Roads/MTO: Highway 427 Transitway (Proposed)

[DKsan]

I came across this in March, but never posted about it.

From link:

The second study will address the planning and corridor protection for a proposed transitway on the west side of Highway 427 from Highway 407 to Highway 7 and will follow the approved environmental planning process for Group “A†projects under the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000). Opportunities for public input will be provided throughout each study.

.....

A Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) has been prepared to document the study findings for the 427 Transitway from Highway 7 to Highway 407. The TESR is now available for a 30-day public review period, ending April 17, 2015.

Link to the TESR.

Technically preferred alternative:

 

[aquateam]

So, this is a North-South link from Viva on highway 7 to the highway 407 transitway? It's a shame that it doesn't continue south to connect to the airport and then to Kipling station, but I guess there probably isn't room for additional lanes.

 

[nfitz]

So, this is a North-South link from Viva on highway 7 to the highway 407 transitway? It's a shame that it doesn't continue south to connect to the airport and then to Kipling station, but I guess there probably isn't room for additional lanes.

I'd assume it's the Metrolinx project 53 Highway 427 North from 25-year portion of the Big Move. Transitway from Pearson to Queen Street along 427. Would link to the 407 Transitway from 427 to Markham and perhaps most importantly to the Highway 427 South transitway from Pearson to to Kipling.

 

[wopchop]

I'd assume it's the Metrolinx project 53 Highway 427 North from 25-year portion of the Big Move. Transitway from Pearson to Queen Street along 427. Would link to the 407 Transitway from 427 to Markham and perhaps most importantly to the Highway 427 South transitway from Pearson to to Kipling.

There is no 427 South Transitway. Unless you mean the dedicated on-ramps.

Is there a dedicated transit-lane project for 427 South at the MTO somewhere? I've often wondered where they would find the room.

 

[innsertnamehere]

MTO roughs in future transitways along all of their new urban highways now, the 407 extension has one roughed into the design to allow for it to be eventually constructed all the way to 115. the 404 extension to Keswick similarly had one built into the design, as did the 427 extension design. This appears to be a study to simply connect the 427 extension transitway as designed to the 407 transitway. I find it extremely unlikely that it will be constructed any time soon given that the 407 transitway is still so far off.

 

[Transportfan]

A transitway between Hwy 7 and Steeles only? Rather pointless.

 

[yyzhyd]

A transitway between Hwy 7 and Steeles only? Rather pointless.

agreed. But that's not the plan.

As part of the 427 north extension the transitway ROW will be protected all the way up to Major Mackenzie.

"The Recommended Alternative includes a transportation corridor consisting of a highway and transitway, as well as associated works and support facilities. The transportation corridor includes:

•a 6.6 km extension of Highway 427 northerly from Highway 7 to Major Mackenzie Drive with six lanes proposed from Highway 7 to Rutherford Road and four lanes proposed from Rutherford Road to Major Mackenzie Drive;
•new interchanges at Langstaff Road, Rutherford Road and Major Mackenzie Drive; and,
•protection for a dedicated transitway along the west side of the extension and three transitway stations."

Map - http://www.downloads.ene.gov.on.ca/files/eaab/hwy427_map.pdf

source: http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/highway-427-transportation-corridor

Would be nice if they sent the transitway south too and connect with GO Stations at either Malton or Etobicoke North.

 

[Transportfan]

agreed. But that's not the plan.
As part of the 427 north extension the transitway ROW will be protected all the way up to Major Mackenzie.

Even that's worthless. A transitway that only serves 8 km of the suburban fringe? Bus shoulder lanes and stops on the ramp terminals would suffice for that. A waste of land that will probably sit permanently idle in any case.

 

[yyzhyd]

Even that's worthless. A transitway that only serves 8 km of the suburban fringe? Bus shoulder lanes and stops on the ramp terminals would suffice for that. A waste of land that will probably sit permanently idle in any case.

Worthless?! Seems pretty smart to my simple mind to protect transit ROWs alongside new highway contruction.

There was a time when anything north of Eglinton was "suburban fringe". I remember when as a kid we moved to Scarborough to the "suburban fringe" of McCowan & Steeles. Both McCowan and Steeles Ave. were single laned roads at that time and we didn't even have TTC service IIRC.

 

[Markster]

Even that's worthless. A transitway that only serves 8 km of the suburban fringe?

There was a time when anything north of Eglinton was "suburban fringe". I remember when as a kid we moved to Scarborough to the "suburban fringe" of McCowan & Steeles. Both McCowan and Steeles Ave. were single laned roads at that time and we didn't even have TTC service IIRC.

I understand Transportfan's frustration, and with Places to Grow and the Greenbelt, theoretically, we shouldn't be seeing the same level of suburban sprawl becoming de-facto "in the core" like what happened to Eglinton.

However, what building these suburban transit ROWs does do, is lay the foundation for their extension into the existing city, at the expense of general purpose car lanes. Politically, it is very difficult to build a new-from-scratch transit right-of-way in a compact environment, where you have to take away existing capacity. If you build out the fringe parts, and start to load them with buses, it's an easier sell to make incremental expansions further into the core. People will directly see the future benefits, and there will be a constituency of transit users who will actively push for it. (For example, a missing-link section of Ottawa's Transitway from Pinecrest to Bayshore was approved at the cost of preventing any future widening of the 417 at that location.)

There is value, but it's a long, long term payoff.

 

[Edward Skira]

Even that's worthless. A transitway that only serves 8 km of the suburban fringe? Bus shoulder lanes and stops on the ramp terminals would suffice for that. A waste of land that will probably sit permanently idle in any case.

Its called good planning. In 50 years it might not be worthless. And better to have the land available than having to figure a way then to squeeze it in. In the meanwhile plant some trees and keep it as a green space.

 

[CDL.TO]

It's good planning, but we can't ignore that these transitways involve circuitous routes in order to go around the highway interchanges and require a large number of overpasses and underpasses while being located right next to a freeway, which is hardly a transit-supportive environment.

It probably makes more sense to design the highway with HOV lanes and make it so that it's easy for buses to get off the highway, serve a stop, and get back on without having to go out of the way.

 

[ShonTron]

It's good planning, but we can't ignore that these transitways involve circuitous routes in order to go around the highway interchanges and require a large number of overpasses and underpasses while being located right next to a freeway, which is hardly a transit-supportive environment.

It probably makes more sense to design the highway with HOV lanes and make it so that it's easy for buses to get off the highway, serve a stop, and get back on without having to go out of the way.

Or build/protect for bus routes in the highway medians like the Harbor Freeway busway in Los Angeles. It's still horrible for TOD, but it at least doesn't require new structures, means faster rides for through passengers. Build sheltered overpasses or widened sidewalks for parking/bus loop accesses.

 

[Momin]

Highway 427 Expansion: $616 M Design-Build Contract Signed