afransen
Senior Member
You could just arbitrarily close lanes during weekday rush hour and achieve the same result.
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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion
- Thread starter Haljackey
- Start date
nfitz
Superstar
True, in Ontario at least, if done safely.
However, the motorist who puts themselves in a position that a car can safely pass on the right, could be ticked, for not staying to the right. Perhaps not on urban highways, but certainly on rural ones.
drum118
Superstar
I have noticed in a few location where metal barrier fencing has been added to the top of the concrete barrier to block the headlights of on coming traffic and that is a welcome sign.
Don't know if this is cheaper that raising the barrier wall as it be rebuilt or being added.
I know a few locations on curves where the barrier is higher and blocks headlights.
Don't know if this is cheaper that raising the barrier wall as it be rebuilt or being added.
I know a few locations on curves where the barrier is higher and blocks headlights.
Haljackey
Active Member
The HOV lane setup in Ontario is only good for long-distance traffic. In other areas there are dedicated HOV-only exits and entrances to local roads and larger highways. In Ontario you have to exit the lane and merge all the way right to exit.
For someone like me, the HOVs on the 403/QEW stretch is quite nice because whenever I use this stretch I use the HOV lane for it's entire length. It may not be the fastest if there's a slow driver in front of you, but it flows better and congests less frequently than the general lanes. Those lanes could be flowing faster at one point and backed up another, whereas the HOV flows at the same speed so it's more efficient.
I do think it's somewhat stupid to put in 1 HOV when they had room for 2 general lanes however. New builds with HOVs are fine, but when you have limited space you may want to squeeze as much lane space in instead. Conversely, if they just dropped the buffer (which isn't really needed, most other areas don't have this) they could have still 10-laned the 403/QEW, but with 1 HOV lane + 1 general lane.
On the 401, the HOV lane is an express lane within the express lanes. Seems kind of odd since you only have 2 express lanes now for general traffic and I could see that getting clogged with trucks with no way to pass them.
For someone like me, the HOVs on the 403/QEW stretch is quite nice because whenever I use this stretch I use the HOV lane for it's entire length. It may not be the fastest if there's a slow driver in front of you, but it flows better and congests less frequently than the general lanes. Those lanes could be flowing faster at one point and backed up another, whereas the HOV flows at the same speed so it's more efficient.
I do think it's somewhat stupid to put in 1 HOV when they had room for 2 general lanes however. New builds with HOVs are fine, but when you have limited space you may want to squeeze as much lane space in instead. Conversely, if they just dropped the buffer (which isn't really needed, most other areas don't have this) they could have still 10-laned the 403/QEW, but with 1 HOV lane + 1 general lane.
On the 401, the HOV lane is an express lane within the express lanes. Seems kind of odd since you only have 2 express lanes now for general traffic and I could see that getting clogged with trucks with no way to pass them.
Northern Light
Superstar
In a Toronto Star article discussing the declining health of Lake Simcoe, and on-going threats that will likely harm it further.........
Objections are raised to population growth mandates in the area......
And...to the Bradford bypass.
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/gta/2021/04/12/theres-a-tipping-point-lake-simcoe-is-supposed-to-be-protected-by-doug-fords-government-but-residents-fear-the-provinces-policies-now-threaten-its-health/main.jpg)
www.thestar.com
Behind the paywall:
outline.com
From the article:
Objections are raised to population growth mandates in the area......
And...to the Bradford bypass.
Lake Simcoe is supposed to be protected by Doug Ford’s government. But residents fear the province’s policies now threaten its health
Aggressive population growth targets, fast-tracked developments and infrastructure plans may damage the lake’s fragile environmental equilibrium.
Behind the paywall:
Outline.com
outline.com
From the article:
Bojaxs
Senior Member
Adding HOV lanes in the newly constructed express lanes on the 401in Mississauga was such a foolish idea. I don't think there should be HOV lanes anywhere on the express/ collectors portions of the 401.
kamira51
Active Member
If they want the bypass cancelled that's fine and all, but it wont reduce the volume of traffic that passes through Bradford everyday, and It will only increase and bog up Bradford, that's not very healthy for its residents.In a Toronto Star article discussing the declining health of Lake Simcoe, and on-going threats that will likely harm it further.........
Objections are raised to population growth mandates in the area......
And...to the Bradford bypass.
Lake Simcoe is supposed to be protected by Doug Ford’s government. But residents fear the province’s policies now threaten its health
Aggressive population growth targets, fast-tracked developments and infrastructure plans may damage the lake’s fragile environmental equilibrium.
Behind the paywall:
Outline.com
From the article:
View attachment 312091
lenaitch
Senior Member
If the goal was to simply alleviate traffic pressure on downtown Bradford they could do that by enhancing the existing road network with possibly a new link or two to fill in gaps. This is a route connecting two 400-series highways. If it isn't initially one itself it soon will be.
north-of-anything
Active Member
Is the Bradford Bypass proposal overbuilding? Possibly. But cancelling it outright would further strangle Bradford's downtown. Holland Street in older parts of town is incredibly hostile for pedestrians, making redevelopment and economic activity in the downtown unpalatable. Pressure on the town to grow is immense, and the safest way to accommodate those pressures right now is through sprawling further and further from downtown and the GO station.
Highway 11 is the only way east from the Bradford area, and will be the fastest route to the 400 for thousands of new residents of East Gwillimbury. Right now there IS no alternative that doesn't involve crossing the Holland River.
Highway 11 is the only way east from the Bradford area, and will be the fastest route to the 400 for thousands of new residents of East Gwillimbury. Right now there IS no alternative that doesn't involve crossing the Holland River.
Undead
Senior Member
Can we upzone and densify the area around Bradford GO before sprawling further?
ShonTron
Moderator
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HOV lanes were pretty much only a means of greenwashing highway expansion, especially the way they are designed in Ontario. They are only added to highway expansion (widening and extension) projects, creating illogical HOV lane end points, and creating awkward merges, especially between freeways. Only SB 404 to WB 401 was done right.
north-of-anything
Active Member
Bradford has designated nearly everything along Holland Street east of Melbourne/Professor Day as an area to be intensified, and a few of the single-family homes in that area and along Barrie Street are now slated for intensification. The issue is with most of the land near the GO station being industrial land, and the town has gotten in trouble in the past for not providing enough industrial land. There's also still the fact that Bridge Street is a traffic sewer that unloads much of its traffic onto Dissette Street, creating a wall of congestion between the GO station and the town.
Haljackey
Active Member
Actually I'd love to see a continuous HOV lane on the 401's entire length through Greater Toronto... maybe all the way from Highway 8 in Kitchener to the 35/115 interchange. This would be done by converting the leftmost lane to HOV- not a new build. That is politically challenging.
To make this happen however I'd prefer there to always be 3 general purpose lanes in the express in addition to the HOV. That's not how the new stretch is being built in Mississauga, and you certainly can't retrofit one into most of the older stretches without significant reconstruction. Still, if you went away with the buffer you could put this in and the spots in the express where there are 4 lanes would be down to 3, but the main bits are 3 lanes and they'd go down to 2. You could also install signage that trucks are prevented from passing in the express, never permitted in the leftmost general lane.
-That could congest the outer lane(s) however since you will now have more truck traffic to deal with transferring in and out of the express.
How did the HOV experiment for the Pan-Am games work on the 401? That could be used as a case study. I know that was only at certain times of day and was 3 people minimum but it would still be interesting to take a look at, assuming there is suffient information.
Transportfan
Senior Member
It's Simcoe Rd. 4. Calling it Hwy. 11 doesn't even make sense as it doesn't relate to the present 11 north of Barrie at all.
ARG1
Senior Member
The Section in King and East Gwillimbury is literally called Highway 11. Similarly to Highway 7, they never bothered to give it a new name after the download.