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[mightyace]

-If you drive a vehicle with a "Green" Ontario license plate you can drive in HOV lanes with no occupants.

I assume that you mean no additional occupants or no passengers.

A car with no occupants, even a green one, would be extremely dangerous. 

No no -- no occupants whatsoever. Cars are expected to get jobs and support themselves these days, haven't you heard? They've got to drive themselves to work somehow.

Now, if my car would only get a good enough job, maybe I wouldn't have to. 

[rickmastfan67]

HOV lane design in Ontario

Note the paved shoulder and the stripped buffer zone.  The appearance of these lanes is very different compared to elsewhere in Canada and the United States.

That picture would be of King's Highway 403 heading Eastbound into Toronto just after the Erin Mills Parkway Interchange (Exit #112), correct?   I remember every part of 403 since I traveled on it more than 100 times.

[Truvelo]

Here's a neat overview of Highway 407: Canada's only electronic toll highway.

Question on that photo - Is the right of way, and are the bridges, designed to accommodate dual outer carriageways based on future traffic volumes?

Judging by the traffic in the picture I don't think widening will be necessary. In fact a two lane suburban street would handle those traffic levels well enough

[haljackey]

You're right, no additional occupants .

Yes, you need to wait for a break in the buffer zone in order to get in and out of the HOV lane.  (Legally, that is  )

Example of a break in the buffer zone:


Transition from buffer zone to transition zone:



Oh and I think the 407 has been designed to be built to a 10 or 12 lane freeway (maximum).  I don't think any extra carriageways will be added, just more lanes.

[haljackey]

My vision of London roads (That I made in paint lol)

Highway 402 would go straight, north of the city (as originally planned) instead of curving south west of the city.

Red is what should go in. Dotted red are alternate routes and possible new routes. The current 402 route has been scribbled out.


Part of the "Smartmoves London" 2030 Master Plan discussion:
http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Transportation_Planning/default.htm

Full resolution map here:
http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/2176/clipboard02s.png

[un1]

Yeah London's freeway network is REALLY underdeveloped for a city its size. However more locally, Ontario is getting opinions on our third section of four lane highway.. this means that we should see a complete four lane highway on highway 11/17 sometime before 2050 (sounds long but we've needed one since 1970). Also construction starts on our first ever freeway/interchange this summer!

[haljackey]

Yeah London's freeway network is REALLY underdeveloped for a city its size

True, and London can no longer get a freeway to serve local traffic.  That time has come and gone.

This is just a vision of mine of where the 402 should have gone. In fact, the 402 was supposed to go through the city, not around it, but the city rejected all freeway plans. Most politicians consider London a small town, when in reality we're actually a pretty sizable city and the need for a freeway to service local traffic was always there.

There's also a urban growth boundary which does not extend to the 400-series (just a small portion along the 401 that has already been developed)


Regarding my freeway plan, there's a rumor that the MTO plans to extend the 403 from the 401 to connect to the 402 west of London. This will help reduce congestion on the 401 between the 402 and 403 and provide connections for areas north of London. Adding a freeway in west London and finishing the Veteran's Memorial Parkway will complete London's system, but the goal of these roads serving local traffic will not be reached.

Map of proposed routes for southern Ontario:
-Note the amount of proposed routes around London.

[Truvelo]

I've only driven around London on one occasion and that was to stay with friends at Mount Brydges. On that occasion the route of 402 was of great help. If 402 had gone round the north of London it would have meant using surface roads.

[haljackey]

I've only driven around London on one occasion and that was to stay with friends at Mount Brydges. On that occasion the route of 402 was of great help. If 402 had gone round the north of London it would have meant using surface roads.

Well of course it makes zero sense to rip out that part of highway that I scribbled out.  Remember that's just a vision and should not be taken literally, it's just there to make you think.  The 402 will stay where it is, its the 403 that now needs to be extended in order to make this system a reality (which I don't think will ever happen).

[Alps]

The latest post (desired widenings) was moved to Fictional Highways because it's a wish list.  See link below:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2690.0

[haljackey]

The latest post (desired widenings) was moved to Fictional Highways because it's a wish list.  See link below:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2690.0

Hmm, I don't understand why you moved it, as a lot of these projects are planned to be completed in the next 20 years.  It's not really fiction, its going to be reality.

[Alps]

The latest post (desired widenings) was moved to Fictional Highways because it's a wish list.  See link below:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2690.0

Hmm, I don't understand why you moved it, as a lot of these projects are planned to be completed in the next 20 years.  It's not really fiction, its going to be reality.

Desired widenings is different from planned widenings.

[Hellfighter]

How much are the tolls on the 407?

[un1]

How much are the tolls on the 407?

About 21.35¢/km for an average car but instead of copying the whole list you can see it here.

[haljackey]

How much are the tolls on the 407?

I got a bill of $53.01 traveling from the eastern terminus (Brock Road) to the 400 stack interchange.

I'll never use it again.  I'll just take the world's busiest highway as an alternative.  Time is money I guess.

[mightyace]

About 21.35¢/km for an average car but instead of copying the whole list you can see it here.

On the page it says:

IMPORTANT: a $50.00 FLAT TOLL CHARGE PER TRIP is billed to any light vehicles without a transponder
  whose rear licence plate is not visible to, or recognizable by our toll system.

If they can see or read the rear license plate, how on earth are they going to find you to charge you the $50.00 penalty? 

[mightyace]

I got a bill of $53.01 traveling from the eastern terminus (Brock Road) to the 400 stack interchange.

How on earth did they figure that out?  Their website say the trip you took is $12.12 one-way during peak hours plus a $2.50 fee per billing period.

IMHO It looks like you may have been ripped off.

EDIT:
And their website is dain-bramaged.  Their interactive maps works in IE but not Firefox even though I have the latest version of the flash plug in for each.

[haljackey]

Here's something a little different:



That's the Veterans Memorial Parkway, a 4 lane at-grade expressway in London.  The road used to be two lanes and clogged with traffic for a long time.  The lack of funding during the upgrade meant interchanges were not built and thus intersections remained.  If you drive on it you'll see tons of skid marks on the road due to cars slamming on the breaks when a light turns red.  It sucks, but it is better than it used to be.

Because today is Earth Day, a massive tree-planting project is underway along the route to "put more park in the parkway".

This route has also had 3 different names over the years (Highway 100, Airport Road, and the Veterans Memorial Parkway).  I guess they couldn't make up their mind. 

[iwishiwascanadian]

Does anyone know about Onthighways.com?  I look every week or so, and the site is dead, but canhighways.com is still up.  I miss my Ontario Highway news. 

[rickmastfan67]

Does anyone know about Onthighways.com?  I look every week or so, and the site is dead, but canhighways.com is still up.  I miss my Ontario Highway news. 

See: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ontroads/message/17894

[vdeane]

I hope the broken links on CanHighways.com will be fixed.  Bookmarked the page just in case though.

[joseph1723]

Here's another link to Onthighways.com I found that also works:

http://onthighw.dot5hosting.com/

[Hellfighter]

Anyone know the progress on the northern expansion of the 400?

[iwishiwascanadian]

Thanks rickmastfan67!

[DanTheMan414]

Does anyone know about Onthighways.com?  I look every week or so, and the site is dead, but canhighways.com is still up.  I miss my Ontario Highway news.  

Specifically, here's the new URL for OntHighways:

http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/

All of the corresponding links on CanHighways.com to pages on OntHighways have been updated to reflect this, too.