Talk:Ontario Highway 407

Lots of Information can be found at www.407etr.com and I'm going to add a link to it from this page. That's where I got the 108km number from. The term freeway defines whether or not the highway is a free-flowing system where there are no crossroads. It does not mean that the highway is necessarily free to use. The term "Pay-per-Use Freeway" best defines the 407. Snickerdo

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IMHO the 407 should connect to the 401 in the east Pellaken 01:10, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

By the time it hits 35/115, it will be pretty far north. Its supposed to meet just north of Orono. -Fizscy46 03:44, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Reasons for move: Hwy 407 is not provincially maintained. Earl Andrew 18:03, 7 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Automatic number plate recognition

I was reading Automatic number plate recognition and thought of the 407. I didn't see any links between the articles, but I would assume that the 407 uses this technology, as it's supposed to be all digital. Anybody know? Greba 19:37, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

If the system works without cars having to have a transponder (as it must in order to be effective) then it must use ANPR. I've worked that into the article. violet/riga (t) 21:38, 31 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Photos

FYI: Just came here for research, but I removed the photo of the ETR offices. The article doesn't mention them as it focuses on the highway itself. I don't like that other photo either though because it doesn't show anything specific to this highway. A good photo for this article would have an on-ramp or some singage. If people wanted to see what a regular, boring highway looked like they would look at the Highway article. Riiiight? --Mrtea 01:26, 30 November 2005 (UTC)

This paragraph needs to be removed

"Another billing problem is a lack of consolidated account information. For example, an account is only created and maintained if a driver uses a transponder. However if the transponder does not always operate ideally, an automatic plate identification will result in a "Video Toll Charge". This then creates a separate account, all of the additional costs required to maintain the separate account. Drivers with transponders will think they only have one account, which they pay and keep up-to-date, when in fact they have two, because of transponder malfunction. The second account rapidly mounts up fines due to non-payment, as the driver is unaware."

This is really more due to user carelessness than the 407's fault. The typical 407 vehicle operator has already driven on the 407 before, thus creating their plate account number, which can then be assigned to a transponder. Even if their transponder has some other account number (mine doesn't), it will be clearly marked on the bill.

Agreed. 24.150.251.130 01:20, 4 June 2007 (UTC)

A few changes

A number of changes were made to update the plate denial legal battles and to remove completely false information. For example, the highway is forced to meet provincial safety standards, there is no clause in the agreement preventing the Government from building competing routes, etc. That information is simply wrong.--Fairweathergta 03:26, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Facilities

• Are the bridges really necessary?
• Should the listed Maintenence Yards be noted by distance markers??

Bacl-presby 23:07, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Out of province billing?

With respect to out-of-province drivers on the 407 -- the article notes that several surrounding states (and Quebec) allow access to their driver databases for billing purposes. Do these governments also practice plate denial if said bills aren't paid?

--Plane nutz 15:12, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Cost

The cost is listed as $100 billion dollars (sic). This sounds rather high - perhaps it should be 100 million?

Safety Concerns - Deletion of paragraph suggested

This paragraph sounds like it was written by someone with an axe to grind with the 407 organization. No references from the Geometric Design Standards for Ontario Highways are quoted and I cannot for the life of me understand the comment about conversion of a dual exit lane in Mississauga.

Regarding the Temporary Concrete Barrier use, I have to say that the original designers did not quite think things through on how to protect the median during each and every phase of the staged freeway widenings. The temporary concrete barrier is quite a safe and cost effective solution to the whole idea of staged median widenings.

I suggest this paragraph get deleted:

"Since the lease of the highway's operation, there has been a noticeable decrease in design standards, including straight-sided overpass structures (rather than the sloped design common on most provincial highways), the conversion of dual exit lanes to an exit lane and an additional travel lane in Mississauga rather than paying to widen the carriageway and maintaining two exit lanes, the reduction of the central median and the use of temporary concrete barriers rather than maintaining the median width, and the use of asphalt paving rather than concrete on the Burlington to Mississauga and Markham to Pickering sections. The freeway still adheres to minimum provincial government highway safety standards."