Provincial Highway Service Centres

A shortlist of proponents to take over all of the service stations on Highways 400 and 401 has been announced.

Shortlist

Backgrounder

The newer ones (such as the southbound 400 near King City, or westbound 401 near Wesleyville) aren't bad at all, but others need a major facelift.

I hear the old service centres with the shitty restaurants (when McDonalds, KFC and Mr. Sub were considered to be improvements) were really bad. But I don't remember them at all, just the horror stories - like they were bad imitations of the Howard Johnson-style restaurants.

Too bad the MTO didn't insist on putting some along the 407 when it was being built.

Darkstar416 said:

Too bad the MTO didn't insist on putting some along the 407 when it was being built.

Click to expand...

I don't know if that's necessary. The 407 runs 100% through or near built up areas. A service centre along the side of the 401 at Middle-of-Nowhere, Ontario makes more sense.

Middle-of-Nowhere is the largest town in the county of the same name, in case you were wondering.

the 407 runs through areas that are developed or will be developed...

...and having people get off and on again means more video toll charges for those w/o transponders

marcus_a_j said:

...and having people get off and on again means more video toll charges for those w/o transponders

Click to expand...

^But the service centres are on MTO property and can only be accessed from the highway, so they wouldn't be necessary.

With service centres every 50-100 km on the 401 and 400 you'd think there would be service centres on some of the other longer highways, like the 402, 417, and 11.

Or maybe it's just all a product of their time--by the time 402 and 417 were built, service centres were viewed as more of an anachronistic frill...

With such busy highways in Ontario, why don't highway exits look like those on many stretches of the interstate? There's a string of gas stations, restaurants, and motels. Don't get me wrong, I like the service centres as they're more compact and don't homogenize the landscape. It's a curiosity though.

It is absolutely astonishing driving on I-75 or 95 and there's a little village of suburbia at every single exit for 1500 miles. I think the difference is that highways like the 401 tend to have a much shorter average trip than the Interstates. Probably about an hour for an intercity trip on the 401, and about 8 or 9 hours on an Interstate.

Plus interchanges are closer together on Ontario highways than on interstates, and land use controls are probably stronger. For example the MTO doesn't allow billboards within a few hundred metres of freeways, which is why billboards along the 401 are always at the far ends of distant fields.

"Land use controls" might be the key here. And, I'd presume, the 401 and 400 gestated before the "interchange retail cluster" Interstate paradigm really set in as a hypothetical example to be followed. In this light, they might be more like European motorways...

Service centres with a smile
Upgrades announced for Ontario's highway pit stops
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 14th August 2009, 4:29am
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/08/14/10459106-sun.html
Road trip?

The drive might be a little nicer along Ontario's highways with the upgrading of 20 of their 23 rest stops.

Yesterday, the province named Host Kilmer Service Centres Inc. to modernize and upgrade the service centres along Hwys. 401 and 400.

Construction is expected to last the next three years.

The government doesn't have a dollar figure on what upgrading the stations, built in the 1960s, will cost. Ministry of transportation officials said Infrastructure Ontario is still negotiating the terms and conditions of the agreement to design, construct and operate the locations. Those details are expected this fall.

The new facilities will include modern fuel and restaurant services, enhanced tourism information and upgraded rest facilities. They will also be brought up to energy efficiency standards.

All stops will operate 24 hours.

Three stations aren't on the list for the retrofit. Rest stops at Ingersoll, Newcastle and Maple were rebuilt in the 1990s.

"Better service at modern centres will make motoring more attractive for residents and visitors alike," stated Transportation Minister Jim Bradley. "This project will generate a substantial number of construction jobs and generate economic activity."

Redeveloping the stations should create 2,500 construction jobs, officials said.

"These new service centres will provide tourists with more opportunity to plan, explore and enjoy their travels across Ontario," Tourism Minister Monique Smith said.

DON.PEAT@SUNMEDIA.CA

Ontario's Improved Highway Service Centres
August 13, 2009 12:00 PM



Ontario has selected Host Kilmer Service Centres Inc. as the preferred proponent to redevelop and operate service centres along Highways 400 and 401.

Over the next 36 months, Ontario will upgrade 20 service centre locations. Investing in new modern facilities will improve road safety, while generating about 2,500 construction jobs.

There are three other service centres on these highways in Ingersoll, Newcastle and Maple. They were rebuilt in the late 1990s and will not be modified as part of this renewal program.

The new service centres will offer better services to motorists. The service centres, which are located approximately 80 kilometres apart, will be open to motorists 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This will help ease driver fatigue and keep our roadways safer for more than 400,000 drivers who travel Highway 401 and up to 195,000 motorists using Highway 400 each day.


Service Provider Information

Host Kilmer Service Centres Inc. is a part of the consortia of members including:

Host International of Canada Ltd. (HMSHost)
Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Ltd.

HMS Host is a part of Autogrill S.p.A., the world's largest provider of food, beverage and retail services for travelers. Kilmer Van Nostrand is a private investment holding company with significant experience in road building and civil infrastructure as well as in sports and entertainment.



Public Information Centres

The public will be invited to attend a Public Information Centres in communities where the Service Centres will be upgraded.

Confirmed dates, times and locations will be published in local newspapers and on the ministry's website.

Kilmer is run by Larry Tanenbaum and is the same company that owns 20% of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This explains the rumour that the Cornwall service centre and the Leaf's first round pick next year have been traded to San Jose for a third line left winger.