Excellent editorial in the Saturday Globe:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-the-high-cost-of-canadas-free-roads/

… Canada’s roads and bridges, tunnels and highways, are almost all “free.” That means free for drivers, paid for by taxpayers. You can drive to the Champlain Bridge from virtually anywhere in Canada, from Vancouver to Cape Breton, on roads that are costly to build and maintain, yet toll-free.

Is this logical? No. It’s not economically efficient, it’s environmentally damaging and encourages urban sprawl. It does all that by subsidizing driving.

There are compelling reasons for taxpayers to pick up the tab for things society wants more of, from public education to public parks to public libraries. There’s a lot of upside in kids being able to read more, for free. What’s the social good in adults being able to drive more, for free?

…

Charles Feaver