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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

So many times I've driven north on the 403 and nearly missed the 410 north. It's really not where one would expect it to be. I realize it's like that because it was built later than the connection to the 401, but still, I find it highly counter-intuitive.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
So many times I've driven north on the 403 and nearly missed the 410 north. It's really not where one would expect it to be. I realize it's like that because it was built later than the connection to the 401, but still, I find it highly counter-intuitive.
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I agree, but I find SW bound worse. 410 south is forced onto the 403 collectors. 401 WB collector, which includes all people joining 401 from 427, is forced onto the 403 collectors. It is no surprise that the 403 SW bound collectors are always backed up.
 
I've done 410 south many times as well, usually onto WB 401, but also onto SB 403. I don't consider it anywhere near as counter-intuitive as the NB 403/410. Busy maybe. But not counter-intuitive by any means.
 
Bojaxs said:
Any talk of extending the HOV lanes on the QEW through Mississauga?
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This was discussed a while back.

BurlOak said:
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BurlOak said:
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I found that provisions for HOV were considered for the Credit River Bridge twinning, although at this time only 6 lanes (3 in each direction) would be built. The EA for QEW-Dixie did not make any mention of an HOV lane, just intersection improvements. When I looked at it, it seemed that an extra lane could probably be added but acquisition of some land from the service roads would be required. If they do not consider the HOV when selecting the interchange, they could preclude HOV in the future or require even larger expropriation.

I do recall from the QEW-403-Ford EA that there was to be an HOV lane extended from Trafalgar to Winston Churchill.
 
BurlOak said:
I do recall from the QEW-403-Ford EA that there was to be an HOV lane extended from Trafalgar to Winston Churchill.
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That may seem minor, but having driven through that stretch many times, having HOV lanes there would be huge. The 403 dumps a lot of traffic onto the QEW between those 2 points, and the highway often backs up there. If people on the QEW westbound were able to take HOV lanes to bypass all of that, I think it would make a big difference.

In fact, they could probably extend the HOV lanes to east of Erin Mills, because when you look at the overpass there it was clearly designed for an extra lane. It's only really from Mississauga Rd eastward that it really would be technically challenging to put in an HOV lane.
 
The last time I took GO Bus Route 16 (Hamilton QEW Express) in the afternoon peak, it took a really odd routing - from the terminal down Yonge to Queen's Quay, to York, to the Gardiner WB on-ramp, Gardiner to QEW but off at Sherway Gardens, re-entering QEW from West Mall, off at Dixie Road ramp (North Service Road) and returning to the QEW at Hurontario. Then north on Erin Mills Pkwy to the 403 then the 407.

It was December 7, but weather wasn't a concern. The trip took 1h38, and that was just to Main/Longwood (I was heading to Dundas that evening).

The back-up westbound at Highway 427 can be bad too as the 427 also dumps a lot of cars on QEW, and you've got the merging and the lane that goes into Dixie Road off-ramp. Even weekends.

I think HOV lanes starting at Erin Mills would be a great idea, but I can't see any room east of there. I'd also like to see California-style HOV ramps to/from the 403 at Oakville and build the HOV lanes on the 403 through Dundas Street to connect to those.
 
I'd love to see HOV lanes on the entire eastern half of the 403. Starting as it does now from the Freeman interchange (403-407ETR-QEW), then continuing on the co-signed 403-QEW route to the 403 split, and running on the rural 403 section between the QEW and 407 before being joined with the HOV system in Mississauga.

It's a pipe dream to see HOV lanes on the entire QEW between Burlington and Toronto but that would be really useful! I'd also like to see the innermost express lane of the 401 converted for HOV use, even if it isn't MTO's policy to convert general lanes to HOV.
 
Haljackey said:
Ah see I was thinking something like this would be the final built-out

FGj4KHF.jpg


Full size http://i.imgur.com/FGj4KHF.jpg
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There's no way a Hwy. 7 freeway would continue east of 400 through the Oak Ridges Moraine like that. It would have to veer northeast probably as part of the Bradford Bypass.

Also, your map just proves how dumb it was to swing the 410 extension west at Mayfield when there's a freeway planned through southern Caledon anyways.
 
Transportfan said:
Also, your map just proves how dumb it was to swing the 410 extension west at Mayfield when there's a freeway planned through southern Caledon anyways.
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There's no freeway (or tollway) planned through southern Caledon as far as I know.

Edit. Okay, I'm wrong. Forgot how far south Caledon stretches!
 
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nfitz said:
There's no freeway (or tollway) planned through southern Caledon as far as I know.
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There is though a freeway/tollway planned in Western Brampton similar to the red line extending from the 401/407 interchange. Brampton's protecting the corridor for it; the Osmington retail centre proposed at Bovaird and Mississauga Road is planned to be up against it.
 
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