this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2024
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] foggenbooty 2 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] kat_angstrom 33 points 2 months ago (3 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 months ago

ONE MORE LANE PLEASE JUST ONE MORE LANE I PROMISE ITLL FIX TRAFFIC THIS TIME

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago (2 children)

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!

[–] kat_angstrom 4 points 2 months ago

Sounds oddly familiar... But I can't place it, so the free market dictates that this must be a good idea.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The last liberal government in QuΓ©bec 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

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

... 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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They always had the absolute right to do so. Norms were that they didn't, but the right existed.

[–] foggenbooty 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Because the Cons in power are the party of F you, got mine (and will get my buddies [cough, construction industry, cough] theirs)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] FireRetardant 19 points 2 months ago

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?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Drug Fraud's addiction to spending taxpayer dollars in the stupidest of ways continues.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Thank God, I was afraid we've run out of ideas

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

His next one will be beer store pit stops in the tunnel

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago
[–] mercano 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Ah, yes, a few more lanes, that’ll fix traffic.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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. πŸ™„

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago

At this rate, he's going to put The Beaverton out of business...

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

OR........... OR or or... finish the sheppard line to its fullest extents? Cheaper since you only have to drill one hole!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

... And make Ottawa pay for it? #TrumpNorth

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Maybe make it mostly a rail line, with express lanes for commuters with cars only.

Still gonna.be a bazillion dollars

[–] FireRetardant 3 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

I think that the classic objection to rail transit is

What about the last mile?!

I think that that objection can be almost entirely adressed (on both ends of the ride) with close integration with [e-]bikes/scooters

But it gets cold!

So... pedal?

But it rains and snows!

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?

Range and charging!

Right, but when the battery is flat, it's still a bicycle...

[–] Zolidus 3 points 2 months ago

Uggg. Schools, Healthcare.... nah. Tunnel! Buyback the shitty 407 instead. Cheaper.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

The only cure for traffic is cheap available mass transit of some sort. Trains, busses, whatever... Mass transit is the answer.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

He must have some friends among the moleman land developers

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 months ago

Great idea from a great premier