Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[Wm Perkins Bull]

Why is that the province seems to do a much better job maintaining its highways than Toronto with its arterials? Is it just because Toronto cheaps out?

The Province spends a lot, and Toronto cheaps out

That’s honestly a weird fact. I would consider the core 401 to be 409 to 404 but I guess there’s the 400, Allen rd, and a whole bunch of exits in between that relief the traffic. Consideeing the widest part like you said is just west of it, there’s also the insane bottleneck between the 427 and 409 that comes in between as well, generating a parking lot at all times of the day. I guess some 401 drivers use the 409-427-401 combo regardless so maybe thats why its not as busy as we might think either.

Basically it boils down to huge numbers of people coming from the west, heading east. That segment is after it has accumulated all the people, but before the people are getting off yet.

 

[anb]

How does tolling the farthest left lane on the 401 express sound like? I feel like that could kind of work for long distance travelers

 

[lenaitch]

How does tolling the farthest left lane on the 401 express sound like? I feel like that could kind of work for long distance travelers

The problem is how do you manage it. Toll highways have fixed access/exit points and HOV lanes have the visual element for enforcement. A toll-only lane, separated by only lane markings, would have to be literally papered with cameras and even at that I'm not sure how it would be effectively managed. Long distance travellers; i.e. bypassing Toronto, have 407.

 

[Haydenpoon]

How does tolling the farthest left lane on the 401 express sound like? I feel like that could kind of work for long distance travelers

It would be easier to just toll all the express lanes with sensors and cameras at the transfer lanes.

Tolling 1 lane: High price for 1 lane
Tolling 3 lanes: Lower price for 3 lanes

 

[drum118]

It would be easier to just toll all the express lanes with sensors and cameras at the transfer lanes.

Tolling 1 lane: High price for 1 lane
Tolling 3 lanes: Lower price for 3 lanes

If you do that, expect gridlock 7 x 24

 

[Leo_Chan]

If you do that, expect gridlock 7 x 24

Has there been studies on tolling the express lanes and how traffic patterns would change and how long it would take to balance out?

 

[kamira51]

Here's a suggestion, why not add a small tax of 90 cents or something like that. How will this work? I have no idea but i think a tax would be great for funding highways, might even promote carpooling.

Let know what you think.

 

[anb]

Use the farthest left lane, and have something like ‘checkpoints’ where you enter at 1 point and if you exit before a certain checkpoint, the price will be at a rate from when you entered the first point to the latest checkpoint you passed. We could either do the hov setup or something like put up a small barrier between the left and middle lane so people don’t technically cheat the system. This will both prevent gridlock as there is 2 (or 3) other free lanes you can use, plus all the collector lanes if you don’t want to pay the toll

 

[Haydenpoon]

The problem is driving have mostly fixed cost, no matter how much you drive, so people drive wherever they go; while transit has a variable cost based on the number of trips.

 

[drum118]

Has there been studies on tolling the express lanes and how traffic patterns would change and how long it would take to balance out?

No clue. It will be no short years to balance it out and looks like decades.

We may see one day a fee for mileage and it doesn't matter where you drive. There been talks about going this route. If you drive 10,000 km a year or 60,000, the fee rate is the same, but the bill will be either low or high depending on how much you drive. If the fee happens, that will be the end to my 8,000+ yearly holiday driving.

Driving is the only option for me based on where I want to go, as you can't do the side trip from X mode of travel or when you want to do it in NA compare to Europe.

 

[lenaitch]

Here's a suggestion, why not add a small tax of 90 cents or something like that. How will this work? I have no idea but i think a tax would be great for funding highways, might even promote carpooling.
Let know what you think.

Add a $0.90 tax to what? Registration fees are not taxable (neither GST or PST).

Use the farthest left lane, and have something like ‘checkpoints’ where you enter at 1 point and if you exit before a certain checkpoint, the price will be at a rate from when you entered the first point to the latest checkpoint you passed. We could either do the hov setup or something like put up a small barrier between the left and middle lane so people don’t technically cheat the system. This will both prevent gridlock as there is 2 (or 3) other free lanes you can use, plus all the collector lanes if you don’t want to pay the toll

That would only realistically work with a barrier.. A 'barriered' lane needs space on at least one side for snow accumulation, breakdowns, etc. There is barely enough space for the lanes that exist now and many of the shoulders are too narrow as it is, so I don't know where the extra space would come from. There is gridlock now, so I'm not sure how reserving one lane for specialized use would not make that worse. It still remains how you regulate and charge for using it.

 

[Transportfan]

Pic of the 400 widening near King Rd. The new outer lanes are now finished and now carry traffic while the original lanes are being reconstructed:

PS: It looks wide enough for twelve lanes here.

 

[Jasmine18]

What is the highway 400 plans.

Is it an 3expansion to highway 9 or barrie and how many lanes.

I drive it a lot now as my sister lives in Bradford.

 

[innsertnamehere]

What is the highway 400 plans.

Is it an 3expansion to highway 9 or barrie and how many lanes.

I drive it a lot now as my sister lives in Bradford.

Right now it's only an HOV lane from Major Mackenzie to King Road. It's supposed to be done in a year or so.

longer term it will be an HOV lane all the way to Barrie.

 

[kamira51]

Add a $0.90 tax to what? Registration fees are not taxable (neither GST or PST).

I really don't know how you would charge a driver with that tax. My post was mostly throwing my idea out there for others to expand on.