407 toll rates going up for many drivers in the new year
CBC
Your commute might get a little pricier this new year.
407 ETR has released its rate schedule for 2025, which includes new zone tolls and vehicle classifications, according to a news release.
The toll rate for light vehicles will range from three to 14 cents per kilometre, according to the release.
Through the new vehicle classification, motorcyclists will soon pay less than light-vehicle drivers. But larger trucks, SUVs and vans towing trailers will have to pay more than before
In Whitby, some residents are already lamenting the price hikes, says North Ward Coun. Steve Lee.
"This has got to be one of the most expensive tolled roads in the world," he told CBC Toronto.
Several factors will determine the price of a driver's trip, including the day of the week, time, size of the vehicle and more.
"People are concerned," Lee said. "It's already an expensive road to start with." The average monthly bill for a person driving a light vehicle will go up by eight dollars, the 407's vice-president of communications and government relations, Christina Basil told CBC Toronto via email.
The rate changes are coming at a time when many residents would like to see the province subsidize truck tolls when using the 407 to open up the 401 to cars. Others want to see the province buy the 407 back.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation said the province has been in conversation with the 407. "We will continue to find ways to make life more affordable for Ontarians and ensure they can get where they need to go every day. This includes looking at all options and building the critical infrastructure we need to keep up with our growing population," Dakota Brasier wrote.
"It's annoying … It was annoying from the start that the province even sold it off. I didn't agree with that when it happened."
Lee recommends drivers plan their commutes wisely.
"I think people need to take a hard look at the website, look at the information in the zone changes, look at what time they go to work," he said. "Maybe that could be adjusted so that they're not having to sacrifice between paying more or the amount of time that they sit in their car on the road away from their home, away from their family."
The Ontario government says the $200 rebate cheques it promised to deliver to 15 million Ontarians this year are expected to arrive in mailboxes in late January or early February.
WARNING: This article contains graphic content and disturbing images.
In a rather busy span last month, the Alberta government confirmed that former prime minister Stephen Harper would be the chair of a completely remade board of Alberta's investment megafund AIMCo, forecast a bigger-than-anticipated budget surplus, and announced the most substantial changes to the province's auto insurance system in at least two decades.
Interest rate cuts and changes to Canada's mortgage rules could set the stage for change in the Greater Toronto Area's real estate market this year, experts say.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says Canada should not go into a federal election with a second Donald Trump administration about to take office in Washington — an administration that could follow through on Trump's threat to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States.
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says he's seeking the party's nomination to run as a candidate in Edmonton.
While the FBI hunts Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding, U.S. authorities are warning he remains a threat and likely still has a team of contract killers at the ready.
All 21 residents at a seniors' apartment complex in Stratford are safe after reports of a fire around 2:30 a.m. Friday.
Londoners spent the last year listening to music, and record store owners say the city's 2024 soundtrack was a mix of trending hits and nostalgic favourites.
Canadian forests are increasingly primed for severe, uncontrollable wildfires, a study published Thursday said, underlining what the authors described as a pressing need to proactively mitigate the "increased threat posed by climate change."
Calgary's downtown office vacancy rate is still the highest in the country, but things are trending in the right direction, according to figures from commercial real estate services company Altus Group.