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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

401-427-QEW is brutal

Apple and/or Google maps have become my best friends for finding the best route option
 
This may be a new thread (or 2) however it looks like the 427 work Highway 427 Widening and Rehabilitation from Campus Road/Fasken Drive to Steeles Avenue appears to be nearing readiness - if "by July 2018" means what it says it means. Currently it takes more time during rush hour to get to the 407 and go east than it does to stay on the 401 - which says a lot because it's often close to an hour to go from near the 427 to the 404.

Speaking of the 401 has there been a discussion about possibly combining the collectors and express into one super-wide highway? I know there are massive challenges but it would seem to add at least 1 or 2 lanes when getting rid of the median and shoulders. And electronics could enforce a sane lane change policy - and sane lane changes don't exactly exist now. Is this at all feasible?
 
Larry said:
This may be a new thread (or 2) however it looks like the 427 work Highway 427 Widening and Rehabilitation from Campus Road/Fasken Drive to Steeles Avenue appears to be nearing readiness - if "by July 2018" means what it says it means. Currently it takes more time during rush hour to get to the 407 and go east than it does to stay on the 401 - which says a lot because it's often close to an hour to go from near the 427 to the 404.

Speaking of the 401 has there been a discussion about possibly combining the collectors and express into one super-wide highway? I know there are massive challenges but it would seem to add at least 1 or 2 lanes when getting rid of the median and shoulders. And electronics could enforce a sane lane change policy - and sane lane changes don't exactly exist now. Is this at all feasible?
Click to expand...
There has been no discussion of this amongst sane people. Presented with 8 lanes to manage at high speed is beyond the skill of most drivers. It would actually be less efficient and significantly more dangerous.
 
TransitBart said:
There has been no discussion of this amongst sane people. Presented with 8 lanes to manage at high speed is beyond the skill of most drivers. It would actually be less efficient and significantly more dangerous.
Click to expand...

I hear you however the merging from collector to express and visa-versa is in itself responsible for delays and accidents. And there still could be Express/HOV lanes that just don't have physical barriers as there are in parts now. Ideally of course there would be incentives for good driving and penalties for bad driving that are electronically enforced. But of course it's just a theoretical discussion - speaking of which - do you base your opinion on a study or ?

Thanks!
 
PinkLucy said:
I never have much luck with Waze.
Click to expand...

It works for me though so it often pushes back the arrival time and without noticing the original 20 minute trip really took 30 minutes. Also, I find that it tends to show the 407 route even if there are faster non-toll routes that can be seen by selecting avoid tolls. So perhaps it selects a toll route no matter (or the 407 pays it to). Seems fishy!
 
Larry said:
It works for me though so it often pushes back the arrival time and without noticing the original 20 minute trip really took 30 minutes. Also, I find that it tends to show the 407 route even if there are faster non-toll routes that can be seen by selecting avoid tolls. So perhaps it selects a toll route no matter (or the 407 pays it to). Seems fishy!
Click to expand...
I would like Waze to allow you to time in a value for your time.
Currently, its only an option for tolls, or no tolls.
I would like to be able to say that my time is worth $10/hr, and it would direct me onto a toll route if the time savings are worthwhile.
 
I was stuck on the 401 near Kingston a couple of weeks ago. Traffic was at a standstill and the highway was closed. Waze didn't tell me any of that. Not terribly helpful. (Google and Apple Maps both provide rerouting options)
 
PinkLucy said:
I was stuck on the 401 near Kingston a couple of weeks ago. Traffic was at a standstill and the highway was closed. Waze didn't tell me any of that. Not terribly helpful. (Google and Apple Maps both provide rerouting options)
Click to expand...

Waze collects that information that YOU are stuck and passes it onto others to avoid that route. See link. It must be on to update the information, however. The more information collected, the more accurate it gets. See link.

The bad news is that the mobile data it uses adds up. Don't know if will use the wi-fi from the coffee shop next to the highway you are stuck on.
 
W. K. Lis said:
Waze collects that information that YOU are stuck and passes it onto others to avoid that route. See link. It must be on to update the information, however. The more information collected, the more accurate it gets. See link.

The bad news is that the mobile data it uses adds up. Don't know if will use the wi-fi from the coffee shop next to the highway you are stuck on.
Click to expand...

But mah privicy!!!
 
Larry said:
Speaking of the 401 has there been a discussion about possibly combining the collectors and express into one super-wide highway? I know there are massive challenges but it would seem to add at least 1 or 2 lanes when getting rid of the median and shoulders. And electronics could enforce a sane lane change policy - and sane lane changes don't exactly exist now. Is this at all feasible?
Click to expand...

Without looking at profile drawings I would have to be convinced that doing this would enable the consistent addition of lanes across the top of the city, particularly in light of the significant disruption this would cause. In many cases there are no shoulders so you would only gain the width of the median barrier. At least now with the collector/express separation, with a major incident there is the possibility to keep one or the other open (admittedly of minimal benefit since everybody has to gawk).

There's only so many ways you can slice a pie and there are limits to how much traffic you can shove into a given pipe - and I think we're there.

I'm not sure I get how electronics could enforce a "sane lane change policy".
 
Larry said:
Currently it takes more time during rush hour to get to the 407 and go east than it does to stay on the 401 - which says a lot because it's often close to an hour to go from near the 427 to the 404.
Click to expand...

That's not really true, especially in the morning. Using 410 to 407 east will be a big time saver as well.

Larry said:
I hear you however the merging from collector to express and visa-versa is in itself responsible for delays and accidents. And there still could be Express/HOV lanes that just don't have physical barriers as there are in parts now. Ideally of course there would be incentives for good driving and penalties for bad driving that are electronically enforced. But of course it's just a theoretical discussion - speaking of which - do you base your opinion on a study or ?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Too many lanes leads to excessive "weaving" (lane changes) which slows down traffic and reduces capacity. This has been analyzed many times starting the 1950s: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/515.1.pdf

Generally, expanding beyond 6 adjacent lanes is not desirable and express/collector is recommended. 3 express/3 collector will operate much better than 6 general lanes, and is better for accident management/redundancy, etc.
 
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