canada

Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement Project

Transportation Investment Corporation

Liberals in Canada were less enthusiastic than either the conservative minority government or the leftist national democrats about a new toll crossing (NITC) at the Michigan border just downstream of the Ambassador Bridge.

Michigan's state senate majority leader Mike Bishop (Republican) says that without revenue forecasts the upper house of the legislature will not vote on authorizing legislation for a new Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC). Michigan DOT which supports the new bridge has released a traffic-only study by Wilbur Smith Associates, but no revenue estimates.

Widening into a median can be a very economical method of adding to capacity. Example is 36 lane-km, 22.4 lane-miles being added to the 407ETR in Toronto Canada. This adds two lanes each direction for 9km, 5.6 miles between H404 to Markham Rd.  (see map)

Canada's federal transport minister John Baird visited Detroit Monday talking up the importance of building the new DRIC bridge downriver of the Ambassador as the date approaches for votes in the Michigan state legislature on enabling legislation.

Detroit International Bridge Company (DBIC) owner of the Ambassador Bridge has lodged a law suit with US District Court in Washington DC against a catch-all collection of US and Canadian government agencies and officials. Not sued is Michigan state DOT the major sponsor of the rival DRIC bridge and the agency trying to force DIBC to demolish tens of millions of dollars worth of construction for a second bridge span.

407ETR are raising tolls differentially to boost revenues and to manage congestion. Toll changes announced today and effective Feb 1 2010 see an increase in the main peak hours premium from 10.3% to 16.3% over off-peak.

After Tiger Woods wrecked his car on a neighbor's fire hydrant and a tree recently in Orlando FL the celebrity golf champ was cited by police for the misdemeanor charge of "Careless driving". A more serious variant is "Reckless driving."

In Ontario, a supposed English-speaking territory of Canada this same traffic offense is called "Undue care and attention".

California's old Title 21 electronic toll (ET) system spec written nearly 20 years ago by engineers at Hughes - long since departed ET - has life still. It is a requirement in the toll system RFP for the big new Port Mann toll bridge to carry Canada's Highway 1 over the Fraser River 24km (15 miles) east of Vancouver.

Traffic on Canada's big tollroad 407ETR is down 3.8% the first half of this year (2009H1) versus first half of 2008 (2008H1) but a slightly larger increase in toll rates (4.7%) has ensured that revenues are holding. Revenues in 2009H1 were running at an annual $469m (C$524m @$C=90c) based on 292.1k trips/day versus 303.8k in 2008H1, the 3.8% decline. The revenue in 2008H1 was $468m (C$520.2m.)