Roads: GTA West Corridor—Highway 413

[W. K. Lis]

LETTER: Use 407 golden corridor to profitably save Greenbelt​

Rather than build controversial Highway 413, there's a solution using Highway 407 that would preserve Greenbelt lands, reduce sprawl, improve the transit network, and add billions to provincial coffers, letter writer says

From link.

The debate over expanding the Greater Toronto urban footprint into prime agricultural land and into the Greenbelt continues unabated. A key part of this expansion is the province’s controversial plan to construct Highway 413 — a $4-billion+ expressway between Vaughan and Milton. The province justifies these plans due to anticipated large population increases in the area and the need to provide transportation infrastructure for people and goods.

There is a much better solution, originally proposed by Markham Regional Councillor Jim Jones. The solution is right in our back yard — the Highway 407 corridor. This wide corridor is almost entirely provincially owned and is occupied by Highway 407, several high voltage transmission lines, storm water ponds and underground pipelines.

The 407 solution has several components:​

• Use provincial funds to provide a toll discount for trucks on the 407 rather than build the 413. This idea was originally recommended by an expert panel convened by the previous provincial government. Analysis has shown that this is substantially more cost effective than constructing and maintaining a new expressway. And the 407 is more conveniently located for most freight truck movement
  
  
• Bury the high voltage lines in the corridor to open up two thousand hectares of provincially owned developable land in the 102 kilometres between Milton and Oshawa. There are many examples across the world where such lines are located in tunnels or ductbanks. For example, Siemens has a technology known as gas insulated transmission lines, in which the lines are put into gas-filled pipes. Undergrounding the lines also increases safety and reduces electromagnetic fields. Instead of a hydro corridor 200-metres wide, there would then be a tunnel less than 10-m wide. We estimate capital costs to bury the lines to be $5 billion, but this would generate $25 billion of land value for development, which would go straight into provincial coffers. The province also has the opportunity to enter into a unique long-term public-private partnership with developers, potentially leading to better complete communities and additional provincial revenue.
  
  
• Construct a series of new complete communities across the corridor at key arterial road and transit intersection points, such as with GO Transit, TTC subway or LRT/BRT. Our conceptual plan suggests about 40 communities, holding more than one million people and jobs at full buildout. These communities would be largely self sufficient, with jobs, commercial uses and public amenities, including parkland linkages to adjacent communities.
  
  
• Link the communities to each other with a new crosstown higher order transit line running in the 407 Transitway protected corridor, connecting to the balance of the radial rapid transit network. The province has already proposed this "East-West Cross-Regional Connector” in its recently released Greater Golden Horseshoe Transportation Plan.

This 407 solution preserves precious agricultural, Greenbelt and natural lands, reduces the pressure for urban sprawl, improves our transit network and adds billions to provincial coffers. It warrants a serious study.​

 

[rdaner]

Thank you!

 

[Undead]

I think Jim Jones has been proposing that idea since forever.

 

[kamira51]

LETTER: Use 407 golden corridor to profitably save Greenbelt​

Rather than build controversial Highway 413, there's a solution using Highway 407 that would preserve Greenbelt lands, reduce sprawl, improve the transit network, and add billions to provincial coffers, letter writer says

From link.

The 407 solution has several components:​

• Use provincial funds to provide a toll discount for trucks on the 407 rather than build the 413. This idea was originally recommended by an expert panel convened by the previous provincial government. Analysis has shown that this is substantially more cost effective than constructing and maintaining a new expressway. And the 407 is more conveniently located for most freight truck movement
  
  
• Bury the high voltage lines in the corridor to open up two thousand hectares of provincially owned developable land in the 102 kilometres between Milton and Oshawa. There are many examples across the world where such lines are located in tunnels or ductbanks. For example, Siemens has a technology known as gas insulated transmission lines, in which the lines are put into gas-filled pipes. Undergrounding the lines also increases safety and reduces electromagnetic fields. Instead of a hydro corridor 200-metres wide, there would then be a tunnel less than 10-m wide. We estimate capital costs to bury the lines to be $5 billion, but this would generate $25 billion of land value for development, which would go straight into provincial coffers. The province also has the opportunity to enter into a unique long-term public-private partnership with developers, potentially leading to better complete communities and additional provincial revenue.
  
  
• Construct a series of new complete communities across the corridor at key arterial road and transit intersection points, such as with GO Transit, TTC subway or LRT/BRT. Our conceptual plan suggests about 40 communities, holding more than one million people and jobs at full buildout. These communities would be largely self sufficient, with jobs, commercial uses and public amenities, including parkland linkages to adjacent communities.
  
  
• Link the communities to each other with a new crosstown higher order transit line running in the 407 Transitway protected corridor, connecting to the balance of the radial rapid transit network. The province has already proposed this "East-West Cross-Regional Connector” in its recently released Greater Golden Horseshoe Transportation Plan.

Good ideas that benefit the 407 corridor but does nothing for the booming trucking industry in Northern peel. As a resident of that region for over 15 years, I personally believe this highway is required to deal with the traffic in the area.

 

[robmausser]

Now that the teachers pension owns a significant portion, i'm wondering if its even possible to buy back a majority share of the 407 and then control the tolls on it. Compare how much would the 413 cost and how much would a buyout cost.

 

[ericmacm]

It’s the CPPIB that owns a majority share of the 407 (50.01%), not OTPP. It is also important to make the distinction that what is best for the CPP is not necessarily what is best for the people of Ontario or the people that use the 407. The revenues generated by the 407 can be considered highly attractive to the CPP because their mandate is to continue funding our pension program into the future. The length of the lease agreement also makes the 407 an incredibly rich and stable long-term revenue source. I believe that it is highly unlikely that the CPPIB would ever sell its stake in the 407 because of this. The only way would be if the federal government forced a sale, or if the province made a competitive offer.

If the province were to directly attempt to buy the share from CPPIB, it would cost them anywhere from $15B-$23B (not including any additional money as a premium) depending on how much the value of the 407 has increased since it was assessed at a value of $30B in 2019.

The federal government would have to be the one to intervene and force a sale, but it would greatly affect the CPP’s image as operating independently of the whims of the federal government. The CPP is not currently considered a sovereign wealth fund due to its freedom, but such a move would change this and would subsequently have major implications for how the CPP is viewed abroad.

Building Highway 413, on the other hand, is estimated to cost $10B on the upper end. This would still come in cheaper than buying half of the 407.

 

[Northern Light]

In respect of the 407, my long-standing proposal is thus.

Using the same technology and expertise as is in use on the 407 to toll all the 400-series highways in the GTA.

Pay the 407 corp to do this, and to operate the system, by providing a long-term cut of the revenue from tolls (lets say 25%, with a floor-amount guaranteed).

In exchange the 407 converts to public ownership under the same terms as the other GTA highways, and its maximum rates are lowered to be in line with the tolls on all other highways.

I think this is totally do-able deal because it would offer 407's current owners more revenue than what they have now while giving the public and government something back.

In universal GTA toll scenario, where gov't keeps 75% of the tolls, Ontario (and Toronto if the Gardiner/DVP are included) would have money raining down on them.

Money which could be used for transit operations, transit capital expansion, probably still leave some left over to reduce other taxes, or invest in other services as desired.

 

[afransen]

I think more important that the revenue tolling would raise is the improvement to level of service we'd see on GTA highways. I think a major failing of the 407 is that it doesn't do enough to incentivize off-peak use.

 

[dullturtle06]

I would say toll 401 expess lanes keep collectors free. In exchange 407 has its tolls removed. The 401 express lanes are already access control so the set up would just require camera installation. This would result in the 401 and 407 routes being free, with people using 401 paying to bypass the traffic. Most tolled highway use this system of express tolled lanes.

 

[Steve X]

I would say toll 401 expess lanes keep collectors free. In exchange 407 has its tolls removed. The 401 express lanes are already access control so the set up would just require camera installation. This would result in the 401 and 407 routes being free, with people using 401 paying to bypass the traffic. Most tolled highway use this system of express tolled lanes.

Not with this amount of construction. The 3/4 lane switch between each transfer makes it not ideal for traffic flow for tolling the express only. It’ll probably have an effect on transportation cost too as the 407 will just jam up like the 401.

Today the 401 collectors east of Leslie is down to 1 lane with major construction work taking place. They’ll have to either forgo tolls today in the express or have traffic spill out on the local roads.

 

[afransen]

I would say toll 401 expess lanes keep collectors free. In exchange 407 has its tolls removed. The 401 express lanes are already access control so the set up would just require camera installation. This would result in the 401 and 407 routes being free, with people using 401 paying to bypass the traffic. Most tolled highway use this system of express tolled lanes.

Except the 401 express would be just as jammed because you need to get through the collectors to exit. We need to toll highways, period. It is inevitable.

 

[ARG1]

Except the 401 express would be just as jammed because you need to get through the collectors to exit. We need to toll highways, period. It is inevitable.

By that logic, HOV/HOT lanes would never work (which they obviously do)

 

[afransen]

By that logic, HOV/HOT lanes would never work (which they obviously do)

So they? In my experience they don't seem to.

 

[gweed123]

Hand the 407 East over to the consortium in exchange for lower tolls along the entire length of the 407 for the duration of the contract.

Except the 401 express would be just as jammed because you need to get through the collectors to exit. We need to toll highways, period. It is inevitable.

A good percentage of the volume entering and exiting the 401 is doing so from other 400-series highways. A lot of those highways already have lanes that have direct entry to or exit from the express lanes.

 

[afransen]

If there are collector transfers to back up, they will back up onto the express sections as happens today.