The 401

[MolsonExport]

That pig in the python keeps getting bigger...

[haljackey]

Timelapse vid of the Milton-Mississauga widening


• Video Link

[MolsonExport]

Drove the 401 from London to 416 (Ottawa destination, Christmas day) and returned on Dec 28. There must have been 100 cars in the ditch (and another dozen or so semi's), with about as many in the ditch between directions as on the side.

On the way back last evening, I enjoyed the smooth sailing through Mississauga and Milton, as the construction there has finally ended.

[sonysnob]

Some wintery views of the 401 through Halton Hills from a couple of weeks ago:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_327_east_Feb23_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_327_east_EB_Feb23_24x16.jpg

[MolsonExport]

That is one wide m*therf*cker.

[sonysnob]

More 401 photos, this time looking westerly from Mississauga Road:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_336_west_C_Mar23_24x16.jpg


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_cl_336_west_EB_Mar23_24x16.jpg

[MolsonExport]

flowing very nice ^

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

flowing very nice ^

...For now anyway

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/03/28/401-north-america-busiest-highway/

Let's see how long we'll get good flow on this stretch for. The bottlenecks on the highway need to be addressed. Looks like the 401's busiest spot has moved from the 400 to the 427 where the freeway narrows from 18 to 8 lanes.

[sonysnob]

There's something wrong with the MTOs math on the traffic counts on the 401.

The busiest stretch of the 401 is identified between Renforth and the 427. Traffic cannot enter the eastbound 401 between Renforth and the 427, so they are probably counting some of the ramps, or the 427 itself in that traffic counting station. It's not necessarily wrong, but it's also misleading, and probably a departure from how that traffic counting station was counted in previous years.

edit:


There is definitely something wrong with the MTOs math. It is impossible for the 401 to be busier between Renforth and the 427 than it is between Dixie and Renforth, and look at the discrepancy in traffic volumes between the 427 and Dixon. There is no way 100,000 vehicles per day just disappear between the 427 and Dixie only to reappear on either side of it. I think some ramp counters have been allocated to the wrong section in this count.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The busiest stretch of the 401 is identified between Renforth and the 427. Traffic cannot enter the eastbound 401 between Renforth and the 427, so they are probably counting some of the ramps, or the 427 itself in that traffic counting station. It's not necessarily wrong, but it's also misleading, and probably a departure from how that traffic counting station was counted in previous years.

I pondered this too. Surely there would be more traffic between Dixie and Renforth, right? You can only exit or enter the 401 from the west side on Renforth, so how is the section east of Renforth busiest than the west side?

They must be counting the connecting ramps here... not necessarily the 427 itself but the other connections.

---

As for the Dixon count, that's a odd way to display it but lots of traffic exits at the 427 and enters at the 409, so the numbers here down by 100k does sorta make sense to me?

[sonysnob]

The count from the 427 to Dixon could omit the ramps to and from the 427 itself. That could correspond to how much less traffic there is on the 401 beneath the 427 excluding all of the ramps. I'd believe that more than the 409.

The 427 carries 350,000 vehicles per day south of the 401, but only 150,000 vehicles per day to the north of it.

[Djeffery]

Are those counts for both directions, express and collector? Once you go east of that basketweave transfer on the eastbound side, that collector traffic ceases to be 401 traffic. Your only option at that point is to exit at Renforth or exit onto the 427. So that shouldn't be counted as 401 traffic in my opinion. So in that sense, I can see why the 427 to Dixon is so much lower if they are counting the eastbound collector as 401 traffic.

[sonysnob]

The Ministry has better internal records to show how traffic is distributed around freeway ramps. Some sacrifices are made to show traffic volumes in the simple chart form that gets uploaded onto the internet.

My guess is the public facing PDF that we see is largely compiled by either summer students or co-op students and that it isn't checked by senior staff with all that much scrutiny. So the data is interesting, but isn't perfect.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The Ministry has better internal records to show how traffic is distributed around freeway ramps. Some sacrifices are made to show traffic volumes in the simple chart form that gets uploaded onto the internet.

My guess is the public facing PDF that we see is largely compiled by either summer students or co-op students and that it isn't checked by senior staff with all that much scrutiny. So the data is interesting, but isn't perfect.

Did their counter catch traffic flows between the 427 ramps? That's the only alternative explanation I can think of. There's a lot of interaction happening between the two highways there. A count where the 401 trims down to 8 lanes would not be typical of volumes east and west.

[sonysnob]

The Basketweave:


http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_401_images/401_ar_Basketweave_Apr23_24x18.jpg

[MolsonExport]

drove the 401 to/from Toronto/London on Saturday. No slowdowns anywhere (could be a first). Even the Gardiner and 427 were flowing well.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

drove the 401 to/from Toronto/London on Saturday. No slowdowns anywhere (could be a first). Even the Gardiner and 427 were flowing well.

Just wait till construction season gets into full swing. Currently only the Kitchener stretch has some lane closures by the Grand River bridge and some tight lanes while the widening project in the east end completes.

Once those are done this stretch of the 401 may be left alone for a bit until the Highway 6 bypass begins, and then the there's the big project to connect the HOV lanes between K-W and Milton... but a few more bridge replacements are needed first for that.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

drove the 401 to/from Toronto/London on Saturday. No slowdowns anywhere (could be a first). Even the Gardiner and 427 were flowing well.

Remember this day. Like trying to re-live a perfect day of youth long gone, it will be an experience never repeated. The sun shone, the sky was a cloudless blue, the beer was tasty, and one's game with the ladies was top-notch.

....and now back to reality:

The Express Lanes are closed from the 410 to the 427 due to a multi-vehicle accident. Collector moving slowly. Expect delays.

[Dengler Avenue]

“Remember this day”
Just like how I remember doing 120 kph in the left lane of 401 through Toronto at 3:20 pm 3 years ago…

[sonysnob]

Not mine, but a video of the 401 through Windsor:

• Video Link