Roads: Highway 401 Widening - Highway 8 to Highway 410 (MTO, U/C, Planned)

[Dan416]

There's already a 410 south to 401 east connection. It's to the collectors I guess but I don't see why you need one to the express?? The ramp from the 401 east to 403 south and the 403 north to 401 west connections are way higher in priority.

 

[drum118]

No chance there is a 410 southbound to 401 Eastbound Express ramp in that is there? It is a missing link for sure.

Why do you need one when you got the collector to express lanes cut off just west of the 410 connection and east of Hurontario??? Its the same location for the express to collector connection going under the other one.

There is no room to do it in the first place. Most of all, the huge cost to build that elevated ramp.

 

[TOareaFan]

Why do you need one when you got the collector to express lanes cut off just west of the 410 connection and east of Hurontario??? Its the same location for the express to collector connection going under the other one.

I think it would work to help with traffic flow management. First impact would cut out a portion of the traffic from the 410 that gets involved in the lane jockeying leading up to that cut off you mention. Second impact would be to help people stay away from jams. Yesterday was a good example (and it happens a lot).....around noon was coming down the 410 to 401.....collectors were backed up right to the ramp....but the traffic from the 410 is forced onto the collectors....making the jam worse......the trip from the 410 to that express cut off took around 20 minutes (mid day on a saturday) the whole way the express lanes were empty.

Every day you hear traffic reports saying "use the express" or "stay in the collectors"....seems a shame that we then have a fairly major feeder into the 401 traffic mess where the people have no ability to make the choice based on the conditions of the day.

There is no room to do it in the first place. Most of all, the huge cost to build that elevated ramp.

Sure looks like you could have room to split off from the left lane at the bottom of the ramp (around where the final expansion joint is) and onto the 401 express lanes and it looks like it would be fairly simple and inexpensive to build (I use a lot of looks likes there, I know, but that is because I am a layman and just asking for thoughts/opinions on this idea from people who might have a better idea).

 

[timio]

....seems a shame that we then have a fairly major feeder into the 401 traffic mess where the people have no ability to make the choice based on the conditions of the day.

A few others do the same:

400 SB to 401 both directions - transfer isn't too far down the road in either direction
427 NB to 401 WB - stuck til Mavis to merge

Probably others too.

 

[TOareaFan]

Was there something done west of the 410 that forces more people on to the collectors than before?

The effect I mention above (crowded collectors and empty(ish) express lanes up to the next entry to the express lanes) has become a daily experience and what used to be a balanced distribution of traffic has changed dramatically.

The merge from the 410 to the 401 has this week been a bumper to bumper experience with no one moving more than 10k/h (typically less) until that cut off...while the express lanes are moving at (above) the limit.....and no day this week has there been an accident to cause/explain this.

Is this the new norm?

 

[Haljackey]

Was there something done west of the 410 that forces more people on to the collectors than before?

The effect I mention above (crowded collectors and empty(ish) express lanes up to the next entry to the express lanes) has become a daily experience and what used to be a balanced distribution of traffic has changed dramatically.

The merge from the 410 to the 401 has this week been a bumper to bumper experience with no one moving more than 10k/h (typically less) until that cut off...while the express lanes are moving at (above) the limit.....and no day this week has there been an accident to cause/explain this.

Is this the new norm?

There is no transfer from the collector to express lanes on the WB 401 west of Highway 427. This means anyone entering the 401 from the 427, Eglington, Renforth, Dixie and 410 are all funneled into the collector lanes. No actual change has happened as this was the setup before the Ontario reconstruction took place so it must all be volume. Also you don't need to go from express to collectors to access Hurontario Street as there is a direct exit from the express lanes.

A basketweave transfer will be in use west of the 410 when the next phase of the project is complete. This will allow some relief as cars in the collectors can enter the express lanes before more cars are dumped into the collectors at Hurontario.

I always found it a little odd how there is a basketweave transfer on 401 EB by the airport (express to collector and collector to express) but not on 401 WB (only express to collector). Having a transfer point here would allow cars entering 401WB from the 427 a chance to get into the express lanes before Highway 410. Ontario usually does a good job at prepping for the future, but this is an exception to the rule. I think a collector to express transfer here would do a lot to air traffic flow.

 

[TOareaFan]

There is no transfer from the collector to express lanes on the WB 401 west of Highway 427. This means anyone entering the 401 from the 427, Eglington, Renforth, Dixie and 410 are all funneled into the collector lanes. No actual change has happened as this was the setup before the Ontario reconstruction took place so it must all be volume. Also you don't need to go from express to collectors to access Hurontario Street as there is a direct exit from the express lanes.

Maybe I was not clear....I am speaking of the EB 401 where the 410 meets it. There has been a very noticable (and not positive) switch in the volume patterns/split between the collectors and express.

 

[vebski]

Was there something done west of the 410 that forces more people on to the collectors than before?

The effect I mention above (crowded collectors and empty(ish) express lanes up to the next entry to the express lanes) has become a daily experience and what used to be a balanced distribution of traffic has changed dramatically.

The merge from the 410 to the 401 has this week been a bumper to bumper experience with no one moving more than 10k/h (typically less) until that cut off...while the express lanes are moving at (above) the limit.....and no day this week has there been an accident to cause/explain this.

Is this the new norm?

I have noticed this backup every day since they opened the new express lanes west of the 410. I am not sure, but it seems to me it could be any of the following:

1) Lane realignment. This always causes confusion and a backlog in the area in some way, but usually leading UP TO the realignment.

2) Busy past Eglington. The 401 EB seems to be busy from Eglington to the 400 everyday (don't know about weekends). Not sure why it has been busy in this section, literally EVERYDAY, but maybe it has to do with cottage goers taking the 400 north? People are of course forced onto the express lanes coming up to the 427 from the EB 401 and into another jam when they reach Eglington, not too far down.

I think once people get used to the fact that there is now an express/collectors system in the area and they do not get a chance to get into the express until the 427 area, more people will take the express and loosen the jam.

I dunno, that is my completely non-scientific explination that could be completely wrong.

 

[TOareaFan]

I have noticed this backup every day since they opened the new express lanes west of the 410. I am not sure, but it seems to me it could be any of the following:

1) Lane realignment. This always causes confusion and a backlog in the area in some way, but usually leading UP TO the realignment.

2) Busy past Eglington. The 401 EB seems to be busy from Eglington to the 400 everyday (don't know about weekends). Not sure why it has been busy in this section, literally EVERYDAY, but maybe it has to do with cottage goers taking the 400 north? People are of course forced onto the express lanes coming up to the 427 from the EB 401 and into another jam when they reach Eglington, not too far down.

I think once people get used to the fact that there is now an express/collectors system in the area and they do not get a chance to get into the express until the 427 area, more people will take the express and loosen the jam.

I dunno, that is my completely non-scientific explination that could be completely wrong.

Something has definitely changed. For 410 southbound commuters headed for DT (typically via 410-401-427) it is now a quicker commute to continue south on the 410/403 and take Cawthra to the QEW/Gardiner......hardly think the goal of a massive amount of work on 400 series highway could have been to funnel a significant number of folks onto a 50 km/h municipal street.

 

[Haljackey]

I'd assume people on the EB 401 who want to get to the 427 are now taking the new collector lanes west of Hurontario rather than taking the express to collector transfer at the airport.

The former split at the 410 was simply labeled Dixie Road, whereas now it's labelled as collectors, correct?

Old sign:

From http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/Hwy401_p9_images.htm

By the way, is that airport icon found on the new collector-express split sign?

 

[Dan416]

They don't have new permanent signs up, just orange ones at the side of the road. They do say collectors on them. I can't remember if they have an airport icon or not.

I find the 401 EB (from Mavis to the 410) in the morning much better since the new express lanes opened, as it funnels some people off sooner.

Unfortunately the opposite is true on the 401 WB in the evening, it's bumper-to-bumper from the 410 to Mavis.

 

[timio]

The former split at the 410 was simply labeled Dixie Road, whereas now it's labelled as collectors, correct?

It was only in the last 2 years that I realized you could get off there to get to the 427 if you wanted. It wasn't signed very well at all. Not like it would save much time in typical conditions, but knowing there's an option is nice.

 

[Dan416]

It was only in the last 2 years that I realized you could get off there to get to the 427 if you wanted. It wasn't signed very well at all. Not like it would save much time in typical conditions, but knowing there's an option is nice.

Took me a while to realize that as well. After that I always used it.

 

[Tuscani01]

I had no idea about this Westbound backup that everyone was talking about when I went to my parents place for dinner on Monday night. I was expecting things to be so much smoother now that both the express and collector lanes are open, and ended up stuck in traffic that barely moved in the collector lanes (I came from the 427), while the express lanes were pretty much empty. Flaw in the design possibly?

 

[Dan416]

I have a bad feeling that his won't be getting any better until the express/collector system is extended further west.