be a lot of opposition to the idea out there but the city, which if approved would get a report back in September, needs to at least see if it's feasible.

The motion comes to city council Monday night.