[Panontario]

Well, looking at the eastbound video, it's a pretty big fail that they couldn't finish the work at Brock Road on time for the 407 opening...sort of defeats the point.

The space they are working on now was occupied by the diversion of HWY7. They were not able to work on that till the extension opened.

 

[darth_freeman]

The space they are working on now was occupied by the diversion of HWY7. They were not able to work on that till the extension opened.

Ah, so maybe that's why it's free until next year!

 

[Komiksulo]

Google Maps now shows the 412 and the 407 extension, though the base photographs seem to be from last summer.

 

[DavidH]

Google Maps now shows the 412 and the 407 extension, though the base photographs seem to be from last summer.

Still some odd artifacts; take a look at the westbound lanes near Brock - there's a gap while the eastbound are connected to the old segment. On the other hand, the ramps on the 412 now look correct so far as I can see.

 

[muller877]

Still some odd artifacts; take a look at the westbound lanes near Brock - there's a gap while the eastbound are connected to the old segment. On the other hand, the ramps on the 412 now look correct so far as I can see.

Google Maps will direct you onto the 407 going eastbound. But because of this "gap" it diverts you onto Hwy 7 westbound. Leaving from Oakville right now the 407 will save you 30 minutes to Peterborough. Wow...didn't think it would save that much time with only 1/2 of it built.

And 15 minutes savings going from Oakville to Kingston even before rush hour (and the 412 connecting ramps are not on the map yet).

 

[darth_freeman]

Just think, the entire Phase 1 only cost $1B (and that includes maintenance for 30 years!)...that's 1/3 a Scarborough Subway! Phase 2 will cost another $1.2B.

 

[rbt]

Just think, the entire Phase 1 only cost $1B (and that includes maintenance for 30 years!)...that's 1/3 a Scarborough Subway! Phase 2 will cost another $1.2B.

Yep, stuff at ground-level is cheap to build and cheap to maintain. That applies to railways, highways, and many other things.

Pushing them below ground greatly increases both the initial construction cost and maintenance significantly.

GO tracks with 2 minute headways making all stops would have a massive capacity and still cost a fraction of our current subway system to maintain.

 

[TransitBart]

So...4 days later. What difference has this made to the commute! To the 401 on the way to Whitby? Feedback?

 

[innsertnamehere]

The additional traffic heading for the extension and going lane reduction eastbound at Brock has made eastbound travel even worse. It backs up all the way into Markham now at peak times - probably about an hours delay compared to free flow. I get off at Donald Cousens and drive around through back roads. Problem is that you can't even get back on at Brock, as the eastbound on ramps are closed too.

Westbound is better.

 

[Steve X]

Yep, stuff at ground-level is cheap to build and cheap to maintain. That applies to railways, highways, and many other things.

Pushing them below ground greatly increases both the initial construction cost and maintenance significantly.

GO tracks with 2 minute headways making all stops would have a massive capacity and still cost a fraction of our current subway system to maintain.

Imagine having a proper crosstown frequent GO RER line instead of all of them heading to union. Have some feeder buses looping around factories in the 905 as necessary to help out the workers. Also a decent backbone bus network that's reliable. Half the cars on the 401 would be gone.

 

[TOareaFan]

Imagine having a proper crosstown frequent GO RER line instead of all of them heading to union. Have some feeder buses looping around factories in the 905 as necessary to help out the workers. Also a decent backbone bus network that's reliable. Half the cars on the 401 would be gone.

I don't think they would actually.

Certainly having the most frequent GO service in the region hasn't produced an empty QEW.

 

[rbt]

Half the cars on the 401 would be gone.

Ten cars, perhaps fewer, on the 401 would be gone.

 

[crs1026]

The conditions that made the LSE/LSW popular aren't as easy to replicate on other lines. One of these is patience..... off peak GO trains on the LSE/LSW were three cars for the first twenty years or so. We would balk at building to that kind of ridership projection today.

I do support the idea of an uptown line, way up - like the one time plan for an ICTS style line up around Finch. It might not empty the 401, but it would build a ridership if the right conditions were created around it - things like fast frequent first mile/last mile local distribution. The issue that is hardest to address is the ample availability of cheap parking at the destination. The uptown roads may be filling up, but it's just too easy to park outside of downtown.

- Paul

 

[gweed123]

Took the new 412 and 407 east to Ottawa last Thursday evening, and it looks great. Only thing is it ends at a relatively minor street, and the backlog to get from there to the 115 was incredible. Just a constant stream of cars. I felt really bad for the people who until last week lived on a quiet country road, and are now on a default extension of a 400-series highway.

Durham Region also needs to do some stop sign and light timing adjustments along that route. There was a 4-way stop at a road where the intersecting road was closed both ways. Slowed things down by a good 10 mins.

 

[chicu1981]

So No exit/entrance for Rossland on 412.

Any idea when they might open that