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waterloowarrior

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Major expansion proposed for Highway 401

December 01, 2009
BY BRENT DAVIS, RECORD STAFF
WATERLOO REGION — Highway 401 through Waterloo Region and Wellington County could look quite different if expansion proposals are adopted.

Picture an artery that’s between eight and 12 lanes wide, with a core and collector segment in the Highway 6 corridor and rebuilt overpasses from Hespeler Road to the Halton Region line.

It’s all part of a series of improvements proposed for a 26-kilometre stretch of the 401. Studies have determined the existing six-lane highway is quickly approaching its capacity.

Traffic forecasts predict that eight lanes will be required by 2016, with 10 lanes needed by 2031. And that’s taking into account the reduction in vehicles expected to accompany long-term GO Transit expansion.

“A diversion to transit slows your growth rate but doesn’t stop it,†said Ministry of Transportation project engineer Dan Leake.

High-occupancy vehicle lanes are also being considered to encourage carpooling.

The first of two public information sessions on 401 improvements was held Tuesday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Cambridge. The second takes place Thursday between 4 and 8 p.m. at the Puslinch Community Centre.

Specific project timelines or cost estimates haven’t been established yet.

“The construction of any large-scale project like this is always contingent on available funding,†Leake said.

The only existing overpass that can accommodate an expansion to 10 lanes is Townline Road, meaning all others would have to be rebuilt.

The ministry replaces any existing sidewalks or bicycle lanes when it rebuilds an overpass, Leake said. Any new sidewalks or bicycle lanes would have to be funded by the municipality.

The ministry is aware that Cambridge and Waterloo Region are reviewing crossing options for pedestrians and cyclists between Franklin Boulevard and Hespeler Road.

The issue returned to the headlines in October when a cyclist was killed near the Franklin Boulevard exit ramp.

The 401 expansion plans include a 12-lane core and collector stretch between Highway 6 north and south that would accommodate a bypassed Highway 6 around the village of Morriston, south of the 401.

“It will be there when we come along to do our project,†Leake said.

Once a preferred plan is selected, a second round of public information sessions will be held, likely next summer. From there, the public will have the chance to review a transportation study report before the project shifts into the property acquisition and detailed design phases.

Anyone interested in submitting comments or questions can do so until Jan. 8 at www.highway401-hespeler-halton.ca

bdavis@therecord.com
 
^No. I think it's from roughly just before Guelph turnoff (aka just outside the green belt) to west of Kitchener. It's to accommodate the land speculators around Cambridge/Hespeler who've assembled land near the 401 for industrial uses. The area will become the next Milton, essentially. (Yuck.)
 
I'd much prefer they widen the 401 along its existing path as opposed to building an entirely new highway farther north. One of the largest hurdles to increasing rail service along the north mainline is the section through Guelph. the GTA west EA, the GO transit kitchener EA, and the Highway 6 morriston bypass EA need to be finished and the north mainline refurbished before we should consider widening the highway
 
I think UD has a point. Developers are taking advantage of land beyond the greenbelt to build the next decade's sprawlzone and the MTO is an accomplice.

Of course, this will also create a tremendous bottleneck for traffic through the escarpment as the 401 suddenly narrows from 10 lanes to 6. Planning at its best!
 
When more than 6 lanes are needed on a rural highway, it's time to built a second one. I don't know where there are any 8+ lane rural freeways.
 
When more than 6 lanes are needed on a rural highway, it's time to built a second one. I don't know where there are any 8+ lane rural freeways.

Show me another 401 and I'll show you another rural highway requiring 8+ lanes.
 
So what would be the better choice between expanding an existing highway or building a new one? (pick one, no saying "neither")
 
This should be merged with the other GTA West corridor thread, n'est-ce pas? This is an outcome from the exact same planning exercise.

I'm just a little blown away by the magnitude of the traffic growth that this study seems to have arrived at. No population growth scenario that I'm aware of shows London, Chatham Windsor etc. doubling in size. Goods volumes to Detroit can't exactly be expected to grow by this much, either, in light of continuing rustbeltification.

If you dig down through the display boards, there's absolutely no rationale given for where it's coming from, only that our existing rail freight network can be optimized, but still not really make a dent in this apparent need to add trucking capacity.
 
“A diversion to transit slows your growth rate but doesn’t stop it,†said Ministry of Transportation project engineer Dan Leake.
Someone, please fire this man right now!

This is yet another problem that could quite easily be solved by better rail transit. Go service to Kitchener-Waterloo and an improved Milton Line would both make this problem almost nonexistent. If they have more future capacity concerns, just upgrade the transit instead. There's no justification for this, and it's another so-called "good" project that'll just encourage sprawl like no tomorrow.
 
It's sad that highway expansion seems to happen naturally with the province but GO upgrades and subway construction seem to occur almost by chance.
 
It's sad that highway expansion seems to happen naturally with the province but GO upgrades and subway construction seem to occur almost by chance.

Not the way I see it; Ontario's highway improvements are slow too. Too bad it is developing like the way US is right now...
 
Someone, please fire this man right now!

This is yet another problem that could quite easily be solved by better rail transit. Go service to Kitchener-Waterloo and an improved Milton Line would both make this problem almost nonexistent. If they have more future capacity concerns, just upgrade the transit instead. There's no justification for this, and it's another so-called "good" project that'll just encourage sprawl like no tomorrow.

I drive the 401 between Cambridge and Mississauga and the biggest problem is rigs bunching up and taking 2 out of the 3 lanes.

Here's my thoughts:
1. Expand the 401 like the MTO wants.
2. Build the highway bypasses, Cambridge to Geulph, Brampton, Vaughn, etc. The 401 is over-congested because many are using it to get over and up on other busy highways.
2. Build dedicated commuter rail lines, completely bypassing the freight infrastructure.
2. Decrease the cost of transit - i.e. rather than $500/mth to travel from Cambridge to Toronto, make it a flat $100/mth.
 

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