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Highway 401: Proposed Province-Wide Widening

its the life line of Ontario, maximum effort should be made to make as good as possible.


I remember going to Ottawa and traffic was very heavy and i could hardly go past 80-90 km/hr.
 
^Where?

When I used to drive to Ottawa the 401 traffic always dropped way off about ten to twenty kilometres east of Kingston. The 416 could lull one to sleep if not careful because it was so deviod of cars.


Maybe things have changed now.
 
Saying that we must widen the highway because traffic is projected to increase is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why don't we decide what we want in the future and plan backwards from there? For example, that in the long term, a large proportion of passenger and freight traffic will be carried by train. In the meantime, widenings are taking us away from this desirable future state, and significant traffic increases are hard to justify when the train services are so dismal and the province is trying to tackle climate change.
Of course, in some areas, modifications are needed to improve safety.
 
I'm not against 1 more lane on parts of the 401 - as long as it doesn't stop improvements in the Windsor-Quebec rail corridor. What's the latest on the corridor? Well, the follwoing announcement was made yesterday. It basically says that the feds and the governments of Ontario and Quebec will sit down with the transportation industry to study what improvements need to be made in the corridor in the coming years to keep trade flowing. A similar study in the west a few years ago led to the Pacific Gateway initiative which is seeing funding for road and rail improvements from Winnipeg to Vancouver occurring now. Maybe this study will recommend high speed rail yet again. Anyway, here's the press release:

Transmitted by CNW Group on : July 30, 2007 12:57

Governments of Canada, Ontario and Quebec to develop the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor


MONTREAL, July 30 /CNW Telbec/ - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Donna Cansfield, Ontario Minister of Transportation, and Ms. Julie Boulet, Quebec Minister of Transportation, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the development of the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade
Corridor.

"Canada's prosperity and quality of life depends on our success as a trading nation. Today, Canada's New Government is taking action by working in partnership to assess needs and plan investments and policy measures to develop a modern and efficient transportation system allowing us to take advantage of significant international trade opportunities," said Minister Cannon. "As part of our broader Building Canada plan to restore infrastructure in the country, efficient gateways and corridors will fuel economic growth and boost Canada's competitiveness in global markets."

The action plan signed today will be undertaken over the next two years and has the following objectives:

<<
- examine global markets and trade opportunities for Canada;
- target key initiatives with significant trade potential that will
benefit all Canadians;
- prepare for the future by developing a strategy that responds to new
trade patterns and trends; and
- address issues linked to transportation, such as protecting the
environment, ensuring quality of life and enhancing the security of
Canadians.

"Ontario and Quebec are vital contributors to the Canadian economy, representing about 60 per cent of Canada's exports and gross domestic product," said Minister Cansfield. "Developing a sustainable transportation system that focuses on all transport options will keep our provinces globally competitive as a prime location for investment. Our partnership is good news for residents of Ontario, Quebec and all of Canada."


Results will be delivered by working in partnership with the public and private sectors on a long-term strategy to support Canada's international trade, particularly the strong economic relationship between Canada and the United States.

"We are investing in the development of this Gateway and trade corridor in response to the protocol of cooperation signed by the Ontario and Quebec governments last year," stated Minister Boulet. "I am convinced that this initiative will improve the efficiency of the transport systems of both Ontario and Quebec, and that the partnership of our three governments will maintain and enhance the economic contribution this trade corridor has made throughout Canada's history. This unique planning approach, in partnership with the private sector, is a model of collaboration that will allow us to ensure its success."

In the shorter term, a private sector advisory committee that will share information and gather data to better understand international trade and transportation patterns will be established. They will also explore ways to optimize the connections between air, marine, road and rail transportation to better meet current and future demands in transportation.

Canada's New Government has developed a National Policy Framework for Strategic Gateways and Corridors to advance the competitiveness of the Canadian economy in the rapidly changing field of global commerce, and to guide investment decisions on gateways and border crossings as part of the federal government's long-term infrastructure plan. Future federal gateway and corridor strategies will be guided by this framework, focused on transportation systems of road, rail, marine and air infrastructure of national significance to international commerce.


On June 2, 2006, the Governments of Ontario and Quebec signed a Cooperation Protocol with an agreement on the transportation sector. Among other objectives, this protocol seeks to promote the development of the Ontario-Quebec trade corridor and to collaborate on improving the efficiency of all transportation modes in the corridor that move goods and people.

In addition, Canada's New Government recently launched the "Building Canada" infrastructure plan. With a budget of $33 billion between 2007 and 2014, "Building Canada" provides more funding for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure, and for a longer period of time than any federal government since the Second World War. It includes $2.1 billion through the new Gateways and Border Crossings Fund to improve the flow of goods between Canada and the rest of the world by enhancing infrastructure at key locations, such as major border crossings between Canada and the United States.

A backgrounder on the MOU is attached.

Backgrounder
------------

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ONTARIO-QUEBEC CONTINENTAL GATEWAY AND TRADE CORRIDOR
------------------------------------------------------

Ontario and Quebec are vital contributors to the Canadian economy representing approximately 60 percent of Canada's exports and gross domestic product. In 2006, total exports originating from Ontario and Quebec reached a value of $272 billion, while their combined Gross Domestic Product was $840 billion.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada, Ontario and Quebec establishes the framework for federal-provincial collaboration to develop the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor in partnership with the private and public sectors. The main objective of this MOU is to establish this commercial gateway and trade corridor as a strategic, integrated and globally competitive transportation system that better supports the movement of international trade.

Under the action plan outlined in the MOU, over the next 24 months, governments and private sector partners will share information and gather data to better understand international trade and transportation patterns. They will also explore ways to optimize the connections between air, marine, road and rail transportation to better meet current and future demands in transportation. The outcome of the partners' collaboration will guide future multimodal infrastructure and non-infrastructure strategies, projects and investments to further improve the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor.

Private sector stakeholders will be engaged on many fronts to help ensure a successful Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor.

The governance structure also establishes two advisory committees - the Private Sector Advisory Committee and the Public Sector Advisory Committee. The Private Sector Advisory committee will bring together the views of both shippers and transportation providers from all modes involved in international commerce, as well as the views of other key gateway and trade stakeholders.

Together we will develop an Ontario-Quebec continental gateway and trade corridor strategy with recommendations on infrastructure investments, policy and regulatory measures to improve Canada's competitiveness in the global economy.
 
Interesting release. The "Canada's New Government" phrase is really wearing thin, however.

I imagine all the "Highway H2O" ads around are one attempt to get more bulk cargo going by lakers.
 
adma said:
Though remember that its a toll route, which may (together with the relative sparsity of interchanges, or the prevalence of non-toll alternatives) cut down the incentive to arbitrarily use it...
Click to expand...
You've hit on one point that I've heard really contributes to heavy traffic on Ontario freeways: the close spacing of interchanges. In Ontario pretty much every county road has an interchange and they can be really close together. I wouldn't be surprised if a good portion of the traffic was making short trips. I've heard the same thing about within Toronto. The freeways have interchanges at almost every concession.

Across the border the interstates go longer without interchanges, at least from the maps I've seen. Contrast the 401 in Eastern Ontario with I-81 in Upstate New York. Same thing with cities. Chicago's equivalent to the 401, I-294, has interchanges farther apart than the 401 in Toronto.

I think another factor is that the Americans have more freeways in a given area. Northern Vermont has two freeways going north through pretty sparsely populated areas. I think if Ontario were a US state, Hwy 7 between Peterborough and Ottawa would be an interstate, for example, and 401 traffic would be lower.
 
Chicago's I-294 is a toll road going around the City, more similar to the 407. I-90/94 (Dan Ryan and Kennedy) I would say is more equivalent to the 401, except for the stretch through downtown. For the most part, it has collector and express lanes and has many interchanges. I-294 was always a blessing when I drove to Milwaukee, although during weekends I would stay on I-90/94 just to take in the Skyline. Shaumberg's not too bad for a suburban skyline, very similar to MCC but fewer (and some taller) buildings.
 
MisterF said:
I think if Ontario were a US state, Hwy 7 between Peterborough and Ottawa would be an interstate, for example, and 401 traffic would be lower.
Click to expand...

That's probably true. There's two routes one can take from Detroit to Chicago - I-94 or the I-80/90 Ohio Turnpike/Indiana Toll Road (I loosely followed I-94 - using the old US 12 that parallels it about half the time on the way there, and took I-80/90 back, which wasn't that expensive).

At least Highway 7 would be divided. Unlike many parts of the US or even Europe, Ontario doesn't use the medium between highway and freeway much - the divided, limited access highway with grade intersections. It's freeway or nothing, though I can think of a few places where a regular dual carriageway could work:

- Highway 7-8 through to Stratford from New Hamburg
- the "back way" to Ottawa on Highway 7 (at least Peterborough-Havelock and Perth-Ottawa)
- Highway 7 from Kitchener to Guelph (just twin the current alignment and perhaps a bypass only in Kitchener itself and around the industrial Guelph)
- Highway 10 from where it will meet 410 to Shelburne
- Highway 24 Simcoe to Brantford, and Brantford to 401
- Highway 26 to Collingwood
- Highway 48/12 from Newmarket to past Beaverton

With separation of traffic direction, 90 km/h would be the norm, which is near the ideal speed for fuel efficiency.

Most of these are due for full-fledged freeways where they aren't really needed. Dual carriageways work, and require a lot less concrete.

Nova Scotia went another direction and has a very extensive "Super 2" system, though there's less passing opportunities on these 90 km/h controlled access roads.
 
One thing I noticed about England was the extensive network of dual carriageways, complete with roundabouts, that complement the motorways. We have a few that are comparable - Hwy 11 between Barrie and North Bay, Hwy 6 from Guelph to Hamilton, part of Hwy 115. but you're right, they're pretty rare. They're common out west. I can think of a few more candidates:

-Hwy 12 on the east shore of Lake Simcoe
-Hwy 7 from Peterborough to Lindsay

Both have isolated 4-lane sections planned.

Hwy 17 west from Arnprior is a major one as it's the main Trans-Canada Highway route.
 
Yeah, I'd do Highway 17 from Arnprior to Petawawa at least, around North Bay and from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie, (sections of this are planned as well).

Highway 11 is supposed to be upgraded to full freeway where it is only RIRO (right in, right out) in the sections between Barrie and Gravenhurst.
 
Last time I was in England we had to make a trip from London up north and back again. I got a real opportunity to see the roads there. There's a bunch of "A-roads" (think non-400 series highways) that would be considered expressways here. For a road to be considered a true expressway (motorway) it has to meet a very high standard, such as minimum 6 lanes.

The dual-carrigeway (trunk road) model seems pretty simple, ensure constant and speedy traffic flow: eliminate (or reduce) traffic lights, and build intersections at low traffic intersections, roundabouts at medium traffic intersections, and interchanges at high traffic intersections.
 
CDL.TO said:
Last time I was in England we had to make a trip from London up north and back again. I got a real opportunity to see the roads there. There's a bunch of "A-roads" (think non-400 series highways) that would be considered expressways here. For a road to be considered a true expressway (motorway) it has to meet a very high standard, such as minimum 6 lanes.

The dual-carrigeway (trunk road) model seems pretty simple, ensure constant and speedy traffic flow: eliminate (or reduce) traffic lights, and build intersections at low traffic intersections, roundabouts at medium traffic intersections, and interchanges at high traffic intersections.
Click to expand...
The main difference is that M-series motorways don't have at grade intersections and roundabouts. Basically the same standard as our 400-series highways. 6 lanes isn't required.
 
6 lanes isn't required but is the standard on all the major motorways. The point was that there are lots of A-roads that DON'T have roundabouts or at-grade intersections that would be considered expressways here. Examples that I'm familiar with include the A50, A10 in Herfordshire, A14 for most of its length (it even has interchange numbers), the A2, the A13, and I'm sure there are many more...
 
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