Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he wants to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that would stretch from Brampton to Scarborough.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he wants to build a tunnel for cars and transit under Highway 401 that would stretch roughly from Brampton to Scarborough.
Citing increasing gridlock and little room for highway expansion at a news conference Wednesday morning, Ford says his government will begin studying the technical feasibility of building a tunnel stretching across the GTA under the country’s busiest highway.
“This tunnel and expressway will cut gridlock, support economic growth and help get people moving faster,” Ford said.
Decades of research has now proven that more lanes does not fix traffic and in many cases can actually make traffic worse. Why are we still wasting money on ineffective infrastructure? Whats next 3 tunnels, a surface level highway, then 3 raised highways above it?
The last liberal government in Québec did that, but for a transit line (the REM).
They killed the only profitable commuter train line (DM) and literally gave it to a for profit entity (CDPQ) so they can transform it into a metro line. So now the public transit entities cannot compete with the private one, and even has to pay it royalties for something like 99 years.
I repeat, the public transit entity (ARTM) cannot compete against the for profit one, AND must pay it royalties for every passenger.
So now the ARTM doesn’t have the revenues from its defunct most popular commuter line, and must pay royalties on top of that. Public money, going straight into a for profit organization.
The new light rail line was not even working in 2023 and the public already had to pay $2.4 million to the CDPQ.
And those defending that model say that the CDPQ is a retirement investment firm that is profiting Quebecers, but their goal is still to make money. Unprofitable lines will be cut or never developed, even if needed.
They are literally privatizing public transit and some people are encouraging it saying that’s how we now have to build transit. It’s the way of the future!
Meanwhile the public transit entity says it’s not sure it can now maintain some of the other commuter lines and will have to look into cutting expenses and/or service.
What’s with conservative premiers elbowing their way into municipal affairs recently? Weren’t they the ones complaining about government overreach a while ago?
Anyway, I’m picturing Doug Ford busting into the provincial treasury in a car-brain fueled rage, and trying to explain that yes, he really needs $100 billion, no it’s not for drugs cars this time, it’s for economic growth
Municipalities exist at the convenience of the Province. They can, and will, interfere as much as they please. Not saying this is a good thing, but it is how things are.
You’re correct, but that’s not really the point of the origin question. Yes they always could, but why are they doing it now? Why this uptick in meddling?
I mean, if he can muscle his way through municipal affairs to stop some bike lanes being built, it’ll keep car dependency high enough that there would be sufficient frustrations with congestion for his car-dependent policies to look more appealing, and to also further push people who already don’t support alternative infrastructure further into his base. And to be fair, a lot of Canadians are dependent on cars, and don’t really see an alternative to cars, and it’s likely that he sees those as the base he needs to win and thus cater to. It all looks like part of the wedge politics that he’s playing.
Underground lanes, in an extention of the busiest highway in Canada, where rigs haul a shit-ton of cargo in soft-sided trailers (meaning it could be anything from nuclear waste to missiles), and there would never be an accident … ever. 🙄
All it’d take is a gas tanker. The Caldecott Tunnel Fire killed seven, and that tunnel was nowhere as busy as something like the 401. Knowing how insane traffic is on that highway, there’d be no chance of escape from such an incident besides on foot. And you better hope you escape before the smoke gets you.
Let’s not forget that his shithead junkie brother cancelled MOST of Transit City – a plan developed & designed for maximum impact for the least expense… Costing the city of Toronto nearly $100M in wasted work and cancellation penalties (which massively benefitted developers).
He fought like hell for the city to build subways rather than surface rail on a separated grade from cars, which is far cheaper, and nearly as effective as subways when approaching streetcars get priority from traffic lights.
At least a subway/train is accessible to nearly everyone. Driving isn’t accessible to some disabilities, people under 16, people too old to safely drive, and people unable to afford a car.
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Decades of research has now proven that more lanes does not fix traffic and in many cases can actually make traffic worse. Why are we still wasting money on ineffective infrastructure? Whats next 3 tunnels, a surface level highway, then 3 raised highways above it?
Drug Fraud’s addiction to spending taxpayer dollars in the stupidest of ways continues.
Thank God, I was afraid we’ve run out of ideas
His next one will be beer store pit stops in the tunnel
One of the busiest highways in the world, to get one of the longest tunnels in the world underneath it?
This will cost a hundred billion at least, and it won’t solve congestion.
ONE MORE LANE PLEASE JUST ONE MORE LANE I PROMISE ITLL FIX TRAFFIC THIS TIME
Don’t worry, he’ll build it, make it a toll highway, and sell the rights to a foreign company for 99 years. It’ll all work out, just trust me, bro!
Sounds oddly familiar… But I can’t place it, so the free market dictates that this must be a good idea.
The last liberal government in Québec did that, but for a transit line (the REM).
They killed the only profitable commuter train line (DM) and literally gave it to a for profit entity (CDPQ) so they can transform it into a metro line. So now the public transit entities cannot compete with the private one, and even has to pay it royalties for something like 99 years.
I repeat, the public transit entity (ARTM) cannot compete against the for profit one, AND must pay it royalties for every passenger.
So now the ARTM doesn’t have the revenues from its defunct most popular commuter line, and must pay royalties on top of that. Public money, going straight into a for profit organization.
The new light rail line was not even working in 2023 and the public already had to pay $2.4 million to the CDPQ.
And those defending that model say that the CDPQ is a retirement investment firm that is profiting Quebecers, but their goal is still to make money. Unprofitable lines will be cut or never developed, even if needed.
They are literally privatizing public transit and some people are encouraging it saying that’s how we now have to build transit. It’s the way of the future!
Meanwhile the public transit entity says it’s not sure it can now maintain some of the other commuter lines and will have to look into cutting expenses and/or service.
Sigh…
EDIT: Source for the price the ARTM has to pay: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/rem-hikes-per-passenger-payment-from-artm-even-before-it-starts-running
Yup. Guess Druggie forgot his province mostly consists of the Canadian Shield.
But then again he may have just got a hard-on for all the blasting required to tunnel through the rock.
What’s with conservative premiers elbowing their way into municipal affairs recently? Weren’t they the ones complaining about government overreach a while ago?
Anyway, I’m picturing Doug Ford busting into the provincial treasury in a car-brain fueled rage, and trying to explain that yes, he really needs $100 billion, no it’s not for
drugscars this time, it’s for economic growthMunicipalities exist at the convenience of the Province. They can, and will, interfere as much as they please. Not saying this is a good thing, but it is how things are.
… now. How things are now.
Only after Druggie decided to mess around in TO’s municiple politics to set his own fucking agenda.
They always had the absolute right to do so. Norms were that they didn’t, but the right existed.
You’re correct, but that’s not really the point of the origin question. Yes they always could, but why are they doing it now? Why this uptick in meddling?
Because the Cons in power are the party of F you, got mine (and will get my buddies [cough, construction industry, cough] theirs)
I mean, if he can muscle his way through municipal affairs to stop some bike lanes being built, it’ll keep car dependency high enough that there would be sufficient frustrations with congestion for his car-dependent policies to look more appealing, and to also further push people who already don’t support alternative infrastructure further into his base. And to be fair, a lot of Canadians are dependent on cars, and don’t really see an alternative to cars, and it’s likely that he sees those as the base he needs to win and thus cater to. It all looks like part of the wedge politics that he’s playing.
OR… OR or or… finish the sheppard line to its fullest extents? Cheaper since you only have to drill one hole!
Ah, yes, a few more lanes, that’ll fix traffic.
Underground lanes, in an extention of the busiest highway in Canada, where rigs haul a shit-ton of cargo in soft-sided trailers (meaning it could be anything from nuclear waste to missiles), and there would never be an accident … ever. 🙄
All it’d take is a gas tanker. The Caldecott Tunnel Fire killed seven, and that tunnel was nowhere as busy as something like the 401. Knowing how insane traffic is on that highway, there’d be no chance of escape from such an incident besides on foot. And you better hope you escape before the smoke gets you.
Fucking stupid idea. If you’re going to bore a tunnel build a subway. Much higher capacity without the ability to have an underground traffic jam.
Let’s not forget that his shithead junkie brother cancelled MOST of Transit City – a plan developed & designed for maximum impact for the least expense… Costing the city of Toronto nearly $100M in wasted work and cancellation penalties (which massively benefitted developers).
He fought like hell for the city to build subways rather than surface rail on a separated grade from cars, which is far cheaper, and nearly as effective as subways when approaching streetcars get priority from traffic lights.
Man, those cancelation fees look tiny compared to what the United Conservatives are forcing Calgary to swallow.
Canceling projects that are already well into their life cycle is such a collosal waste of money that it’s insane conservatives support it.
At this rate, he’s going to put The Beaverton out of business…
He must have some friends among the moleman land developers
Maybe make it mostly a rail line, with express lanes for commuters with cars only.
Still gonna.be a bazillion dollars
I think that the classic objection to rail transit is
I think that that objection can be almost entirely adressed (on both ends of the ride) with close integration with [e-]bikes/scooters
So… pedal?
Yes, and we’re Canadians with rain and snow gear.
What about in a blizzard? Well, what do you do in a blizzard right now? Stay home, or risk getting stuck in the cold right?
Right, but when the battery is flat, it’s still a bicycle…
I dont know about Toronto, but in every other big city I have driven in, walking a mile from my parking spot to my destination was pretty normal.
At least a subway/train is accessible to nearly everyone. Driving isn’t accessible to some disabilities, people under 16, people too old to safely drive, and people unable to afford a car.
Uggg. Schools, Healthcare… nah. Tunnel! Buyback the shitty 407 instead. Cheaper.
Great idea from a great premier
The only cure for traffic is cheap available mass transit of some sort. Trains, busses, whatever… Mass transit is the answer.
… And make Ottawa pay for it? #TrumpNorth