[darth_freeman]

The government still influences 407, they just don't dictate the rates. 407ETR is smart, they know they have to keep the rates high enough to prevent congestion, and keep the highway as an express route.

Don't forget that 407ETR is owned 40% by the CPP and 16% by Canadian company SNC Lavalin, so the tolls mostly do go back to our economy.

 

[TOareaFan]

The miracle in the Hydro sale is, the government actually found investors willing to put money into a venture that the government fully intends to continue to meddle in.

- Paul

The retained investment by the province is one of the reasons I have been (and will continue to) buying shares of Hydro One.....it is a decent stock with a decent current dividend yield....it's primary shareholder used to get 100% of the profits....needs cash and regulates the price.....pretty good bet that income is going up as the province tries to move the amount of their dividend from 40% of the shares towards (if not at) what they used to get from 100% of the shares.

Every business should be regulated by a primary shareholder that needs cash

 

[DavidH]

I've been watching to see when the big online maps would start showing the 407 extension and 412. While Apple Maps is not yet showing them, Google Maps is showing the 412 but not the 407 extension, and the 412 is an alternate version that has no ramps at Dundas Street but does have ramps at Rossland. Very odd, but I'm sure it'll all get sorted out soon.

 

[Markster]

I've been watching to see when the big online maps would start showing the 407 extension and 412. While Apple Maps is not yet showing them, Google Maps is showing the 412 but not the 407 extension, and the 412 is an alternate version that has no ramps at Dundas Street but does have ramps at Rossland. Very odd, but I'm sure it'll all get sorted out soon.

Google maps changes go through a relatively slow process of submitting changes into their editor, and then waiting for approvals from Google. The 407 is very long, so only parts of it can get approved at a time, and sometimes the Google reviewers will approve one part, and miss another. It can be messy.

Checking the site (http://www.google.com/mapmaker), I can see that some of the actual 407 has been approved, so it'll show up live in a few hours. Some interchanges still need drawing work, and that's being worked on, as fast as approvals allow (i.e. slowly)

It'll be several days or a week before Google Directions will start routing people along the road.

 

[DavidH]

It'll be several days or a week before Google Directions will start routing people along the road.

Thanks for the information; very interesting stuff.

 

[darth_freeman]

I'm confused...based on the current traffic it seems 407 is not open by the congestion at Brock Road? I don't see why it would back up there if 407 is really open with 3 lanes. Is traffic still forced off at Brock?

 

[Markster]

As much as there's been news about it, many people aren't going to realize that it's open yet. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people are expecting to exit at Brock Rd like usual, and so the exit ramp is being overloaded, and people are moving slowly in the left lanes trying to merge over.

You can see that traffic is definitely making it to the later exits, as there's some traffic at those ones.

 

[andrewpmk]

I'm confused...based on the current traffic it seems 407 is not open by the congestion at Brock Road? I don't see why it would back up there if 407 is really open with 3 lanes. Is traffic still forced off at Brock?

There is construction in this area. The 407 East is open, but the former temporary ramp from 407 eastbound to Highway 7 is being removed, so lanes are blocked. The ramps from Brock Road to 407 eastbound are closed though.

 

[muller877]

The government still influences 407, they just don't dictate the rates. 407ETR is smart, they know they have to keep the rates high enough to prevent congestion, and keep the highway as an express route.

Don't forget that 407ETR is owned 40% by the CPP and 16% by Canadian company SNC Lavalin, so the tolls mostly do go back to our economy.

And Ontario has decided to price their portion virtually the same as the privatized version. Our elected officials think the rates are reasonable! (well....with a 1% discount to make it look like they are giving us a break)

 

[innsertnamehere]

The 407 was still down to 1 lane eastbound at Brock road this morning when I went by.

 

[Kitsune]

I've been watching to see when the big online maps would start showing the 407 extension and 412. While Apple Maps is not yet showing them, Google Maps is showing the 412 but not the 407 extension, and the 412 is an alternate version that has no ramps at Dundas Street but does have ramps at Rossland. Very odd, but I'm sure it'll all get sorted out soon.

Well it took google maps many months to show Calgary's western portion of its ring road after it opened.

 

[andrewpmk]

 

[andrewpmk]

 

[andrewpmk]

 

[darth_freeman]

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.