Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[Jasmine18]

I think though as the population expands around the GTA, simply expecting single lane country roads to handle traffic in the future does not make sense.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

I think though as the population expands around the GTA, simply expecting single lane country roads to handle traffic in the future does not make sense.

Well yes. Particularly when developments build mostly roundabouts and crescents that wind up going nowhere and these country roads are treated as mini highways.

 

[Edward Skira]

News Release

Widening Highway 401 to Keep People Moving
April 10, 2017

Expansion Project will Help Manage Congestion and Improve Commutes
Ontario is creating jobs and keeping people moving by widening 18 kilometers of Highway 401 from the Credit River in Mississauga to Regional Road 25 in Milton.

The Highway 401 Expansion project includes adding HOV lanes in each direction and widening the existing six lane configuration to:

• Twelve lanes from the Credit River to Winston Churchill Boulevard
• Ten lanes from Winston Churchill Boulevard to Highway 407 ETR / Highway 401 interchange
• Twelve lanes from Highway 407 ETR / Highway 401 interchange to James Snow Parkway
• Ten lanes from the James Snow Parkway to Regional Road 25

Widening the 401 will relieve congestion, allow for a more efficient transportation and flow of goods, and will help accommodate continued population and employment growth in the region.

Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history. To learn more about what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

Investing in better highways to keep people moving is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.


QUICK FACTS

• The province has issued a Request for Qualifications to design, build and finance the Highway 401 expansion project—the first step in getting construction underway.
• The project is being delivered under Infrastructure Ontario’s Alternative Financing and Procurement model, which transfers risks associated with design, construction and financing of the project to the private sector.
• The average daily traffic for the Highway 401 in the Peel and Halton Region is approximately 108,000 to 188,000 vehicles per day.
• Ontario is committing over $2.1 billion to repair and expand provincial highways and bridges across the province.

 

[Leo_Chan]

News Release

Widening Highway 401 to Keep People Moving
April 10, 2017

Expansion Project will Help Manage Congestion and Improve Commutes
Ontario is creating jobs and keeping people moving by widening 18 kilometers of Highway 401 from the Credit River in Mississauga to Regional Road 25 in Milton.

The Highway 401 Expansion project includes adding HOV lanes in each direction and widening the existing six lane configuration to:

• Twelve lanes from the Credit River to Winston Churchill Boulevard
• Ten lanes from Winston Churchill Boulevard to Highway 407 ETR / Highway 401 interchange
• Twelve lanes from Highway 407 ETR / Highway 401 interchange to James Snow Parkway
• Ten lanes from the James Snow Parkway to Regional Road 25

Widening the 401 will relieve congestion, allow for a more efficient transportation and flow of goods, and will help accommodate continued population and employment growth in the region.

Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history. To learn more about what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

Investing in better highways to keep people moving is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.


QUICK FACTS

• The province has issued a Request for Qualifications to design, build and finance the Highway 401 expansion project—the first step in getting construction underway.
• The project is being delivered under Infrastructure Ontario’s Alternative Financing and Procurement model, which transfers risks associated with design, construction and financing of the project to the private sector.
• The average daily traffic for the Highway 401 in the Peel and Halton Region is approximately 108,000 to 188,000 vehicles per day.
• Ontario is committing over $2.1 billion to repair and expand provincial highways and bridges across the province.

Is this old news with new details or new news with new details?

 

[innsertnamehere]

It's the announcement of the RFQ for the project. It's had funding for several years.

That said, this is the first real press release for the project I can remember seeing. Considering the size of the project, they haven't been publicizing it much.

 

[salsa]

Widening Highway 401 to Keep People Moving

As if that has ever worked before. Did Wynne go out and ask "real people" how much time they think this will save them?

 

[Leo_Chan]

As if that has ever worked before. Did Wynne go out and ask "real people" how much time they think this will save them?

Saves 20 minutes at off peak hours and 2 hours during peak. smh

 

[Markster]

I just want them to activate the westbound HOV lane.
Give HOV cars and buses a chance to skip the queue as the 401 narrows. It'd only be 2km long, but it would be incredibly effective.

 

[Steve X]

As if that has ever worked before. Did Wynne go out and ask "real people" how much time they think this will save them?

Well needed project. Yes, many drivers who use that stretch in rush hour will approve of this plan.

 

[Northern Light]

Is this old news with new details or new news with new details?

Deeply disappointing to move forward w/this at this time.

No question this section of highway is terribly congested.

But a great deal of the traffic on it is bound for Northern Mississauga, Brampton, Milton and the K-W area.

Areas that could be well served by GO rail, but are not.

If as few 6 full trains (3 milton corridor, 3 k-w corridor) were filled w/people now driving this section, it would remove over 5,000 cars in each rush hour, or about 2,500 per peak hour per direction.

Enough to substantially reduce congestion, and a pretty low-ball potential improvement.

The province needs to stop its ever-expanding highway system, it does very little to reduce congestion and much to increase pollution and sprawl.

Consdieration for expansion would be legitimate AFTER two-way, all day service is in place w/greater rush hour frequency, on both GO rail lines that service this corridor, not before.

 

[Steve X]

Consdieration for expansion would be legitimate AFTER two-way, all day service is in place w/greater rush hour frequency, on both GO rail lines that service this corridor, not before.

I doubt this expansion would complete before 2022. It would be in the same time frame as RER.

This announcement doesn't include a construction date. For all we know, it could begin in 2019. By then Mr. Brown could have cancelled it.

 

[TOareaFan]

^Curious....what political gain could a PC leader ever achieve by cancelling a 905 area road that has the added bonus of being approved by the Liberals?

 

[Steve X]

^Curious....what political gain could a PC leader ever achieve by cancelling a 905 area road that has the added bonus of being approved by the Liberals?

Money to fill the meteor size hole that the liberals created. Instead of cancel, they could stretch the time frame.

In the past, the PC did cancel the 400 extension "road project" from Parry Sound to Sudbury during Harris' time and only resumed when Ernie Eves was in power.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I doubt this expansion would complete before 2022. It would be in the same time frame as RER.

This announcement doesn't include a construction date. For all we know, it could begin in 2019. By then Mr. Brown could have cancelled it.

Its probably a 3 season project, so if construction starts in 2018 or 2019, likely a 2021 or 2022 completion date. The widening from Hurontario to the Credit River started in the 2017 season and is supposed to be done by the end of 2019.

I also highly doubt the PCs would cancel it. They cancelled the 400 extension as that had much weaker economic justifications behind it, this one is badly, badly needed.

Also, don't underestimate the level of truck traffic on this stretch. You can't put that on a GO train.

 

[Toffy]

Money to fill the meteor size hole that the liberals created. Instead of cancel, they could stretch the time frame.

In the past, the PC did cancel the 400 extension "road project" from Parry Sound to Sudbury during Harris' time and only resumed when Ernie Eves was in power.

I'm not quite sure what logical path one could take to draw the conclusion that the Tories would even consider dropping this project given that A: it is a highway with significant economic impact on southwest Ontario and B: along a potential voter rich corridor.

On the otherhand, cancelling this project would not even remotely address short and long term financial pressures, this a multi-year project that has funds stretched out over a 30-year period. Believing that such a cancellation would alleviate financial pressures is akin to laying the blame of electricity rates on the gas plant cancellations. Oh wait...people do believe that.

While Ontario's AFP delivery model may not be perfect, at the very least once projects hit financial close there's not much incentive to cancel a project. Protecting us in the short term from the lack of investment that helped create the 'meteor sized hole' you speak of.