Traffic in the GTHA is a mess. Listening to daily traffic reports is like an endless horror show repeated over and over again on Groundhog Day. Gridlock costs us big time--$11 billion per year in Toronto alone in lost productivity, slow transport of goods, less commercial activity. This is bad for our economy and environment. It wastes our time and decreases our quality of life.

Commuter traffic on the northbound lanes of DVP, looking south from Lawrence Avenue East. (Photo: Marcus Oleniuk/Toronto Star via Getty Images) For decades, politicians from all three parties at Queen's Park have pretended that fairy dust and magic money will pay for transit. The result? Toronto now has one of the top ten worst commute times in North America. It's especially hard for lower income workers in Toronto's inner suburbs. We know one thing for sure. Sticking with the status quo and doing nothing will make the mess worse and cost us more. It's no wonder Toronto Mayor John Tory decided to support road tolls. Toronto needs the revenue to keep moving. I applaud the mayor and Council for showing bold leadership on road tolls. The premier has now betrayed Mayor Tory by reversing her support for tolls. Road tolls provide more than just a funding tool to build transit. Road pricing also reduces congestion. It creates incentives to carpool or take transit. Pricing is essential to allocating scarce road resources efficiently and affordably. Instead of being honest with people about the need for funding solutions, however, politicians at Queen's Park have poured cold water on Toronto's plan to pay for transit. Channeling their inner Ford Nation, the anti-toll/anti-transit tag team of NDP leader Andrea Horwath and PC leader Patrick Brown have forced a wobbling premier's hand. The premier has now betrayed Mayor Tory by reversing her support for tolls. GTHA commuters are the ones left at a standstill. This has to change.