Hamilton won’t study toll roads

Hamilton has put the brakes on a motion to set up tolls on two local roads.

Councillor Sam Merulla wanted city council to ask staff to study the cost and feasibility of imposing tolls for out-of-town trucks using the Red Hill Valley Parkway and Lincoln Alexander Parkway as shortcuts between other cities.

Merulla argued that a study was cheaper than spending tens of millions of dollars widening the often congested roadways.

But following a long and heated debate last night, the motion was narrowly defeated by a vote of 7 to 6.