[Neil]

Depending on how it was priced, this highway would divert a lot of business from the 407. Hmmmm...

 

[innsertnamehere]

I imagine it would have been tolled similar to the 407 east - cheaper, but not way cheaper. 407 East tolls are a lot easier to swallow than the 407 ETR though, for sure.

 

[darth_freeman]

I imagine it would have been tolled similar to the 407 east - cheaper, but not way cheaper. 407 East tolls are a lot easier to swallow than the 407 ETR though, for sure.

Well it was primarily to be a trucking route bypass of the 401/400 interchange (the most congested part of the GTA). Instead the recommendation is to add a toll free truck lane to 407ETR. Hmm, and who will cough up the money for the lost revenue to 407ETR?

 

[Leo_Chan]

Well it was primarily to be a trucking route bypass of the 401/400 interchange (the most congested part of the GTA). Instead the recommendation is to add a toll free truck lane to 407ETR. Hmm, and who will cough up the money for the lost revenue to 407ETR?

A truck toll-free lane? That's not enough, there needs to be 2 lanes each way just for trucks.

 

[toaster29]

I really do think it is crazy they have decided to cancel any further investigation into this. This part of the GTA is rapidly growing. The number of friends/colleagues of mine that have moved out to Orangeville/Caledon/Guelph in the last year or two (because of how unaffordable Toronto/Missisauga have become) is crazy, not to mention Brampton is still growing rapidly. You can't expect infrastructure / capacity built for a tenth of the current population to function for what is there now (and what is coming).

 

[narduch]

So is the 427 extension north of Highway 7 construction already underway?

Yes.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Why don't we have adjustable speed limit signage in Ontario?

Maybe, just maybe, we'll slow down to the conditions like this. But if the sign says "100"...

 

[lenaitch]

Man, the hits just kept coming. I'm not familiar with the effectiveness of variable speed limits in jurisdictions that have them so can't comment. They would be costly to implement and it would be interesting how effectively they would be on highways in the 'traditional snow belt' areas where the visibility can drop to virtually zero in the matter of a few hundred feet. I live in such an area and this is all too frequent - people seem to drive more on faith than anything else (perhaps that's all they have in the driving toolkit). What I find interesting in the video is, in face of a veritable wall of stopping metal, people just kept ploughing in at what looks close to highway speed. I saw a couple of smart moves: get onto the shoulder and get ahead of other vehicles - don't be the last stopped car in the line.

What happened to looking down the road driving within the control parameters of your vehicle.

"Maybe, just maybe". We could only hope. But I'm guessing that even at a posted 10 km/h, many would still be in trouble.

 

[Neutrino]

My "favourite" moment was when that one semi managed to veer off the road without impacting anyone. "Whew," I thought. And then sat stunned/bemused as the semi behind it came through like a freight train. @lenaitch Another smart move, in my view, in this situation would be to get off the road entirely if possible. Better to scrape over a few bumps and dent your wheels than have an 18 wheeler up your rear end.

 

[W. K. Lis]

My worse moments in the video are when we see people walking around, but more vehicles come through.

 

[darth_freeman]

So is the 427 extension north of Highway 7 construction already underway?

Yes, and I could see an extension of 427 to 400 & 410 acting as a "stub" GTA west to relieve some congestion and provide route flexibility. The final piece from 410 to 401/407 could come after more environmental assessment.

 

[innsertnamehere]

The more likely part to be built is from the 407/401 to Mayfield Road.. Peel and Halton region want to construct that as a municipal expressway if the province fails to construct the GTA West.

We may see the highway return if the PCs win this year as well.

 

[BurlOak]

The more likely part to be built is from the 407/401 to Mayfield Road.. Peel and Halton region want to construct that as a municipal expressway if the province fails to construct the GTA West.

We may see the highway return if the PCs win this year as well.

if what you say is true*, then it means that the entire EA process is a farce - just a kabuki theater to make is look like things are being considered and that the public is being listened to - but in reality, it is just a distraction and whatever is desired by the government will be enacted. It just adds to costs, and adds to delays, but it is meaningless in the end.

* - I agree with you that its true.

 

[Neutrino]

When someone argues that drivers have already paid for roads through taxes, what's the counterargument in favour of road tolls?

 

[darth_freeman]

if what you say is true*, then it means that the entire EA process is a farce - just a kabuki theater to make is look like things are being considered and that the public is being listened to - but in reality, it is just a distraction and whatever is desired by the government will be enacted. It just adds to costs, and adds to delays, but it is meaningless in the end.

* - I agree with you that its true.

The EA was already done and was 100% valid.

The review was the farce and is just pre election politics.