Fred Nix
Alternative Road Financing Arrangements

The paper describes road financing in Canada, including the predominant reliance on provincial and territorial consolidated tax revenues, together with municipal property taxes, and various transfers from senior levels of government for this purpose. Financing alternatives are explored, including toll facilities (highways and bridges) and innovative urban transport funding arrangements, notably in Montreal and Vancouver, involving more direct charges for road use. The paper urges consideration of the approach advocated by the World Bank and applied most extensively in New Zealand - the 'road fund' model of governance.