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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

https://www.yorkregion.com/news-sto...-coming-to-bloomington-hwy-48-in-stouffville/

New roundabout at highway 48 and Bloomington coming this summer. This will be the first multi lane roundabout I can think of in the GTA. The intersection needs it - the current setup has a roughly 2 minute cycle time as each direction of Bloomington needs a separate signal to accommodate left turns. Makes just missing the light a giant pain.
 
Anyone coming from the east (Ottawa, Kingston, Montreal, etc.) heading west (London, Windsor, Niagara, much of the US) or vice versa needs to pass through Toronto. The 401 is one of the few area highways that would be inappropriate to toll, in my view, given it's provincial / regional role. If it were to be tolled, I would toll the collectors (hitting local traffic) and not the express (through traffic), rather than the other way around.

Those people going through can still drive through the collectors the entire way, if they choose not to pay the toll. And the reason for not doing as you suggest is upon entering the highway you'd need to pass through the tolled lanes in order to get to the free lanes. With express tolled and collectors free, you can get onto the highway for free, but if you want the express lanes, then you pay the toll.
 
I know it would involve new capital spending, but I've wondered if a grade separated tolled 401 express lanes would work through the GTA. These lanes would be used primarily by truck and through traffic.
 
I know it would involve new capital spending, but I've wondered if a grade separated tolled 401 express lanes would work through the GTA. These lanes would be used primarily by truck and through traffic.
This would most likely require it to be tunneled. Maybe have interchanges with the regular express lanes (at current and new basketweaves) with spacing of 8-12km. So Express-Express Lanes
 
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I know it would involve new capital spending, but I've wondered if a grade separated tolled 401 express lanes would work through the GTA. These lanes would be used primarily by truck and through traffic.
in theory yes a second deck with tolled lanes is possible, however in practice there will be too much opposition to get off the ground. not to mention the cost. its an idea that i would definitely support though along with the dvp
 
407 already provides that utility pretty effectively.
So a route like this during off peak (1pm) vs the afternoon rush, it just depends when the delivery/travel is:
407 vs 401 off.PNG
407 vs 401.PNG
 

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Can anyone think of other roundabouts in the GTA? There aren't many, I can only think of two really small ones in rosedale for Toronto.

Now that I think of it, there are a few multi lane roundabouts at the newly reconfigured Holt Road interchange in Courtice, so I guess hwy 48 won't be the first. Probably the largest though.

the only major arterial roundabouts I can think of: (there are lots in subdivisions on very low traffic streets around the GTA)

- Holt Road / 401, Courtice ( 3 roundabouts)
- Tenth Line, Stouffville (2 roundabouts)
- York/Durham line and Durham 5, Stouffville/Pickering
- Concession 6 and Durham 8, Uxbridge
- Keele and Lloydtown Aurora Road, Aurora
- Tremaine Road, Milton (4 roundabouts)
- King Street and Coleraine drive, Bolton
- Emil Kolb Parkway and Highway 50, Bolton
 
Outside of the GTA, Waterloo Region has a plethora of roundabouts, many of them multi-lane and many on major thoroughfares.

For the most part, they seem to work, although there are always those who use the wrong lanes, don't yield to those already in the roundabout, drive too fast, and the occasional driver who gets confused and travels against traffic.
 
Can anyone think of other roundabouts in the GTA? There aren't many, I can only think of two really small ones in rosedale for Toronto.

Now that I think of it, there are a few multi lane roundabouts at the newly reconfigured Holt Road interchange in Courtice, so I guess hwy 48 won't be the first. Probably the largest though.

the only major arterial roundabouts I can think of: (there are lots in subdivisions on very low traffic streets around the GTA)

- Holt Road / 401, Courtice ( 3 roundabouts)
- Tenth Line, Stouffville (2 roundabouts)
- York/Durham line and Durham 5, Stouffville/Pickering
- Concession 6 and Durham 8, Uxbridge
- Keele and Lloydtown Aurora Road, Aurora
- Tremaine Road, Milton (4 roundabouts)
- King Street and Coleraine drive, Bolton
- Emil Kolb Parkway and Highway 50, Bolton

There are two on either side of the 403 along Wilson St in Ancaster, and a 3rd further down Wilson.
 

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