CityNerd | Freeway Widening: The Gift That Keeps on Giving (More Traffic) @CityNerd | Uploaded April 2023 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Highway 401 in Toronto is purportedly the busiest freeway in North America -- and maybe even the world. Today we take a closer look at this enormous, expensive, and extraordinarily dangerous piece of infrastructure -- and dig into how public officials talk themselves into doubling down on a bad idea by repeatedly expanding freeways.
We'll also look at the current state of freeways widening in the US, and lessons we can learn from Canada's leadership in building and widening this kind of sustainable, greenhouse gas-reducing infrastructure.
Book recommendation! The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis, available here: amzn.to/3mhNjoE
This is an affiliate link where I make a small commission from your purchase, which helps support this channel. There is no extra cost to you.
Or...buy it at your local independent bookseller!
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CityNerd is now available on Nebula -- streaming ad-free, along with lots of other great creators! I get a cut, and you get a discount, when you sign up with this link:
go.nebula.tv/citynerd
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Patreon - a way to directly support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far.
patreon.com/CityNerd
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Instagram: @nerd4cities
Mastodon: @nerd4cities@mstdn.social
Twitter: @nerd4cities
----------
Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced:
- Stroad Case Study: Aurora Avenue in Seattle youtu.be/iIeWLDwnOXM
- Is LA Salvageable? Walkability and the Historic Streetcar Network youtu.be/ZewK0lOC9T4
- The Exclusive Bus Lane, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal youtu.be/SEme-kqbJFw
- Canadian High Speed Rail vs Plane vs Car youtu.be/gZdnl7wEE9g
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Resources:
- 407etr.com/en/tolls/tolls/toll-calculator.html
- toronto.citynews.ca/2022/12/12/major-expansion-highway-401-gta-mississauga-milton-complete
- blogto.com/city/2022/12/construction-highway-401-slowing-finally-finished
- infrastructureontario.ca/en/what-we-do/projectssearch/highway-401-expansion-project
- files.ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/269475-1/attachment/yzla0xxIqmcGRTfnKgCvsNoasXXfgxE8KdpMMGTDdSfon456MwRdFWU1LvyTkZ3vMSEgjLjdM0gnHalC0
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Rescue:_401
- kvue.com/article/traffic/txdot-i-35-expansion-through-downtown-austin/269-87e529dc-0efa-43af-a319-271d006d5319
- texastribune.org/2023/03/07/houston-interstate-45-highway-expansion
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Images
- Highway 401 at Weston Road By Haljackey - Own workPreviously published: flickr.com/photos/haljackey/13932913571/, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32332958
- Thousand Islands Parkway 1944 By Department of Highways - 1944 Annual Report, Department of Highways, Public Domain, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66777299
- 1963 Toronto Bypass By Ontario Department of Highways - Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-2, Box B986, Photo #648-10), en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27118643
- Widening 401 to 12 lanes By Ontario Department of Highways (Ministry of Transportation of Ontario) - gettorontomoving.ca/Don_Valley_Parkway.html (originally from Toronto Archives), Public Domain, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27313672
- Highway 401 1987 By GoldDragon (talk) - Aerial photo provided by uploader - GoldDragon (talk), CC BY 3.0, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30254348
- Collector-Express System By AlbertaScrambler - flickr.com/photos/62153623@N05/9024112536/in/photolist-eKqWgb, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27466634
- 401 near Pearson Airport By Clashmaker - Cropped version of File:Highway 401.png, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100929861
- I-105 in Los Angeles By Tony Barnard, Los Angeles Times - https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz0002vzzc, CC BY 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122052595
- Katy Freeway congestion By Aliciak3yz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40222519
- L Train 6th Avenue Station By Gryffindor - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10384940
- Highway 401 Thumbnail By AlbertaScrambler - flickr.com/photos/62153623@N05/9024112536/in/photolist-eKqWgb, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27466634
- Highway 401 shield Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2724349
----------
Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)
----------
Business Inquiries: thecitynerd@nebula.tv
Highway 401 in Toronto is purportedly the busiest freeway in North America -- and maybe even the world. Today we take a closer look at this enormous, expensive, and extraordinarily dangerous piece of infrastructure -- and dig into how public officials talk themselves into doubling down on a bad idea by repeatedly expanding freeways.
We'll also look at the current state of freeways widening in the US, and lessons we can learn from Canada's leadership in building and widening this kind of sustainable, greenhouse gas-reducing infrastructure.
Book recommendation! The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis, available here: amzn.to/3mhNjoE
This is an affiliate link where I make a small commission from your purchase, which helps support this channel. There is no extra cost to you.
Or...buy it at your local independent bookseller!
----------
CityNerd is now available on Nebula -- streaming ad-free, along with lots of other great creators! I get a cut, and you get a discount, when you sign up with this link:
go.nebula.tv/citynerd
----------
Patreon - a way to directly support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far.
patreon.com/CityNerd
----------
Instagram: @nerd4cities
Mastodon: @nerd4cities@mstdn.social
Twitter: @nerd4cities
----------
Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced:
- Stroad Case Study: Aurora Avenue in Seattle youtu.be/iIeWLDwnOXM
- Is LA Salvageable? Walkability and the Historic Streetcar Network youtu.be/ZewK0lOC9T4
- The Exclusive Bus Lane, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal youtu.be/SEme-kqbJFw
- Canadian High Speed Rail vs Plane vs Car youtu.be/gZdnl7wEE9g
----------
Resources:
- 407etr.com/en/tolls/tolls/toll-calculator.html
- toronto.citynews.ca/2022/12/12/major-expansion-highway-401-gta-mississauga-milton-complete
- blogto.com/city/2022/12/construction-highway-401-slowing-finally-finished
- infrastructureontario.ca/en/what-we-do/projectssearch/highway-401-expansion-project
- files.ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/269475-1/attachment/yzla0xxIqmcGRTfnKgCvsNoasXXfgxE8KdpMMGTDdSfon456MwRdFWU1LvyTkZ3vMSEgjLjdM0gnHalC0
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Rescue:_401
- kvue.com/article/traffic/txdot-i-35-expansion-through-downtown-austin/269-87e529dc-0efa-43af-a319-271d006d5319
- texastribune.org/2023/03/07/houston-interstate-45-highway-expansion
----------
Images
- Highway 401 at Weston Road By Haljackey - Own workPreviously published: flickr.com/photos/haljackey/13932913571/, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32332958
- Thousand Islands Parkway 1944 By Department of Highways - 1944 Annual Report, Department of Highways, Public Domain, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66777299
- 1963 Toronto Bypass By Ontario Department of Highways - Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-2, Box B986, Photo #648-10), en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27118643
- Widening 401 to 12 lanes By Ontario Department of Highways (Ministry of Transportation of Ontario) - gettorontomoving.ca/Don_Valley_Parkway.html (originally from Toronto Archives), Public Domain, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27313672
- Highway 401 1987 By GoldDragon (talk) - Aerial photo provided by uploader - GoldDragon (talk), CC BY 3.0, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30254348
- Collector-Express System By AlbertaScrambler - flickr.com/photos/62153623@N05/9024112536/in/photolist-eKqWgb, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27466634
- 401 near Pearson Airport By Clashmaker - Cropped version of File:Highway 401.png, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100929861
- I-105 in Los Angeles By Tony Barnard, Los Angeles Times - https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz0002vzzc, CC BY 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122052595
- Katy Freeway congestion By Aliciak3yz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40222519
- L Train 6th Avenue Station By Gryffindor - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10384940
- Highway 401 Thumbnail By AlbertaScrambler - flickr.com/photos/62153623@N05/9024112536/in/photolist-eKqWgb, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27466634
- Highway 401 shield Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2724349
----------
Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)
----------
Business Inquiries: thecitynerd@nebula.tv
