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I think a really simple solution for congestion would be allowing GO buses to use the 401 shoulder during rush hour. There is no reason why a commute from the 410 to York Mills should take over an hour when if there is no traffic it takes 20min. That would get people out of cars and onto transit.

I believe the reason why we can't do it now is because an additional Lane of traffic would need to be built for one lost. The government made that rule so can't they change it?

I mean at this point we have so much at risk. The city is literally choking to death. Or a direct Express bus from Humber college to Bramelea?
 
Bordercollie said:
I think a really simple solution for congestion would be allowing GO buses to use the 401 shoulder during rush hour. There is no reason why a commute from the 410 to York Mills should take over an hour when if there is no traffic it takes 20min. That would get people out of cars and onto transit.

I believe the reason why we can't do it now is because an additional Lane of traffic would need to be built for one lost. The government made that rule so can't they change it?

I mean at this point we have so much at risk. The city is literally choking to death. Or a direct Express bus from Humber college to Bramelea?
Click to expand...

The shoulders on the 401 are more limited in width and without space to widen. Many of the 401 routes from Milton/Meadowvale and Brampton divert to the 407 as far as the 400 during especially congested times instead.
 
ShonTron said:
The shoulders on the 401 are more limited in width and without space to widen. Many of the 401 routes from Milton/Meadowvale and Brampton divert to the 407 as far as the 400 during especially congested times instead.
Click to expand...
The majority of spots can be made slightly wider. There is space. Except for bridges like Yonge St. And snow removal would need to be taken into consideration.

It would make sense to start with where is it possible like the DVP. We have to do something. This situation is not getting any better.
 
Bordercollie said:
The majority of spots can be made slightly wider. There is space. Except for bridges like Yonge St. And snow removal would need to be taken into consideration.

It would make sense to start with where is it possible like the DVP. We have to do something. This situation is not getting any better.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Governments aren't treating this problem with the importance it deserves. A good chunk of our GDP flows through that corridor.
If the GO Midtown isn't feasible for the time being then they should've already begun construction on the 407 Transitway to provide a high frequency/capacity cross-region BRT.

But this is Ontario. They'll start sounding alarms only after the highway becomes a permanent daytime parking lot.
 
Bordercollie said:
I think a really simple solution for congestion would be allowing GO buses to use the 401 shoulder during rush hour.
Click to expand...
Isn't this suggestion pretty much mute by the number of GO bus routes that drive on the 407? Transfer on to the subway from the 407 bus terminal.
 
Bojaxs said:
Isn't this suggestion pretty much mute by the number of GO bus routes that drive on the 407? Transfer on to the subway from the 407 bus terminal.
Click to expand...
That's not applicable unless we have the Yonge subway extension built, and the Scarborough subway connecting to the 407.
 
ShonTron said:
The shoulders on the 401 are more limited in width and without space to widen. Many of the 401 routes from Milton/Meadowvale and Brampton divert to the 407 as far as the 400 during especially congested times instead.
Click to expand...

Bordercollie said:
The majority of spots can be made slightly wider. There is space. Except for bridges like Yonge St. And snow removal would need to be taken into consideration.

It would make sense to start with where is it possible like the DVP. We have to do something. This situation is not getting any better.
Click to expand...
They studied DVP bypass lanes over a decade ago, and the bypass lanes you see now is what was possible, given width constraints. The thinking was that it was a bandaid measure for the most heavily impacted trips during rush hour (a quite small number), which would be mitigated by rush-hour trains.

1726582685080.png


I do agree that more effort should be made to make dedicated bus routes along the major highways, I think there's a great opportunity to make transitways along them for both local and GO buses.
 
Metroscapes said:
They studied DVP bypass lanes over a decade ago, and the bypass lanes you see now is what was possible, given width constraints. The thinking was that it was a bandaid measure for the most heavily impacted trips during rush hour (a quite small number), which would be mitigated by rush-hour trains.

View attachment 596827

I do agree that more effort should be made to make dedicated bus routes along the major highways, I think there's a great opportunity to make transitways along them for both local and GO buses.
Click to expand...
Cross town would help if it ever opens. Also the Finch LRT doesn't go to Yonge Street so that doesn't help.
 
Bordercollie said:
Cross town would help if it ever opens. Also the Finch LRT doesn't go to Yonge Street so that doesn't help.
Click to expand...
It would be nice having GO buses head to Mount Dennis but seeing as it’s already a GO train/UPX station, and the fact that Bramalea has 30 min all day service makes it unlikely.

Bordercollie said:
I think a really simple solution for congestion would be allowing GO buses to use the 401 shoulder during rush hour. There is no reason why a commute from the 410 to York Mills should take over an hour when if there is no traffic it takes 20min. That would get people out of cars and onto transit.

I believe the reason why we can't do it now is because an additional Lane of traffic would need to be built for one lost. The government made that rule so can't they change it?

I mean at this point we have so much at risk. The city is literally choking to death. Or a direct Express bus from Humber college to Bramelea?
Click to expand...

A direct non stop GO bus to Humber College from Bramalea seems likely but the 511 Zum Steeles makes the argument for one a little challenging.

I think what they should do is focus on the lines that already have frequent service on GO/TTC, and service stations that are near highways that don’t have as much traffic in comparison to what the 401 GO buses suffer through. Kipling is an obvious point but they only have one GO bus going there and it really isn’t all that useful, they could easily expand there.
 
Allandale25 said:
Click to expand...

When they built the new terminal closer to the Gardiner I thought that would help. But I guess in the intervening years since the bus terminal moved, traffic has just gotten that much worse. It's such a pain being stuck on a GO bus that is just trying to leave the station and get on the Gardiner, and of course proceeds to crawl on the Gardiner. I just can't with this Gardiner traffic and I can't understand why people are still putting themselves through that hassle of driving through it.
 
Dan416 said:
When they built the new terminal closer to the Gardiner I thought that would help. But I guess in the intervening years since the bus terminal moved, traffic has just gotten that much worse. It's such a pain being stuck on a GO bus that is just trying to leave the station and get on the Gardiner, and of course proceeds to crawl on the Gardiner. I just can't with this Gardiner traffic and I can't understand why people are still putting themselves through that hassle of driving through it.
Click to expand...
^^^ THIS is where a dedicated busway is needed.
 
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