World crisscrossed by private roads
Source: KEITH BENMAN, Northwest Indiana Times, Jan 23, 2006
There are no toll booths on 407 ETR, an all-electronic private toll road north of Toronto. Electronic sensors and video cameras log in cars and trucks as they zip on the 67-mile expressway. Tolls are paid later, online or by mail. Advertised as the "world's smartest highway," the six-lane expressway just 500 miles from Northwest Indiana is a case study in both the promise and perils of toll road privatization. 407 ETR allows commuters to avoid one of North America's busiest truck routes and has seen $900 million in additional investment under private operation. "Our reputation is still growing," said Dale Albers, a spokesman for operator 407 International Inc. "If you need to save time, go with us." But the road has led to courtroom collisions between the Ontario provincial government and 407 International. The two have butted heads over toll increases and toll enforcement.