HOV Sucks

[Juldet]

A 45 minute commute on the 404 south turned into 1.5 hours plus. F___ me!

The HOV on the DVP/404 just creates another bottleneck at the 401 that was supposed to be fixed with those other lanes they made last year that go straight to the 401 from the two right lanes.

I have to go to my office downtown and see clients in Mississauga today... TTC is not an option for me and thousands of others. What a bunch of Einsteins these road/highway planners are!

 

[minnie_me]

Were you driving solo or in the HOV lane? Many of my colleagues who car pool said that the drive in was much faster since they were able to use the HOV lane.

 

[WhaWhaWha]

The purpose of the HOV is to encourage carpooling. Consider sharing your ride. You will help reduce the overall traffic problem and open yourself to taking advantage of the HOV.

 

[Dawgger]

The HOV didn't increase the number of cars (in total) so the bottleneck is probably the same bottleneck... perhaps if more people carpooled and used the HOV there would be less bottlenecks??

When you are a salesperson travelling from account to account you rarely have anyone else in the car. It makes it more difficult to get around and meet your call quotas.
Guess you could aut a couple of manikens or blow up dolls in the back.

 

[redwine109]

better idea

Hire some SP's to ride with you. Take the HOV and have fun in the car at the same time.

Make sitting in a traffic a bonus.

 

[Juldet]

back from my appointments in Mississauga...

The problem is the HOV lane only takes you to 401 West and you have to join the regular traffic at the 401. Therefore you are racing down the 404 only to join and create a huge bottleneck at the 401/DVP.

The other problem is that drivers have to go across 4 lanes of traffic to join the HOV or have to go across 4 lanes of traffic to go 401 East or get off at Sheppard or Finch...the result? As drivers shimmy their way left and right it creates a traffic jam due to the difference in speed. IMHO we would better off opening the lane to everyone. Traffic was better when this lane was closed off to everyone during construction.

 

[Esco!]

In the UK, heat sensors are used to make sure there are at least 3 people in the vehicle due to the fact that idiots were using manequins and blow up dolls to circumvent the law.

So why not put a little portable heater inside the doll??

 

[Juldet]

Sheik I hope you are right and this is just a little blip as people figure out the entry and exit points of the HOV...otherwise I will have to take Bayview/Leslie/Don Mills, whatever is available.

 

[tboy]

HOV is just another BS way to fuck traffic up.

Highway planners know nothing about how to control traffic on the highways and surface streets. I wonder if they've EVER even driven on the roads they control?

The bottleneck at 401 and DVP is the same as any other: (I haven't counted lately so the actual numbers may be different)

You have 4 lanes going north on dvp.
You have 4 lanes going south on dvp.
Not all lanes of traffic are getting off at the 401
You have 2 entry lanes from the 401 east (North and south)
You have 2 entry lanes from the 401 west. (north and south)
Therefore you have 4 lanes of full traffic plus an additional 4 lanes coming off the 401.

They are trying to put 8 lanes of traffic into 4 lanes...EOS.

I forget the actual numbers but when the 401 was completed in it's current design, it was designed to handle 1000 cars per minute. I think it was 8 yrs ago they counted 6000 cars per minute.

It will only get worse folks, so get used to it.

That is why I rarely travel by car during 7:30 am - 9:30 am or 4:00 p - 6:30 p Unless someone is dying or other emergency.

The only way to reduce traffic is to reduce the amount of vehicles on the road. People have to start using their head when it comes to using their car. I know many people who will travel 10 miles to go to a mall when there is one, with the same stores, 2 miles away. Over the past 2 yrs, I do 99% of my shopping and business within 10 blocks of where I live. Other than use for work, I bet I haven't put 100 kms on my truck for personal use in the past 10 months.

 

[Esco!]

The only alternative to traffic congestion in the long term is the Skycar:

http://www.moller.com/skycar/

.

 

[Juldet]

How many times have we heard no new lanes, no new roads, no Scarborough Expressway, no Allen extension because we want to encourage transit. Fine then get me out of my friggin car by giving me options. If you live in butf___k York Region and you have to go York Transit, Go Transit and then two different subway lines...that is not a choice

They need to put their money where their mouth is and fully fund transit ie subway from Newmarket (yonge st) to join with Finch Station/TTC.

Frigging fund transit and I will get on board so will thousands of 905'ers and the traffic problem is fixed. It makes me sick to hear the Transport Minister gleefully announce how traffic problems will be solved with HOV. Painting lines and adding signs is a drop in the bucket for what we really need.

 

[great bear]

Someone said that HOV sucks? Is that a CIM?

 

[Keebler Elf]

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/hov/faq.htm

I was skeptical of HOV lanes until I checked out the Ministry of Transportation's webpage. They do a pretty decent job in explaining why the HOV lanes are being used.

 

[tboy]

Never mind the skycar, but Juldet said it best:

We need better mass transit.

Subways are too expensive to build and take too long. Look how long it took them to build the sheppard line? 30 YEARS.

There was talk of building a monorail along eglinton. SHould have done it.

In addition to public transport, and many won't want to hear this, but there should be a premium tax put on anyone who choses to live 25 miles or more from their place of work. In addition, there should be a rebate to those who live within 5 miles of work. That is the only way to change traffic patterns by reducing the amount we rely on our cars. If you want to live in York region, you should work in York region. If you want to work downtown, then yes, we should have better transit for you to get here but hey, it is your choice to live up there. No one forced you to live there.

IMHO the downtown core should be banned from vehicular traffic. Right now you can get from union station to the eaton centre underground. All streets should be free of cars and trucks, and either roofs/parks put above them and moving sidewalks or bike lanes be put in. Kind of like Underground Atlanta. Right now the buildings are so close together you could effectively bridge the gaps and totally enclose the core. Now you may laugh but have any of you ever been to disneyworld in florida? They don't allow trucks or cars onto the grounds but everyone gets around fine. I'm talking about taking the same principle to the core. It can and would work.

We are getting close to this now. I worked with a guy who lived at yonge and sheppard in the condos there. He never wore a winter coat to work. He would take the elevator down to the subway station, take the subway to eglinton, take the elevator up to the office.

 

[Juldet]

tboy to get me out of my car and into a decent transit system I would pay $20.00 a day and am sure many others in the 905 would also agree.

$240.00 a month on gas, $140.00 on parking...then add the aggravation, wear and tear on the vehicle and insurance costs etc

It would be a bargain to pay $600.00 a month for a decent transit system pass. What are people paying now for a TTC/Go combined pass? $300.00 a month? Fund the TTC and we will gladly pay for it.

 

[xix]

I believe this belief

HOV is just another BS way to fuck traffic up.

Highway planners know nothing about how to control traffic on the highways and surface streets. I wonder if they've EVER even driven on the roads they control?

The only way to reduce traffic is to reduce the amount of vehicles on the road. People have to start using their head when it comes to using their car. I know many people who will travel 10 miles to go to a mall when there is one, with the same stores, 2 miles away. Over the past 2 yrs, I do 99% of my shopping and business within 10 blocks of where I live. Other than use for work, I bet I haven't put 100 kms on my truck for personal use in the past 10 months.

I doubt highway/street planners know how to read a map or what the congestion are like. They rely more on someone gathering data than going to the site themsemselves and seeing it oneself or drive with the masses.

When the 407/403 opened in Burligton they made mistakes with the amount of lanes. I think they did it on purpose. 3 lanes for 407 and 1 lane for 403 towards TO. You better believe it that 99% of the people were going on the 403. Well it took 2 years to fix the many mistakes those ididots did. WOuld you believe that hardly any cars go on the 407.

The HOV will take time but tourist will find it difficult. I had personall experince with this system in LA. It was great to one degree but I did miss my exits a few times as mention here before.

I feel sorry for the souls that have to be on that part of the hwy.

 

[Keebler Elf]

I doubt highway/street planners know how to read a map or what the congestion are like. They rely more on someone gathering data than going to the site themsemselves and seeing it oneself or drive with the masses.

Then you're either naive or completely out to lunch.

And the fact that you don't know the 407 has been steadily increasing in volume proves it's the latter.

 

[ruck]

You guys are blaming the wrong people for this boondoggle.

First, you can blame the politicians who wanted to do a test run in the stupidest place. The idea would be much better suited for all the highways but they decided to go with a less travelled highway. So how does this backfire. Well first off, the 403 mississauga is pretty well travelled but sort-of sparse highway. It doesn't matter what time of day or night, the traffic moves fairly smoothly. Now take away a lane and add a "commuter" only lane and that reduces the number of lanes able to be used by a normal commuter. Creates a backup and makes the HOV look like a fucking waste of time and money.

Second, you can blame the single occupant drivers who drive the highways daily. I am a part of those numbers because I go in and out of TO daily but at odd times of the day. I can't commute with anyone because I dont' know anyone who is going there at the same time I am. Sales people excluded because it's their job, but normal commuters. Even where I live, people who work in TO carpool. It saves gas, time and ultimately money. I've spoken to a few today and they absolutely LOVED the new HOV. Why? Because they are the people that the lanes were designed for. Mutliple occupancy in a single vehicle. Even if you and a friend work in different parts of the city but live nearby, then it's much smarter to carpool.

I think if we give it some more time and the HOV lanes are utilized more, the traffic will move much faster and will result in all highways going the same way.

Side note. Toronto has many streets that have the multi-commuter/taxi lanes. You still see it empty because nobody wants to carpool. What a fucking waste.
Just my 2 bucks.
Cheers.

 

[tboy]

"Side note. Toronto has many streets that have the multi-commuter/taxi lanes. You still see it empty because nobody wants to carpool. What a fucking waste."

These lanes (in toronto anyways) are for taxis, bicycles and buses only. Nothing else can use them no matter how many occupants they have.

Sorry, but the only way to cut down on traffic is to reduce personal vehicle use.

With the proper planning, and education, public transit or altenative transportation is the ONLY way to go....

 

[ruck]

"Side note. Toronto has many streets that have the multi-commuter/taxi lanes. You still see it empty because nobody wants to carpool. What a fucking waste."

These lanes (in toronto anyways) are for taxis, bicycles and buses only. Nothing else can use them no matter how many occupants they have.

Sorry, but the only way to cut down on traffic is to reduce personal vehicle use.

With the proper planning, and education, public transit or altenative transportation is the ONLY way to go....

Actually, you're wrong. Those lanes are indeed for multi-occupant vehicles and taxis. Ask your mp or someone in the know. Just take a drive up Bathurst St. north of St. Clair. They start popping up. Or at least I think it's bathurst. It's been a while since I lived in TO and that area.
Cheers.