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407 Transitway

robmausser said:
This one


Do we just use taxpayer money to create useless EA's that will never be built?
Click to expand...
What these EAs do is reserve land, even if MTO doesn't plan to build it for 20-30 years.

The Mississauga Transitway had it's first EA in the early 1990's.. didn't get built until 2017. But that 1990's EA reserved the land so that subdivisions weren't built on it at the time so that when 2017 rolled around, it could actually be built. No different here. Many parts of it won't get built for 30+ years, but when it does, the land is available.
 
robmausser said:
Do we just use taxpayer money to create useless EA's that will never be built?
Click to expand...
You need the space left to build it - and it's protected after the EA.

There's no point building it yet - you don't need bus-only roads along the 407 until the 407 demand starts to exceed capacity. Buses can just use the regular highway.
 
innsertnamehere said:
What these EAs do is reserve land, even if MTO doesn't plan to build it for 20-30 years.

The Mississauga Transitway had it's first EA in the early 1990's.. didn't get built until 2017. But that 1990's EA reserved the land so that subdivisions weren't built on it at the time so that when 2017 rolled around, it could actually be built. No different here. Many parts of it won't get built for 30+ years, but when it does, the land is available.
Click to expand...
They plan way ahead. There are lots of freeways that have EA completed with an expected construction time of 25-30 years later.

For example, MTO plans to widen Highway 11 between Barrie and Orillia way back then but still haven't gotten to it. The land around it depreciates with no one daring to make any major development knowing one day MTO might come knocking it down. Of course MTO might just bypass the whole alignment and not need those land afterall. People can judge if it's a good thing or not.
 
nfitz said:
You need the space left to build it - and it's protected after the EA.

There's no point building it yet - you don't need bus-only roads along the 407 until the 407 demand starts to exceed capacity. Buses can just use the regular highway.
Click to expand...

I disagree with your second statement, 407ETR might never exceed capacity, they increase the rates to maintain a certain level of flow. The main benefit of making the transitway is not only for buses to avoid highway traffic but for buses to not need to pull off and on at every interchange adding several minutes each time. I think a central section between Mississauga and Markham would be very useful with connections at the 407 Subway stop, Unionville Go and Malton Go/airport.
 
downtownordinary said:
I I think a central section between Mississauga and Markham would be very useful with connections at the 407 Subway stop, Unionville Go and Malton Go/airport.
Click to expand...

Yes I agree, this section could be easily built now

keyMap.jpg

stations.jpg
 
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downtownordinary said:
I disagree with your second statement, 407ETR might never exceed capacity, they increase the rates to maintain a certain level of flow.
Click to expand...
That has it's limits ... they've been adding lanes to the highway over the years, and they've now maxed out the centre section. I don't think it's going to remain as free flowing in 20 years time, as it was 20 years ago when it opened, despite higher tolls.

downtownordinary said:
The main benefit of making the transitway is not only for buses to avoid highway traffic but for buses to not need to pull off and on at every interchange adding several minutes each time. I think a central section between Mississauga and Markham would be very useful with connections at the 407 Subway stop, Unionville Go and Malton Go/airport.
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree. Though other than a couple of spots, the extra benefit isn't enough to make a full-blown transitway yet, rather than express point-to-point buses. I'd think that cheaper stop solutions are a better option in a couple of places. But we are getting closer to a transitway in the centre, than we were 20 years ago.
 
robmausser said:
I thought phase 1 from Jane to Markham Centre was a more reasonable timeline.
Click to expand...

The original Big Move has the first phase listed as "Years 16 to 25" (which would have been 2024-2033).
The first component of the dedicated 407 Transitway will provide rapid transit service through York Region, continuing as high speed bus service to the east and west along Highway 407, and connecting to Pearson Airport via Highway 427.

The new, 2041 plan has it here:
1579623219007.png


Proceeding with the EA's does establish the route and where things can and can't be built but it's still awful weird to see them moving forward with it, bit by bit.
 
TJ O'Pootertoot said:
The original Big Move has the first phase listed as "Years 16 to 25" (which would have been 2024-2033).
The first component of the dedicated 407 Transitway will provide rapid transit service through York Region, continuing as high speed bus service to the east and west along Highway 407, and connecting to Pearson Airport via Highway 427.

The new, 2041 plan has it here:
View attachment 226549

Proceeding with the EA's does establish the route and where things can and can't be built but it's still awful weird to see them moving forward with it, bit by bit.
Click to expand...

Thats a shame. I feel like this first small section would be pretty heavily used even in 5 years. I understand the whole system is premature, but this area is already quite developed.
 
robmausser said:
Thats a shame. I feel like this first small section would be pretty heavily used even in 5 years. I understand the whole system is premature, but this area is already quite developed.
Click to expand...

It would, if nothing else, link THREE Urban Growth Centres (VMC, Langstaff/RHC and Markham Centre) but priorities have shifted elsewhere. And given the news the last few days about how the GO electrification is going, who knows what the future holds?
 
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