After years of persistent lobbying and political pressure, Highway 407 East through Durham Region officially became toll-free in 2025, marking one of the region’s most significant transportation milestones of the year.
For more than a decade, drivers and businesses across Durham viewed tolls on the provincially owned stretch of Highway 407 as an unfair financial burden — especially as other new highways across Ontario were built and operated without tolls.
A Long Road to Change
Tolls were first removed from Highways 412 and 418 in February 2022, just months before the provincial election. That success reignited momentum to push for toll removal on the larger and more controversial section of Highway 407 East, which extends to Highway 35/115.
Unlike the western portion of Highway 407 — leased to a private consortium until 2098 following its controversial sale by the Mike Harris government in 1999 — the Durham section of the highway is fully owned by the province, making toll removal a realistic policy option.
Despite generating revenue, the tolled highway remained underused, with transportation experts long arguing that eliminating tolls would ease congestion on Highway 401 and better distribute traffic across the region.
Persistent Political Pressure
While multiple elected officials and advocacy groups supported the effort, Oshawa NDP MPP Jennifer French and Whitby Regional Councillor Rhonda Mulcahy emerged as two of the most consistent voices pushing for change.
Mulcahy, a Brooklin resident and veteran regional councillor, repeatedly brought forward motions at:
- Durham Regional Council
- Whitby Town Council
- The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)
She argued that toll removal was not only a matter of fairness for taxpayers, but also a practical solution to ease traffic pressures — particularly during long-term construction along Winchester Road in Brooklin.
From Election Promise to Reality
Although Premier Doug Ford announced the toll removal during the recent provincial election campaign, the decision did not become reality until several months later. Still, many observers agree the announcement may never have happened without years of sustained advocacy keeping the issue front and centre.
In the end, the toll-free designation of Highway 407 East stands as a clear example of how long-term political persistence and regional cooperation can deliver meaningful infrastructure change.
Photo Credits :Durham Region
