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Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

I wonder how many of these 2000+ drivers are true victims who obey the speed limit and driving conditions versus morons who decides to drive 110+ km/h on a slippery windy road. Maybe they should consider a lower speed limit too besides improvements
 
Steve X said:
I wonder how many of these 2000+ drivers are true victims who obey the speed limit and driving conditions versus morons who decides to drive 110+ km/h on a slippery windy road. Maybe they should consider a lower speed limit too besides improvements
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Apparently both driver speed and poor road factors:
Samantha Craggs · CBC News · Posted: Feb 06, 2019 11:28 PM ET | Last Updated: February 7

Hamilton city staff have issued an extraordinary apology to the public after admitting a damning report raising concerns about the friction levels of the asphalt on the deadly Red Hill Valley Parkway was kept under wraps for six years.

The city issued a statement late Wednesday saying it only just uncovered a November 2013 report from Tradewind Scientific. It's been kept secret — including from city councillors for all that time — even amid presentations about the need to do something from grieving parents whose children were killed on the road.

That report tested the friction of the highway. It found friction levels along Red Hill were below expected standards and in some places, well below. Friction levels on the Lincoln Alexander Parkway were up to standard.

The press release said "On behalf of the City of Hamilton, staff apologize to Council and the general public for how this matter has come to their attention."

The city immediately changed the highway's speed limit from 90 km/h to 80 Wednesday. It also approved a consultant to usher major "rehabilitation" measures for the two highways. That will include spending millions for medians, barriers and better lighting on the Red Hill. And it will expedite a resurfacing of the highway planned for the spring.

It's news that comes too late for some families. In 2017, four families pleaded with council to improve the highways.

"How long is that going to take?" said Susan Sholar, whose son Michael, 25, died in a January 2017 crash. "How many people are going to die?"

The city has fielded concerns from residents about the slipperiness of Red Hill for years. [...]
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/red-hill-parkway-1.5009053
 
After driving in 4 states these past weeks, MTO needs to update everything to NA & Europe Standards, including moving to 120 km/hr on the 400 highways..

Yes speed does kill people because people don't know how to drive in the first place as well don't understand when to cut their speed based on road conditions.

Outside of city limits, speed increase to the max of 65 or 75 mph depending if its an I-X highway or a standard highway. All I-X highways were 75 mph.

In the city limits, it range from 50-65 mph.

Roads like Highway 10, 11 saw 65 mph, not the 80-90 km/hr we see today.

Saw flashing red, yellow, green arrows as well solid ones for both left or right turns. In many places, you had a flashing yellow for left turns while the straight through traffic saw solid green lights. Only saw one LED light for no turning right on a red for the whole trip.

Saw a lot of your speed is on all types of roads including highways than what we see here.

Crosswalk saw red lights when someone wanted to cross that turn to flashing red for a 4 way stop and then when blank. Way better than what we have today. All cars stop on the red lights.

In one city came upon 2 school buses doing 40 mph in a 65 zone in the middle lane that were empty. Cars where lane changing madly because of their speed and the slow buses with no flashing lights and that included me as well. How dumb. Then you had the Sunday drivers in the left lanes below the speed limits. Sunday drivers in the left lanes is bad in the US than here, but it has improved some what.

Was past more on the trip by drivers doing over 100 mph than what I see here. It was cowboys racing as well zigging in and out of lanes with no warnings, including going cross 3 lanes at a time.

Only one city had HOV lanes and only work during the week between 7-9 and 4-6. Solid white line for the whole route that allow you to enter/exit any place you want. Found a few Sunday drivers in the lanes regardless the time of day holding traffic up as well forcing driver to lane change around them.

All but one city had the bar signals for their LRT lines with advance movement before traffic starts to move. That one city used traffic lights that were toooooo long in the first place, with the odd bar signal along the route. Can't think of a city that I have been too that had these long lights considering there was lack of traffic at the best of times.

Lots of bike lanes either next to the curb, or by park cars. Watch for that opening door.

I thought doing the Trans Canada Highway out west was bad for twist and turns, but the 2 hour drive between 2 cities was worse than the ones I have driven on. Other than about 10-20 mile straight section at either end for the 2 cities, it was twist and turn all the way doing 75 mph while going down various grades of 4-7% at the same time. Took the foot off the gas and got up to almost 100 in a short span and was even pasted by drivers doing well over 100. Prefer to do 75-80 on this road.

Ran mostly at 80 for my trip or 5 over the limit.

Seeing signs that told you how long to X point like being installed on the 401 was nice, but saw far more on the trip than here.

Trucks were an issue to the point you have one in all 3 lanes on a climbing hill at the same time, backing up traffic. Some truckers were doing the speed limit, but a lot were at least 10 mile below the limit on flat straight sections, with a few over the limit.

Still like the high barrier medium that blocks the lights of on coming traffic than our low ones, as well being more safer.

Bring on the 120 km for the 400's ASP.

One city LRT line ran through the centre of a traffic circle with crossing barriers for the lanes of traffic.
 
I think higher speeds are fine in rural areas.

Driving in the USA, i find the higher speeds really helpful in covering long distances much faster.
 
Looks like the feds are kicking in around $170 million to get the next phase of the highway 69 twinning underway.. This time it's a southern extension of the 400, about half of the remaining twinning at 30km of new highway. This should bring the highway from Nobel to just north of Highway 529 at Pointe Au Baril.

www.thesudburystar.com

Feds kick in $169M for Hwy 69

Highway 69 work has received a blast of octane from Ottawa.
www.thesudburystar.com www.thesudburystar.com

Good to see the next phase (finally) happening - this project has been moving at a glacial pace. The fact that it's a southern portion means the 400 will be formally extended another 30km too, which is nice. It's equivilant to a fairly large expansion of the 400 series network. Once the whole project is completed and the highway can be resigned as the 400 all the way to Sudbury will be a pretty big day, finally bringing the 400 series network into Northern Ontario.
 
innsertnamehere said:
Looks like the feds are kicking in around $170 million to get the next phase of the highway 69 twinning underway.. This time it's a southern extension of the 400, about half of the remaining twinning at 30km of new highway. This should bring the highway from Nobel to just north of Highway 529 at Pointe Au Baril.

www.thesudburystar.com

Feds kick in $169M for Hwy 69

Highway 69 work has received a blast of octane from Ottawa.
www.thesudburystar.com www.thesudburystar.com

Good to see the next phase (finally) happening - this project has been moving at a glacial pace. The fact that it's a southern portion means the 400 will be formally extended another 30km too, which is nice. It's equivilant to a fairly large expansion of the 400 series network. Once the whole project is completed and the highway can be resigned as the 400 all the way to Sudbury will be a pretty big day, finally bringing the 400 series network into Northern Ontario.
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The North may have a bunch of swing ridings this fall. Get ready for a bunch of regional annoucements like this as the Liberals get ready for the election!

(Sudbury is solidly Liberal but others are definitely swing)
 
188318
 
innsertnamehere said:
lol Cintra is losing their minds right now. That's a $30 billion asset. IIRC one of the most valuable privately held pieces of infrastructure on the planet. The Beer Store contract is peanuts compared to that.
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So $30B can be spent on buying Highway 407 to potentially help 5.5M+ cars or spent on transit to significantly help 3M+ people.
Numbers from here.
 
thettctransitfanatic said:
You sure up north isn't majorty right-wing?
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Look at the election results for the 11 northern ridings from a riding where the right-wing did well - 2018. So 2 riding for the PCs, 1 for the Liberals, and 9 for the NDP. Which is an improvement from 2014 when the PCs got 0 (of then 9).

Surely the north if majority (or majorty if you prefer) left-wing?

188800
 
Napalm Frog said:
View attachment 188318
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This would be something that I would actually support. Yes the cancellation penalties would hurt, but the long-term revenue generated would offset that. I'd much rather have a Provincially-controlled 407 with reasonable toll rates (like the 407 East) than beer in corner stores.
 
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