407-ETR variability

407-ETR traffic in November was 10 to 12% up on the same period of 1999, nice growth for a toll road going into its fourth year. Annual average daily (AAD) tolls are now running in the range 250k to 260k, with weekdays close to 300k. And those results are despite a 5% increase in peak hour tolls and elimination of the off-peak daytime discount, producing an effective increase of nearly a third in those tolls.

Jose Maria Lopez de Fuentes, the CEO told us that through November traffic growth was very strong and that a one day record of 313k had just been set. At that point he was hopeful the major new stretch the group is building west to Hamilton could be opened early in the new year. But an exceptionally severe December has almost certainly set that back. Even so the 2x3-lane 24km (15mi) extension with five new interchanges seems certain to be open some months ahead of end-July commitment. The group is also enhancing and adding some 5 ICs on the present mainline and hoping to finish a 15km (9mi) eastern extension by the end of 01.

Lopez says the group, which has been operating the Toronto toll road for over 18 months now, is pleased with the way the transponder and video toll system is working. He says overall 98% of tolls get collected, a similar proportion to the CINTRA group’s less automated toll roads. He says he is impressed by Raytheon HTMS which is working on some improvements to the system and on installing new equipment on the extensions and new ICs.

The mode split between transponder and video tolls is still about 67/33. In the winter when the road is almost exclusively used by locals the split goes to 72/28 and in the summer when there are many visitors and occasional users it goes to 62/38, Lopez says.

“We are indifferent as to whether people use transponders or video toll. It is up to the individual to choose.”

It appears the approx $1.00 (C$1.50) premium for video toll trips pays the extra costs involved for 407-ETR in processing images, searching out and mailing bills and the higher non-collect rate. American motorists visiting and using 407-ETR have so far only been asked in a letter to pay the toll, not pursued further if they don’t pay. Lopez says a good proportion already just pay the toll, but the group has now employed a US debt collection agency to follow up on unpaid toll bills in the states with which Ontario has reciprocal agreements for collection.