Highway 401 Widening - Cambridge Area (MTO, Proposed)

[CDL.TO]

Is the highway numbering system more valuable as a classification system (where the format of the highway number informs you of the design of the road), or as a wayfinding system (where the highway number helps you get to your destination, no matter what the road design is)?

I would argue for the latter. Hwy 401 was planned as an expressway from end-to-end so it makes sense that it has a 400-series number. And Hwy 400 keeps creeping north, but the concept remains the same (when the expressway ends, it becomes Hwy 69). But would it be beneficial that Hwy 6, as the road that you follow if you were in Hamilton and wanted to get to Owen Sound, should lose its continuity because a section of it got upgraded?

 

[gweed123]

Why not just link the two 6's directly together and eliminate the need for a 12-lane 401 between the existing ones?

I've often thought this too. When you look at the design of the interchange between 6 North and the 401, it looks like half a cloverleaf. I often thought it was purposely designed to be expanded.

When you look to the south though, there's a bunch of quarries and stuff directly in the path of the highway. However, they look to be filled with water, so maybe they're non-operational now.

 

[gweed123]

Is the highway numbering system more valuable as a classification system (where the format of the highway number informs you of the design of the road), or as a wayfinding system (where the highway number helps you get to your destination, no matter what the road design is)?

I would argue for the latter. Hwy 401 was planned as an expressway from end-to-end so it makes sense that it has a 400-series number. And Hwy 400 keeps creeping north, but the concept remains the same (when the expressway ends, it becomes Hwy 69). But would it be beneficial that Hwy 6, as the road that you follow if you were in Hamilton and wanted to get to Owen Sound, should lose its continuity because a section of it got upgraded?

I personally think both are equally valuable. The example that you quoted with Highway 400 becoming Highway 69 is a bit of an anomaly. It's rather rare than an upgraded highway's number changes when it the upgraded section ends. The 410 becomes 10 north of Brampton, the 417 becomes 17 at Arnprior, the 427 becomes 27, etc.

6 may be a bit of a unique case as well, because there's already a 406 (which is kind of a dumb name for it, considering that it's nowhere near Highway 6). I would almost be tempted to rename the existing Highway 406 to something else, and then apply that designation to the section of the upgraded 6 between Guelph and Hamilton.

My point I guess is that if the upgraded highway retains the same 1 or 2 numbers of the original highway, with a 4 tacked on the front of it, it can still serve as a valuable way finding system, as well as a good indicator of what kind of highway it is.

 

[nfitz]

When you look to the south though, there's a bunch of quarries and stuff directly in the path of the highway. However, they look to be filled with water, so maybe they're non-operational now.

They aren't quarries, they are gravel pits. Not sure which ones are operational or not (though the processing equipment viewable in Google Maps should be a give-away). Flooded doesn't necessarily mean not operational though. Some use underwater extraction techniques.

 

[gweed123]

They aren't quarries, they are gravel pits. Not sure which ones are operational or not (though the processing equipment viewable in Google Maps should be a give-away). Flooded doesn't necessarily mean not operational though. Some use underwater extraction techniques.

Oh ok, I have to admit I'm not an expert in gravel extraction, haha. Either way, it makes for a pretty challenging alignment for an expressway.

 

[CDL.TO]

They aren't quarries, they are gravel pits.

A gravel pit is a type of quarry.

 

[nfitz]

A gravel pit is a type of quarry.

Not in the Ontario aggregate industry.

in the Ontario Aggregate Resources Act - “quarry” means land or land under water from which consolidated aggregate is being or has been excavated ... and “pit” means land or land under water from which unconsolidated aggregate is being or has been excavated ....

Consolidated means bedrock ... the pits around Highway 6/401 are unconsolidated materials.

 

[CDL.TO]

Not in the Ontario aggregate industry.

in the Ontario Aggregate Resources Act - “quarry” means land or land under water from which consolidated aggregate is being or has been excavated ... and “pit” means land or land under water from which unconsolidated aggregate is being or has been excavated ....

Consolidated means bedrock ... the pits around Highway 6/401 are unconsolidated materials.

I didn't know we were in the Ontario aggregate industry here on UT.

Let's check a dictionary instead for something a bit more layman... "Gravel pit: A quarry for gravel"

 

[dunkalunk]

This is just a blanket assumption based on no evidence, but I am sure that there are fewer through trips on Highway 6 than there are trips that merge from highway 6 with the 401.

Next, the bus bypass shoulders are needed for the BRT service that is expected between Highway 8 and Hespeler Road. When highway speeds drop below a certain threshold (60km/h?) buses are permitted to drive on the shoulder. I think HOV lanes are a good option along this same corridor.

Also, I am not sure why the 401 would need to be expanded beyond 8 lanes between Cambridge and the 407, especially with an underutilized parallel rail corridor.

 

[gweed123]

Also, I am not sure why the 401 would need to be expanded beyond 8 lanes between Cambridge and the 407, especially with an underutilized parallel rail corridor.

And especially with a 400-series highway being built along the Highway 7 corridor between Guelph and Kitchener. I'm sure that by-pass will take a fair amount of traffic off the 401.

 

[nfitz]

Let's check a dictionary instead for something a bit more layman... "Gravel pit: A quarry for gravel"

Given the sarcasm that erupts when one uses layman's terms in some of the erectionist and architecture threads, I'd have thought that using the correct terminology would be preferable.

 

[nfitz]

This is just a blanket assumption based on no evidence, but I am sure that there are fewer through trips on Highway 6 than there are trips that merge from highway 6 with the 401.

The AM Peak and PM Peak movements are well documented on Page 9 of the boards from last night's PIC. You are correct!

For the southbound AM Peak traffic on the Hanlon, 31% continues down old 6, while 59% heads eastbound on 401, and only 10% heads westbound. For the PM Peak, 29% continues down 6, while 38% heads eastbound on 401, and 33% heads westbound.

For the northbound AM Peak traffic on 6, 19% continues up 6, while 1% heads eastbound on 401, and 42% heads westbound; the remaining 37% continues up Brock Road. For the PM Peak, 36% continues up 6, while 2% heads eastbound on 401, and 39% heads westbound; the remaining 24% continues up Brock Road

Next, the bus bypass shoulders are needed for the BRT service that is expected between Highway 8 and Hespeler Road. When highway speeds drop below a certain threshold (60km/h?) buses are permitted to drive on the shoulder. I think HOV lanes are a good option along this same corridor.

Ah ... that's interesting.

Also, I am not sure why the 401 would need to be expanded beyond 8 lanes between Cambridge and the 407, especially with an underutilized parallel rail corridor.

Given that it's not functioning now, even after the relatively recent expansion from 4 lanes to 6 lanes, and Places to Grow calls for Cambridge and Kitchener to expand further east, virtually merging with Guelph, then I'd fully expect that 10 lanes would be necessary, even if the modal split shifts somewhat to rail.

 

[Transportfan]

When you look to the south though, there's a bunch of quarries and stuff directly in the path of the highway. However, they look to be filled with water, so maybe they're non-operational now.

Could they built the connection to the north?

 

[dunkalunk]

Could they built the connection to the north?

If most traffic from Highway 6 is getting off at Highway 401, then what is the point? Not to mention that blazing a new 100m wide highway ROW would just be an additional cost with little justification. (thanks nfitz for that PDF)

 

[nfitz]

If most traffic from Highway 6 is getting off at Highway 401, then what is the point?

Which is likely why that option - that was considered - was not recommended.