HIGHWAY 401

2012-2016 FULL CLOSURES

Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus – October 13, 2017

Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus – October 20, 2017

CoST – October 19, 2017

Kathryn Moore, Regional Director,

Ministry of Transportation, Eastern Region

Outline

• Purpose

• Data Sources

• Traffic Volumes

• Trends

• County Maps

• Traveler Information

• Roadside Technology

• Highway Projects and Plans

• Next Steps

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Purpose

• To provide data about closures of Highway 401 in Eastern

Ontario between 2012 and 2016.

• To provide a brief overview of highway activities and

projects in the Highway 401 corridor.

• To provide an overview of next steps for review of

locations with high incidence of closures.

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Data Sources

• Highway 401 Full Closures Data• Data Set: 275 Full Closures

• Timeline: January 2012 to December 2016

• Collected By: MTO Ottawa Traffic Operations Centre (OTOC) 7/24 from information received from the Ontario Provincial Police Communications Centre

• Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have the authority to close highways under the Highway Traffic Act

• Traffic Volume Data• Traffic Volumes are sourced from:

http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb?OpenForm&Seq=1

• % Trucks are estimated by Systems Analysis and Forecasting Office based on data collected by the Traffic Volume Inventory System (TVIS)

• All Collisions Data• Data Set: 7,371 Collisions

• Timeline: January 2012 to December 2016

• Collected By: MTO from the Accident Information System (AIS)

• AIS is populated from collision reports entered by police services

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Highway 401: 2012 and 2016 Traffic Volumes

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

An

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Municipality

2012

2016

5Traffic Volumes at singular locations are estimates.

Highway 401: 2012 and 2016 Traffic Volumes

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City * AADT SADT WADT % Trucks

2012 2016 2012 2016 2012 2016 2016

Port Hope 48,100 50,800 58,200 61,900 40,900 43,200 21%

Belleville 42,500 45,300 50,600 53,900 36,600 38,500 30%

Napanee 36,800 39,300 43,800 46,700 31,700 33,400 24%

Kingston 50,200 55,000 60,700 67,100 42,600 46,700 20%

Gananoque 31,300 32,300 37,800 39,300 26,600 27,400 36%

Brockville 33,300 33,600 40,300 40,900 28,300 28,500 32%

Cornwall 19,100 22,500 23,100 27,400 16,200 19,100 41%

*Traffic Volumes at singular locations are estimates.

AADT = Annual Average Daily Traffic.

SADT = Summer Average Daily Traffic.

WADT = Winter Average Daily Traffic.

Highway 401: 2012-2016 Planned Closures

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total Number of Closures 55 41 70 57 52

Total Planned Closures * 3 2 1 0 4

Duration

(Hours)

Total # of Hours 20.0 16.5 13.0 0.0 41.5

Average 6.7 8.3 13.0 0.0 10.4

Minimum 4.0 6.5 13.0 0.0 10.0

Maximum 8.0 10.0 13.0 0.0 11.0

*Planned Closures: related to scheduled bridge work, bridge demolitions, and pavement repairs from contracts. 7

Northumber-

landHastings

Lennox &

AddingtonFrontenac

Leeds &

Grenville

Stormont,

Dundas &

Glengarry

Total Planned

Closures *

(5 year total)

0 0 0 0 0 10

Total # of Hours 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 91.0

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total Number of Closures 55 41 70 57 52

Total Unplanned Closures 52 39 69 57 48

TT Removals 11 5 11 8 2

Miscellaneous * 3 4 4 1 3

Total Collisions Resulting in

Closure **38 30 54 48 43

Collisions Involving TT *** 27 22 30 31 34

Collisions in a CZ *** 5 3 9 5 5

Highway 401: 2012-2016 Unplanned Closures

*Miscellaneous: Closures related to police investigations (7), Transport stuck on a hill (4), emergency repairs (2),

hydro wires down (1), and poor road conditions (1).

**Total Collisions: includes multi-vehicle collisions.

***Collisions involving TT and in a CZ are based on Highway 401 Full Closures Data, not AIS data. Cause not identified.

TT = Tractor Trailer.

CZ = Construction Zone.

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2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total Number of Closures 55 41 70 57 52

Total Unplanned Closures * 52 39 69 57 48

Duration

(Hours)

Total # of Hours 285.3 222.5 341.5 291.0 193.0

Average 5.5 5.7 4.9 5.1 4.0

Minimum 1.0 1.0 0.5 1.0 1.0

Maximum 19.5 24.0 20.0 28.0 20.0

Highway 401: 2012-2016 Unplanned Closures

*Unplanned Closures: related to collisions, tractor trailer removals, and other. See slide 8.

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Highway 401: 2012-2016 Unplanned ClosuresNorthumber-

landHastings

Lennox &

AddingtonFrontenac

Leeds &

Grenville

Stormont,

Dundas &

Glengarry

Distance through

County64 km 46 km 33 km 37 km 92 km 95 km

All Collisions 1,803 968 748 1,250 1,572 1,030

Total Unplanned

Closures *

(5 year total)

47 40 30 26 71 59

Collisions 38 30 21 21 60 48

TT Removals 3 8 9 5 6 9

Miscellaneous 6 2 0 0 5 2

All Collisions

per km28.2 21.0 22.7 33.8 17.1 10.8

Unplanned Closures

per km0.73 0.87 0.91 0.70 0.77 0.62

Collision Rate **

(2016)0.03 0.03 0.05 0.03 0.02 0.03

Closure Rate***

(2016)0.007 0.005 0.007 0.008 0.017 0.018

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*Total Unplanned Closures: The closures that span between two counties are included in both counties. Due to overlap,

county closure and duration numbers are slightly larger than yearly closure numbers.

** Collision Rate is collisions per million vehicle kilometres. Collision rates are below the 2015 provincial freeways average of 0.5.

*** Closure Rate is closures per million vehicle kilometres.

Highway 401: 2012-2016 Unplanned Closures

Northumber-

landHastings

Lennox &

AddingtonFrontenac

Leeds &

Grenville

Stormont,

Dundas &

Glengarry

Distance through

County64 km 46 km 33 km 37 km 92 km 95 km

Total Unplanned

Closures *

(5 year total)

47 40 30 26 71 59

Duration

(Hours)

Total #

of Hours258.5 229.8 117.5 131.5 376.5 276.5

Average 5.5 5.7 3.9 5.1 5.3 4.7

Min 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

Max 28 20.0 15.0 19.5 24.0 17.5

Direction of

Unplanned Closures

25 EB

15 WB

7 Both

13 EB

17 WB

10 Both

15 EB

10 WB

5 Both

16 EB

8 WB

2 Both

38 EB

25 WB

8 Both

26 EB

27 WB

6 Both

MVkm ** (2016) 1125 639 457 526 1043 681

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*Unplanned Closures: related to collisions, tractor trailer removals, and other. See slide 10.

*Total Unplanned Closures: The closures that span between two counties are included in both counties. Due to overlap, county

closure and duration numbers are slightly larger than yearly closure numbers.

** MVkm = million vehicle kilometres. MVkm is determined with traffic volumes and section lengths.

Highway 401: 2012-2016 Seasonal Closures

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2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016

All Collisions Occurring in

Winter *787 1,445 868 530

Collisions Occurring in

Winter * that resulted in full

closures

11 38 27 24

*Winter defined as November 1st to March 31st of one winter season.

Highway 401: 2012-2016 Six Lane Sections

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

Closures in Four Lane

Section (43 km)5 6 7 4 6 28

Closures in

Six Lane Section (21 km)3 3 7 4 2 19

Total Closures Occurring in

Northumberland (64 km)8 9 14 8 8 47

Closures in Four Lane

Section (22 km)7 2 5 3 4 21

Closures in

Six Lane Section (15 km)1 3 0 1 0 5

Total Closures Occurring in

Frontenac (37 km)8 5 5 4 4 26

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Eastern Region

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Northumberland

15

Hastings

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Lennox and Addington

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Frontenac

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Leeds and Grenville

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Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry

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• Ontario 511–Traveler Information Services- website, social media,

telephone

• 511 will post Forecasted Driving Conditions for 2017/18 winter season

• Interactive Kiosks at ONroute Centres including Track My Plow in

winter

• Highway Traffic Management Systems

• COMPASS

• Traffic Cameras

• Portable Variable Message Signs (PVMS)

• Eastern Region pilot project for Twitter and PVMS queue and wait times

information (Using Bluetooth technology)

• @401construction Twitter site: One-window traffic management site being

updated in real-time by MTO contractors

• OPP Liaison 7/2421

Traveler Information

• Technologies in use on Ontario Highways• Road Weather Information System (RWIS)

• RWIS Cameras

• Winter Maintenance Automated Vehicle Location (AVL)

• Track my Plow

• Low Visibility Warning System (LVWS) – Northumberland (Pilot Project)

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Roadside Technologies

Ottawa Traffic Operations Centre

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COMPASS Cameras

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Road and Weather Information System

(RWIS) Integrated system of weather and

road surface information

MTO network of 148 stations

Used to predict winter weather,

road conditions and maintenance

services

Includes:

o Detailed 24 hour weather

forecast for rain, snow,

temperature, dew point, wind

o Detailed 24 hour road surface

forecast for snow or ice, frost,

wet, damp, dry

o 7 day long range weather

forecast

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RWIS Cameras

Screen captures taken

on September 27th, 2017

at 4:00 pm

RWIS Cameras

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Low Visibility Warning System (LVWS)

One of a kind system for MTO

Located in an area of Highway 401 in Northumberland County that is especially prone to snow streamers offLake Ontario creating white out conditions

When reduced visibility is detected the systemautomatically triggers flashing lights on these signs (3sets of signs)

Portable Variable Message Signs at either end of theinstallation (1 PVMS sign in each direction)

MTO and our contractor receive notification when the system activates.

The intent of the system is to influence driver behavior when reduced visibility is detected.

This system is a trial project; the ministry is monitoring and will consider expanding and/orenhancing the system.

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Fixed Automated Spray Technology

(FAST)• Integrated system of weather and road surface information, with components that

include:

• Road Weather Information System (RWIS)

• Pumphouse with chemical storage tanks, pumps, system controllers, and valves

• Lines, valves, and spray nozzles in the bridge decks

• Road sensors in the highway and on the bridge deck

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• FAST provides automated application of anti-icing

chemical in advance of forecasted winter weather

and road conditions

• FAST sends e-mail notifications to maintenance

staff to provide a warning of inclement weather or

deteriorating road conditions

• FAST systems are located on selected bridge

locations prone to unusual icing conditions due to

the locations microclimate.

• The first FAST system in Canada was built on the

Highway 401 eastbound / Highway 416

northbound ramp in the year 2000. Salmon River and Highway 401 EB to Highway 416 NB

Winter Maintenance Automated Vehicle

Location (AVL)

• All winter equipment has AVL

• Uses GPS technology to track plow trucks, salt/sand trucks, patrol trucks, etc.

• Capable of tracking, storing and reporting movement and actions while in use, 24 hrs/day 7 days/week.

• Can monitor winter equipment in real time (within cell coverage)

• Provides detailed information;

• Location, speed, operation (plowing, spreading), type of material (salt, sand), application rates

• Information is also stored in a database for later retrieval.30

Track My Plow

• Public website enabling real-time tracking of snow plows.

• Also provides weather information, access to COMPASS and weather cameras, and 511 Twitter site.

• Has been rolled out across Southern Ontario and the near North.

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ONroute Kiosks

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Interactive Kiosks at ONroute

Centres including Track My Plow

in winter

Highway Projects and Plans

• Highway 401 • Six-laning underway from 1 km west of

Burnham Street to 2 km east of Nagle Road in Cobourg area and from Cataraqui River to Highway 15 in Kingston area

• Paved shoulders, 100% complete west of Kingston and 43% complete east of Kingston, target fully complete within 5 years

• FAST Systems -Salmon River and Highway 401/416 Interchange

• Ramp gates largely complete from west to east to Cardinal; target complete by end 2018

• Planning studies underway for six-laningfrom Nagle Road through Belleville

• Underpass bridge replacements -lengthened to accommodate future six-laning

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Aultsville Underpass

Next Steps

Review Areas of Higher Incidence of Closures

• Traffic Operations• Detailed Review of Collisions

• Speed Analysis

• Correlation of Closure Rates to Collision Rates

• Winter Operational Review• Local Climate Analysis

• Highway Engineering Elements• Geometric Analysis

• Roadside Safety Review

EDR Reviews with Municipalities and OPP - underway

Ongoing Information Sharing• Municipalities, OPP, Local Police, Fire Departments, and Paramedic Services

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