OTTAWA, Ont. - A new study by the Conference Board of Canada says drivers in Ontario pay almost the full cost of the roads they use.
The report, paid for by the Canadian Automobile Association South Central Ontario, found that, province-wide, fuel taxes and other fees cover between 70 and 90 per cent of annual road construction, maintenance and policing costs.
And in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the Conference Board analysis indicates that road users paid more in taxes and fees than it cost to operate the road network.
A Conference Board spokesman says the report -- called Where the Rubber Meets the Road: How Much Motorists Pay for the Road Infrastructure -- offers new and comprehensive estimates of the costs of the Ontario road network and the revenues generated from road users.
The spokesman says it also sheds new light on conventional wisdom about who pays for road infrastructure, dispelling the notion that roads are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.
