It would be nice if everyone would take their time and slow down but it seems like everyone is in a rush. Twinning the highway from Sydney to St. Peters and charging a small toll is a great idea and remember you do not have to take the toll highway.
Chuckles Pizanno - 7 years ago
The problem with tolls is once they are in place, they will rise and rise and rise... look at the Englishtown ferry service, as well as other similar services. Look at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital and other similar places. Look at existing tolls in other areas of the province and elsewhere. I've driven across Canada, and parts of the US, and I will tell you the tolls are expensive. It is terrible that you are considering doing this here, with what is already being paid by every single tax payer in Cape Breton. This is a horrible thing, and I hope the people of Cape Breton stand up and tell the government NO. Have you ever driven around our city streets? They are deplorable. Our cars are suffering - it costs us a lot of money to replace broken tires, stabilizers, ti-rods, shocks, springs, and many other parts because of these terrible roads. If anyone seriously thinks taxing us more is going to make improvements, you are wrong. Not only that, but remember, they are simply talking about speeding up the process of twinning with the increased tax dollars - WHO CARES! Take your time, do it right, and stop trying to suck more money out of us. This is WRONG.
alan melon - 7 years ago
i don't care if it costs me an arm and a leg, as long as twinning the roads prevents some senior driver from passing the centre line and killing me head-on i don't give a sh*t
Mike - 7 years ago
Daniel,
I agree that something needs to be done to make roads safer, but tolling the roads is unacceptable to those who commute daily. Twinning the roads is too expensive an option for Nova Scotian taxpayers. Trucks still come right across divided highways from time to time. The internet is full of videos of that happening. If safety is the only reason to twin the highways then install a concrete barrier or a cable median down the yellow lines and be done with it. That's what they do in many states now and it only costs $300k per mile (concrete) or $110k (cable). According to studies it's 95% effective and costs about 1/25th the amount that twinning 300+kms of highway would. If the government would just do that instead of insisting on paying $2.2B to private companies then we could all be safe in less than a year.
That link is how cable barriers are being installed in Minnesota highways. They're cheap, effective, and fast to install.
Why can't the government of NS consider less expensive options for once?
Tolls will drive the few young skilled people who are still here away. I know we'll leave for better opportunity elsewhere if the tolls are built despite loving it here and having sacrificed better opportunity in the past to stay home.
Don't toll Nova Scotia
Ian MacIntosh - 7 years ago
A small toll on all long distance 100 series highways would spread the cost around more fairly. Everybody in NS paid for the 101 and 102 twinning as well as the 104 twinning from Truro to outside New Glasgow. It doesn't seem right that a much smaller subset of Nova Scotians (namely Cape Bretoners) should carry most of the toll burden when construction finally reaches here after 40 some years.
why do we in CB,have to pay a toll ,when the mainland did not not fair we pay more than Our share.
Carole MacLeod - 7 years ago
We are taxed enough now. The taxes we currently pay are supposed to go toward road maintenance. Show us an accounting of how the money was spent previously. We all know the state the roads are in now and sloppy band-aid patches don't do the job! A toll is outrageous, think of another way!
darrell mac aulay - 7 years ago
Our taxes have been used to twin the roads on the mainland and Halifax area now they want us to pay tolls to pay for our twinned roads. Nothing changes for Cape Breton.
Mike White - 7 years ago
Unsuspecting Nova Scotians are being drawn into a fallacious either/or response to an over-simplified situation. We already are arguably the most heavily taxed people in Canada. We pay obscenely inflated fees for auto and driver licenses, bloated gas prices, and 15% tax on almost all purchases, one of the highest income tax rates, and all because of fiscal ineptitude on the part of government. We are being conned, and unnecessarily so. If this government were to do the right thing and base their tax policies on sound reasoning, then a fair tax levy would be used to ensure no punitive taxes. Write a tax policy based on economic growth, and become fiscally responsible by making sound governing decisions using reason rather than political survival instincts, and this province will become a great regime. Toll roads might even make sense. They do in other reasonably taxed jurisdictions.
Harvey MacKillop - 7 years ago
I can agree with tolls but $43.62 for a daily round trip Sydney-St.Peters, surly this is a mistake or a typo.
Jennifer Baird - 7 years ago
Who in Cape Breton is going to pay$22. From St. Peter's to Sydney. That's outrageous. There's no jobs in Cape Breton. Who in the world is going to afford that?
Victor Tomiczek - 7 years ago
the toll must be affordable and no more than a couple of dollars ,with an Easypass option . But the main thing is that all money raised in toll must be used for road improvement only and not diverted to any other cause or used as a political slush fund as the Liberals have been known to do.
Robert Fuller - 7 years ago
Yes if it means better roads and having them built sooner
Daniel - 7 years ago
If we want better roads then yes the only way forward is to put a toll on the new ones to be constructed. The days of yesterday are gone where gas taxes paid for new roads. How may people must lose their lives because a group of people are against toll highways. If it was a son or daughter or a loved one related to those who vote against having tolls that lost their life in an accident on a two lane highway that could have been twinned with the use of a toll, their opinion would change. Governments of today no longer want to spent tax payers dollars on new highways, they are more prudent in spending dollars they do not have. It is time for residents to move into the new world, where by we all have to pay some extra portion of the cost of our highways. In the end if you do not wish to pay the toll, you are free to drive the alternate route and save the toll amount for your next coffee stop. I wonder how many people who were against the Cobequid Toll Highway that finally use this highway and pay the toll. Small price to pay for a safer commute to get home, to get to work, to go on vacation or simply to go for a safe drive.
Carlton Lunn - 7 years ago
A lot of recent highway construction has been of a very poor quality as evidenced by the rutting problem around North Sydney/Sydney area. Excuses used for this problem are unacceptable. Until we get a quality product at an acceptable price, I say forget it! Don't waste any money, tax player or toll on any construction.
Lawrence walker - 7 years ago
All trans can highways be twinned with tolls people who donot like. Tollstake the back roads
It would be nice if everyone would take their time and slow down but it seems like everyone is in a rush. Twinning the highway from Sydney to St. Peters and charging a small toll is a great idea and remember you do not have to take the toll highway.
The problem with tolls is once they are in place, they will rise and rise and rise... look at the Englishtown ferry service, as well as other similar services. Look at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital and other similar places. Look at existing tolls in other areas of the province and elsewhere. I've driven across Canada, and parts of the US, and I will tell you the tolls are expensive. It is terrible that you are considering doing this here, with what is already being paid by every single tax payer in Cape Breton. This is a horrible thing, and I hope the people of Cape Breton stand up and tell the government NO. Have you ever driven around our city streets? They are deplorable. Our cars are suffering - it costs us a lot of money to replace broken tires, stabilizers, ti-rods, shocks, springs, and many other parts because of these terrible roads. If anyone seriously thinks taxing us more is going to make improvements, you are wrong. Not only that, but remember, they are simply talking about speeding up the process of twinning with the increased tax dollars - WHO CARES! Take your time, do it right, and stop trying to suck more money out of us. This is WRONG.
i don't care if it costs me an arm and a leg, as long as twinning the roads prevents some senior driver from passing the centre line and killing me head-on i don't give a sh*t
Daniel,
I agree that something needs to be done to make roads safer, but tolling the roads is unacceptable to those who commute daily. Twinning the roads is too expensive an option for Nova Scotian taxpayers. Trucks still come right across divided highways from time to time. The internet is full of videos of that happening. If safety is the only reason to twin the highways then install a concrete barrier or a cable median down the yellow lines and be done with it. That's what they do in many states now and it only costs $300k per mile (concrete) or $110k (cable). According to studies it's 95% effective and costs about 1/25th the amount that twinning 300+kms of highway would. If the government would just do that instead of insisting on paying $2.2B to private companies then we could all be safe in less than a year.
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/trafficeng/reports/cmbarrier.html
That link is how cable barriers are being installed in Minnesota highways. They're cheap, effective, and fast to install.
Why can't the government of NS consider less expensive options for once?
Tolls will drive the few young skilled people who are still here away. I know we'll leave for better opportunity elsewhere if the tolls are built despite loving it here and having sacrificed better opportunity in the past to stay home.
Don't toll Nova Scotia
A small toll on all long distance 100 series highways would spread the cost around more fairly. Everybody in NS paid for the 101 and 102 twinning as well as the 104 twinning from Truro to outside New Glasgow. It doesn't seem right that a much smaller subset of Nova Scotians (namely Cape Bretoners) should carry most of the toll burden when construction finally reaches here after 40 some years.
why do we in CB,have to pay a toll ,when the mainland did not not fair we pay more than Our share.
We are taxed enough now. The taxes we currently pay are supposed to go toward road maintenance. Show us an accounting of how the money was spent previously. We all know the state the roads are in now and sloppy band-aid patches don't do the job! A toll is outrageous, think of another way!
Our taxes have been used to twin the roads on the mainland and Halifax area now they want us to pay tolls to pay for our twinned roads. Nothing changes for Cape Breton.
Unsuspecting Nova Scotians are being drawn into a fallacious either/or response to an over-simplified situation. We already are arguably the most heavily taxed people in Canada. We pay obscenely inflated fees for auto and driver licenses, bloated gas prices, and 15% tax on almost all purchases, one of the highest income tax rates, and all because of fiscal ineptitude on the part of government. We are being conned, and unnecessarily so. If this government were to do the right thing and base their tax policies on sound reasoning, then a fair tax levy would be used to ensure no punitive taxes. Write a tax policy based on economic growth, and become fiscally responsible by making sound governing decisions using reason rather than political survival instincts, and this province will become a great regime. Toll roads might even make sense. They do in other reasonably taxed jurisdictions.
I can agree with tolls but $43.62 for a daily round trip Sydney-St.Peters, surly this is a mistake or a typo.
Who in Cape Breton is going to pay$22. From St. Peter's to Sydney. That's outrageous. There's no jobs in Cape Breton. Who in the world is going to afford that?
the toll must be affordable and no more than a couple of dollars ,with an Easypass option . But the main thing is that all money raised in toll must be used for road improvement only and not diverted to any other cause or used as a political slush fund as the Liberals have been known to do.
Yes if it means better roads and having them built sooner
If we want better roads then yes the only way forward is to put a toll on the new ones to be constructed. The days of yesterday are gone where gas taxes paid for new roads. How may people must lose their lives because a group of people are against toll highways. If it was a son or daughter or a loved one related to those who vote against having tolls that lost their life in an accident on a two lane highway that could have been twinned with the use of a toll, their opinion would change. Governments of today no longer want to spent tax payers dollars on new highways, they are more prudent in spending dollars they do not have. It is time for residents to move into the new world, where by we all have to pay some extra portion of the cost of our highways. In the end if you do not wish to pay the toll, you are free to drive the alternate route and save the toll amount for your next coffee stop. I wonder how many people who were against the Cobequid Toll Highway that finally use this highway and pay the toll. Small price to pay for a safer commute to get home, to get to work, to go on vacation or simply to go for a safe drive.
A lot of recent highway construction has been of a very poor quality as evidenced by the rutting problem around North Sydney/Sydney area. Excuses used for this problem are unacceptable. Until we get a quality product at an acceptable price, I say forget it! Don't waste any money, tax player or toll on any construction.
All trans can highways be twinned with tolls people who donot like. Tollstake the back roads