Highways in Canada

[Innsertnamehere]

Tolls will be there for at least the 99 year lease. Widening is financed by the private consortium, and is done pretty often. They widened between the 400 and 427 in 2014, 400 and 404 in 2012, etc. I think York Durham line to Brock road is going to be widened this year.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

That was a great vid of the 407 which I have never been on. I had no idea it was near as busy as it is.

I don't quite understand how the tolling works. Why would the province have to pay for the widening of the road if the proceeds from the tolls goes to a private company? How long are the tolls to remain on the road?

This video was shot during the AM rush last june, so this is pretty much peak hour volume. But as you observed, the road is pretty much full during both the AM and PM peak hour. With so much of the highway already built out, the only mechanism to manage demand to ensure traffic keeps flowing is through tolling rates.

This year, it looks like construction is underway to add an additional lane each direction through Brampton, presumably between the 410 and 427. If past construction projects are any indication of current work, the new lanes would be set to open by next August or so.

[DrNest]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

The province didn't pay for the widening to the best of my knowledge. They are paying to extend it, but the revenue from that part of the highway will go to the province.

Is that right? If so it's somewhat good to hear. The whole tolls on the 407 pricing galls me, but at least if some of the money for that stretch goes back to the province that paid for it, it's not so bad.

[eemy]

Yeah, the 407 extension will remain owned by the province and will have regular Kings Highway signage unlike the 407 ETR.

[sonysnob]

Somewhat normal Ontario highway shields:

[ssiguy]

Well it's good to hear the province didn't pay for the widening. This begs the question, why did the private company do the widening in the first place? If the highway is carrying, for example, 100,000 vehicles a day, why would they spend all that money on widening the road if their income from the tolls stays the same?

BTW................a 99 year lease seems ridiculously long.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Well it's good to hear the province didn't pay for the widening. This begs the question, why did the private company do the widening in the first place? If the highway is carrying, for example, 100,000 vehicles a day, why would they spend all that money on widening the road if their income from the tolls stays the same?

BTW................a 99 year lease seems ridiculously long.

You're assuming the volume stays the same after the widening. Part of 407ETR's marketing pitch is that it is fast and not bogged down in congestion like the 401 or other highways. They're selling you time savings over alternate routes. Widening the highway when sections start to get regular congestion lets them keep that marketing promise and attract new users.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Horus

You're assuming the volume stays the same after the widening. Part of 407ETR's marketing pitch is that it is fast and not bogged down in congestion like the 401 or other highways. They're selling you time savings over alternate routes. Widening the highway when sections start to get regular congestion lets them keep that marketing promise and attract new users.

Not to mention the fact that millions of new people now live in the GTA that didn't when the 407 first opened nearly two decades ago.

[DarkArconio]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Well it's good to hear the province didn't pay for the widening. This begs the question, why did the private company do the widening in the first place? If the highway is carrying, for example, 100,000 vehicles a day, why would they spend all that money on widening the road if their income from the tolls stays the same?

BTW................a 99 year lease seems ridiculously long.

They're actually contractually obliged to widen the highway according to traffic levels. And the province would love to take the highway back and consider them in breach of contract, so they're definitely not going to risk that.

[ssiguy]

All those reasons make sense.

[isotack]

Originally Posted by DarkArconio

They're actually contractually obliged to widen the highway according to traffic levels. And the province would love to take the highway back and consider them in breach of contract, so they're definitely not going to risk that.

Also I believe that as long as volume continues to increase, they have permission to jack the rates up.

[libtard]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Somewhat normal Ontario highway shields:

I like those guard rails. They allow rocks and debris to roll off the side of the highway while still providing a safe buffer for cars that go off the road. I wonder why BC doesn't use these at all? Cement jersey barriers just aren't practical on the outside shoulder

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by libtard

I like those guard rails. They allow rocks and debris to roll off the side of the highway while still providing a safe buffer for cars that go off the road. I wonder why BC doesn't use these at all? Cement jersey barriers just aren't practical on the outside shoulder

Does BC really not use any of those? There's gotta be some of them, with the province being that hilly. NB has them all over the place, we don't use any concrete barriers except in medians and on overpasses.

[libtard]

Originally Posted by Franco401

Does BC really not use any of those? There's gotta be some of them, with the province being that hilly. NB has them all over the place, we don't use any concrete barriers except in medians and on overpasses.

Literally not a single part of the province that uses them. Not sure if the cement jersey barrier company has a contract with the province but that's all we use... Even on the outside shoulder. Washington state uses the guard rails though

[WhipperSnapper]

I was under the impression only Ontario Tall Walls would be used on 400 series highways

[TownGuy]

For medians perhaps but not on the shoulders.

[srperrycgy]

Another road video from me.

Driving southward on Alberta Highway 22 (The Cowboy Trail) from Longview through the Alberta Foothills ending at Crowsnest Highway 3 near Lundbreck. Beautiful scenery and and a great drive.

• Video Link

[Daveography]

^ Love it! Brings back some fond memories.

[ssiguy]

Thanks for the great vid!

Beautiful drive. I'm surprised how busy the road is considering no one seems to live along it. Is this considered a "short cut" to Calgary from Crowness and Southern BC?

[srperrycgy]

Thanks. Yes, Highway 22 is a definitely a time-saver versus driving Highways 2 & 3. But, before the early 1990s, this was a mostly gravel highway. Most of the traffic is coming from BC and the Crowsnest Pass. This was a Sunday afternoon and most of the NB traffic was heading for Calgary.