Highways in Canada

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

My understanding is that it takes ~$30 to drive the entire 107km.

funny how you say the part south of Queensville is less finished, as the satellite imagery from March 2013 shows the part south of Queensville be closer to completion.. Never mind the fact that the on ramps from Green Lane have been paved for over a year now.

At least some of the ramps at the Queensville Sideroad are paved now as well. I would have stopped to take pictures at Queensville, but there was some pretty heavy construction activity ongoing there today. There hasn`t been any pavement laid on the mainline section south of Queensville, but seeming as the contractors are the same for both contracts, I`d stands to reason all of the extension will be built with a concrete driving surface.

[Mister F]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

You're very much correct. And it's not just the super-new 400 and 7 highways. Highways 416, 417, 410, 404, etc. are all really good. It's really just the oldest parts of the 401 & the Toronto-Barrie section of the 400 that have substantial design flaws.

Another thing that MTO deserves praise for is actually rebuilding highways to new standards when warranted. For example Highway 417 between Ottawa & Montreal, which originally had gravel shoulders, has been upgraded to fully paved shoulders with rumble strips (new standard) with each newly repaved section. Whereas Quebec has also massively improved its road standards over time, but only applies them to new roads and doesn't really bother upgrading old ones.

The disappearing right lane issue is there even on newer highways. The 407, for example, goes from 8 lanes to 4 in Markham and it's done through the right lane exiting. Same with recently 6-laned sections of highway all over the province. MTO has really generous design standards but it seems to be quantity over quality. Does anybody know why MTO does disappearing right lanes? Surely they must know that the rest of the world doesn't.

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

yes, and I still do if I hit the 401 at "Rush Hour" (7-10am and 3-7pm), despite the "highway robbery" price (~$24 for a one-way trip from Missingsausage to the middle of seemingly nowhere in Whitby or whatnot...then a drive back down to the 401).

Why not take the train? The route you take is the only part of the country that actually has decent train service. It sure would save you a lot of stress.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Mister F

The disappearing right lane issue is there even on newer highways. The 407, for example, goes from 8 lanes to 4 in Markham and it's done through the right lane exiting. Same with recently 6-laned sections of highway all over the province. MTO has really generous design standards but it seems to be quantity over quality. Does anybody know why MTO does disappearing right lanes? Surely they must know that the rest of the world doesn't.


Why not take the train? The route you take is the only part of the country that actually has decent train service. It sure would save you a lot of stress.

There are no suburb-to-suburb GO trains (although I believe GO buses run on the 407 corridor).

[Innsertnamehere]

disappearing right lanes are a design standard not a cheap cop out. Why, I couldn't tell you. MTO very specifically does it though. Probably has to do with people speeding in the left lane overshooting the merge when the left lane ends.

The train would likely take 2-3 hours longer than driving, even with the delays on the 401. London - Montreal would be a roughly 7 hour drive, and an 8-9 hour train ride depending on the connection time at Union.

GO transit has a rather complex system of bus routes running on the 407, yes. They only stop at specific spots though. (Unionville, RHC, York University, etc.)

[haljackey]

I have only been on the 407ETR once... When it was free. There was a short time after the highway opened that was free to give drivers a 'feel' for it.

I might give it another whirl when 407E and the new freeway connection to the 401 opens.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

My understanding is that it takes ~$30 to drive the entire 107km.

The price you pay varies on 3 factors:
1. The length you drive
2. The time of day you drive
3. The fact that you have a transponder / don't have one.

The 407ETR is turning into it's own mini-401, as some spots have 10 lanes now.

[Innsertnamehere]

I'm talking with a transponder as I have one haha. (While I don't use it a lot, I use it enough to justify a transponder. you only need to use the highway a couple times a year to justify one really) depends on the time of day, but it would only really vary by $5 or so depending on whether its peak or not.

[Mister F]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

There are no suburb-to-suburb GO trains (although I believe GO buses run on the 407 corridor).

He's going from London to Montreal/Ottawa, so I really don't see the relevance. VIA Rail would be roughly competitive with driving depending on the traffic.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

disappearing right lanes are a design standard not a cheap cop out. Why, I couldn't tell you. MTO very specifically does it though. Probably has to do with people speeding in the left lane overshooting the merge when the left lane ends.

The train would likely take 2-3 hours longer than driving, even with the delays on the 401. London - Montreal would be a roughly 7 hour drive, and an 8-9 hour train ride depending on the connection time at Union.

Rush hour would really even things out, but you're right that the train is way too slow. Just goes to show how much we need faster trains. People travelling through the Corridor shouldn't have to choose between traffic jams and slow transit. I'd probably just fly.

[middeljohn]

Not to mention that driving from London to Montreal generally requires 2-3 stops en route. All in all it's about 650km, so automatically 6.5 hours, plus up to 1.5 hour delay through Toronto, plus an hour of breaks, so roughly the same as taking the train. The real difference is cost. If you're four people going it's only $20 each by car vs $more by train.

[Kokkei Mizu]

Originally Posted by middeljohn

I'm not exactly sad that the 401 is no longer a part of my life. The Henday apparently never jams up. The worst thing about the 401 is if you're driving west from Ottawa, after a long day's drive and you're tired, then you have to deal with an hour or more of delays before you can get home.

The Anthony Henday does back up a little bit during rush hour, especially in the SW, but nothing on the scale of the 401.

[middeljohn]

Originally Posted by Kokkei Mizu

The Anthony Henday does back up a little bit during rush hour, especially in the SW, but nothing on the scale of the 401.

This is just a sample of n=1, but I got into Edmonton right at 5 and took the Henday through SW. It wasn't going at the posted speed limit, but still about 70 km/h. Very tolerable for me. I have yet to see if that's the norm though. The QE2/Henday merger was a bit slow, going at about 60 km/h. Driving around the last few days in the city I haven't had any problems other than the round-abouts since I'm not used to them. Apparently the inside lane has the right-of-way. Now the challenge will be to find the quickest route to work in the morning so I have some experimenting to do.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Mister F

Why not take the train? The route you take is the only part of the country that actually has decent train service. It sure would save you a lot of stress.

Actually, when I am alone traveling, I always take the train (comfort, less stress, and wine ). But alas, with wife and kids...

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by middeljohn

This is just a sample of n=1, but I got into Edmonton right at 5 and took the Henday through SW. It wasn't going at the posted speed limit, but still about 70 km/h. Very tolerable for me. I have yet to see if that's the norm though. The QE2/Henday merger was a bit slow, going at about 60 km/h. Driving around the last few days in the city I haven't had any problems other than the round-abouts since I'm not used to them. Apparently the inside lane has the right-of-way. Now the challenge will be to find the quickest route to work in the morning so I have some experimenting to do.

Traffic on the Henday is more irritating than bad. Too many assholes driving in the left lane below traffic speed. Yes there is a slow down by the QE2 and Henday but it has only ever made me 10 min late in getting home. Bad design with only 2 lanes and 4 interchanges coming together. After living in TO for a couple of years the 401 driving school has made me more observant and I can react faster to the constant changes on the highways. Always look as far ahead as possible. I always said the 401 was great NASCAR driving training.

The only time I can say we have grid lock in YEG is during the first major Snow Storm of the year.

[toaster]

The Ontario NDP is promising 30km of additional 4-laning per year for Northern Ontario should they form Government. According to what Bisson said last summer, this would likely be an extension of Highway 11 North, from North Bay to Temiskaming Shores (and beyond).

[middeljohn]

Originally Posted by toaster

The Ontario NDP is promising 30km of additional 4-laning per year for Northern Ontario should they form Government. According to what Bisson said last summer, this would likely be an extension of Highway 11 North, from North Bay to Temiskaming Shores (and beyond).

It's needed. It's pathetic that Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, which together have half the population of Ontario, are twinned the entire way yet Ontario is stuck with treacherous one-lane undivided highways on fairly extreme terrain. Words can't explain the sense of relief I felt when I finally got to Manitoba last week and was finally flat and twinned again.

[Innsertnamehere]

It's almost funny how the NDP are almost just taking the liberals plan and dumbing it down.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

It's almost funny how the NDP are almost just taking the liberals plan and dumbing it down.

Yep. Have you read Andrea Horwath's letter to the Premier? (http://ontariondp.com/en/transitletter). Not very promising stuff.

For the past 3 years I've been a Horwath supporter and for a while I even had an Ontario NDP membership. If Wynne's plan turns out to be the real deal and Horwath doesn't step up her game fast, my vote is going over to the Libs.

Kingston is one of the safest Liberal seats in all of Ontario (if the Ontario Libs were reduced to a 10 seat rump, Kingston would be one of them). Federally, it remained Liberal in the 2011 election despite having a completely unknown rookie as candidate (I believe he was actually the only rookie Liberal elected in the whole country!), so my personal decision on voting NDP or Liberal won't matter squat, though.

[SignalHillHiker]

Moncton to St. John's.

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[FrAnKs]

Downtown Québec city & highways

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[sonysnob]

A couple of new pictures of the eastern extension of Highway 407 through Durham Region. Taken today, by me:

[middeljohn]

Lots of construction going through Sherwood Park to finish off the Henday. I'll get some pics soon!