‘We’re subsidizing the region’: 32% of drivers on Edmonton roads don’t live in the city, report finds

On any given day, 32 per cent of non-commercial traffic on Edmonton roads is from drivers who do not live in the city and are not municipal taxpayers. 

That’s the finding of a new City of Edmonton report going before city councillors next week. 

“It was shocking to see all of these numbers laid out in this format. It just really shows you that we are paying more as Edmontonians but getting less. We’re subsidizing the region, we’re subsidizing the province,” said Michael Janz, who represents Ward papastew.

Edmontonians also drive in places like St. Albert and Sherwood Park, of course, but the study says just 9 per cent of drivers on regional roads are from the big city. 

The report concludes Edmonton taxpayers are subsidizing services, including roads and bridges, for the roughly 400,000 people who live around the city, begging the question of whether or not toll roads make sense.

CityNews took that possibility to people on Jasper Avenue Thursday afternoon.

“They use the roads every day and look at our roads. It’s not good, potholes here, potholes there. It’s not good,” said Edmonton John Oaing, who would support a small road fee for non-residents.

“They’re coming into our city and they’re dropping money here. So, I don’t see where we’re losing,” said Edmontonian Kurt Engel, who said he used to live in Sherwood Park.

The mayor says he doesn’t want to go down a toll road but is proposing the province pay more. 

“I proposed to Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver maybe a top up in grant funding for service-hub municipalities like Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Wetaskiwin and others,” Amarjeet Sohi told CityNews.

The province does provide money for local infrastructure, but a fund that used to give about $400 per person annually has been slashed to about $100 now, according to the city report. 

Janz pointed out the province has a ban on tolling existing roads, but believes Edmonton needs to consider higher parking fees for non-residents.

He also wants to see new cost-sharing agreements with neighbouring towns and the province. 

“It is putting Edmonton on a path to fiscal ruin if we do not figure out a new funding deal to make the region pay their fair share, make the province pay their fair share and provide alternatives to driving,” Janz said. 

In a statement, Alberta’s transportation ministry said they do not support toll roads but also is not enforcing the ban on them. It said the province is providing $2.2 billion over 3 years for roads, bridges and municipal grants in Edmonton.