Excellent work, loved the energy of the video and I thought you did an especially good job of playing the transitions off the music breaks, enjoyed it!
Something to remember for Americans or rural folks visiting the GTA: you should only be in the far left lane for passing, and you should keep an eye on your rear-view to see if anyone is coming up behind you going faster, so you can move over to the right and let them pass when you can. MOST drivers in the GTA follow this principle of always leaving the far left hand lane open for passing, of course, the few who don't create hold ups for everyone. What was said in the other comments about the speed limits is very true here, especially on "100k/hr limit freeways". The people driving the slowest, in the far right hand lane, are going about 115-120k/hr. People in the far left lane will generally be going 130-140k/hr. It is quite uncommon to be pulled over on the 401 for driving anywhere less than 140k/hr. That is, of course, when you have space to actually drive, not so important when you're sitting in stop-and-go for hours never getting above 20k/hr.
X good point and I did speak to a family friend from the GTA and for their G1 to G2 drives test they had to drive on the 400 series highway for full G class license this is different from US road tests where they don't enter the highway
Actually, these traffic rules are in Europe by law but here you have it by chance. You should tighened up your traffic laws not only here in Canada but also in the US like they have in Europe.
+lbeesntdeirx : It was indeed light, by 401 standards. I deliberately flew out to Toronto in October, knowing that non-commute traffic would be lighter (i.e. mostly free-flow), compared to the summer months, when parts of the 401 can be stop-and-go from sunrise until past sunset. The trade-off was less-than-desirable lighting conditions, but overall, the video came out satisfactory enough for me to post it on UA-cam. I still have some other Ontario videos to work on. Did you happen to check out my Highway 417 video through Ottawa by any chance?
Big, indeed! You should check out some of the freeways being reconstructed around Dallas, Texas. Some ridiculously wide and ultra-modern freeways that are all set to open within the next 1 - 5 years.
Omg, Iv watch this video numerous time, and today, I finally have a chance to drive on it in real life. This Highway is huge. HUGE. what breath taking experience. The only problem is that after exiting the express lane, the left lane abruptly ends, forcing drivers to merge right.... and of course, crazy drivers in toronto is another problem
The 401 is pretty beast, I commute on it everyday for work, fortunately I work 3-11 so I tend to avoid the chaos. I think the Gardner might be the new king of traffic at the moment. Nice vid though
Hey there, thanks for dropping by! Yup, the 401 is definitely a beast...just seeing all the vehicles driving it on at one time across all the lanes that make up the 401 through town, makes this an exciting drive. Quite a rush. Speaking of the Gardiner, I also did a video of it...about a month before I released this video. Check it out, if you have time. Link is provided below. Gardiner Expressway, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hey! I don't recall seeing your comment; someone posted my video to the FreewayJim Facebook group this morning, so I'm poking around to see if I missed any recent comments on here. Glad you enjoyed. You should see just how heavy this freeway gets during the summer months...there's all-day congestion along certain segments, Monday-Friday...some segments of the freeway never climb beyond an average of 20 MPH during the daytime hours during the work week. Yeah, 12 - 14 lanes, all jammed in both directions. During peak hours, you can see average speeds plunge below 10 MPH for many miles at a time. It's *that* intense.
Thanks! I figured it would be a good idea for viewers to get a perspective from both the express and collector lanes. Decided doing the initial switch through "The Basketweave" portion of the 401 would be the best place for that switch. :-)
Thanks for the memories, Brent - used to live there. I like all your videos, I like the fact that you love the open road (or even the clogged road). That's a uniquely North American obsession.
Kellen Sarien : Thanks for dropping by and watching! I would love to live in Toronto...although I'm not sure if the Californian in me would be able to tolerate a full winter there, lol. I do indeed love the open road...or the congested freeway. Always been fascinated by infrastructure...roads, included. By the way, I just released a new video late last week, showcasing Texas State Loop 375 in El Paso. Check it out, if you want to see a great drive through the Franklin Mountains.
Yup, I sure have, many times! Used to live in Irvine, then Sherman Oaks, Pasadena and finally Altadena. I have a video of the 405 over Sepulveda Pass, in case you want to watch. :-) ua-cam.com/video/zR0wp-0h1ec/v-deo.html
Multiblue Blanket : Yup, I sure have, many times! Used to live in Irvine, then Sherman Oaks, Pasadena and finally Altadena. I have a video of the 405 over Sepulveda Pass, in case you want to watch. :-) ua-cam.com/video/zR0wp-0h1ec/v-deo.html
I agree about the song; it's catchy as heck. First heard it about a month ago on SiriusXM's BPM channel, and thought it'd be PERFECT for this video. Fortunately, I was able to make the speeds work to fit the song in. Glad you enjoyed!
Definetly not in a rush hour, like he said he made sure to go at a good time, and not in summer or anything. You know its not highway 401 in a rush hour if the cars are moving.
Oh, I'm from California, and trust me, the 401 can be as bad as anything out here in LA or the Bay Area! I filmed this in October, when traffic volumes go down by about 15% compared to the summer. There's still about 8-10 hours of daily congestion on the 401 during the winter months, and during the summer, much of the freeway can be jammed for the entire day. Thanks for watching! If you have some time, feel free to check out my newest video (released today), showcasing the Gateway Bridge & Motorway in Brisbane, Australia. Cheers!
Agreed. Highway 401 can be alot worse then pretty much all highways in USA. First of all, when you say not too heavy traffic, remember the highway 401 goes up to 22 lanes, and that this was filmed in a good time. Filming in rush hour is completely pointless as driving in the 401 in rush hour is an absolute nightmare.
Thanks! Had tons of fun putting this together...you should see just how much busier this freeway is during the summer months. Almost impossible to get a congestion-free video recorded between late May to early September.
Yes indeed! I live in Toronto and I've driven it more times than anyone should have to. From what I've heard the only highway with comparable congestion problems is the 405 in LA - how do they compare, in your experience?
VERY familiar with this stretch and know it like the back of my hand. Remember that Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America and the stretch highlighted is part of the truck route from Windsor to Montreal. So far as traffic goes it can be a zoo. Check out Google maps, during busy rush hours the 401 can back up before Winston Churchill Blvd in the west, and be congested through Whitby in the east. Other locals may have input, but during rush hour I estimate it would be 2-3+ hours to travel this route through Toronto, maybe more. A distance of about 80 kms. And on a summer Friday, especially a long weekend? Forget it.
Awesome.. Brings back memories. I miss the 401. There is the Express lane and the collector lane. No speed cameras to bother you, just go with the flow.
Yup, it's a pretty awesome freeway, indeed. Although speed cameras probably aren't needed for about 9 hours a day in the fall, and about 12-13 hours a day during the summer months, lol.
Brings back some memories, LOL. It's even more fun going from Napanee right through to London. Express all the way. I had one driver in front of me once, that thought taking the collectors would be quicker than the express. He took the first collector exit, and stayed there all the way until they ended, and came out right back in front of me. HA! No advantage there.
Ayce1955 : lol...funny that you even remembered that specific driver. There's so much to pay attention to while driving the 401 through Toronto, that I wouldn't even recall a specific vehicle or driver. Anyway, thanks for stopping by, leaving a comment and watching. I have a few other videos from around Ontario, in case you want to watch. I'll link you to one of them. The ride along the Queensway in Ottawa. ua-cam.com/video/-YVUM0-YuaM/v-deo.html
Thanks! Toronto has a pretty awesome freeway network; one of the most impressive networks in the world. The region doesn't have as many freeways as it probably should have, but the ones it does have can rival any in the 1st world for best designed and engineered.
Thanks! The freeways are a blast to drive, but it's the city streets within Toronto where you really get to see the city come to life. Too bad I didn't record any; I was sort of suffering from a bit of road exhaustion after multiple days of driving. Decided to ditch the car and walk the streets/take mass transit for a few days, instead.
Thank you! To be honest though, Houston and Toronto are far different from each other...at least inner-city Toronto is a very vibrant place, full of exciting districts. Houston tends to be very suburban, in nature. Of course, Toronto has a lot of sprawling suburbs too, but inner-city Toronto is more reminiscent of a Chicago. Anyway, I have another video of the Toronto area I uploaded recently, along the Gardiner Expressway. Come check it out!
+minisluy : Indeed. Maybe traffic volumes will taper off slightly, once the eastern extension of the 407 ETR is completed soon to link directly with the 401, east of the city?
+FreewayBrent The 407 was built so that less people would use the 401, almost nobody uses the 407 though. Probably because it's an expensive toll road.
I'm not quite sure I would agree with the fact that "nobody" uses the 407. I know you didn't mean that in a literal sense, but the busiest section does get utilized by more than 180,000 drivers per day, many during peak hours. In fact, the 407 is on pace to experience stop-and-slow conditions by 2020, due to ever-increasing traffic demand on its busiest sections. Still, I wonder how much traffic the 407 would take off the 401, if it were ever converted to a toll-free freeway.
Nice ride... impressed with it! You have really done a good job with the signs and what seems to be a very interesting highway to drive! Wow- good job man!!!!
Thanks a lot! I used to dread making the signs, but as I've gotten more comfortable with the digital tools needed to create them, they're actually one of the more fun parts of the whole editing process now.
Great take on the 401 Brent...12:00 weekdays is probably the best time to get a free flowing ride on the 401...weekend afternoons are a completely different story...almost as bad as rush hours if not worse especially EB which almost always seems backed up
Hey! Sorry I didn't see this comment of yours until now; been going through all the comments this morning, and I somehow missed yours. Glad you enjoyed watching. I'm actually working on the QEW/403 concurrency right now; should have that up on UA-cam in the next 3-10 days, depending on how much time I'm afforded. Drop on by soon!
Yeah...it truly is an epic ride. I'm just glad I recorded it in October; it's unlikely to get a free-flowing ride like this during the daytime hours in July or August.
Hello everyone, I live about 30 min north of Toronto and would consider myself an aggressive driver. This highway is not for the faint of heart its normal on highways in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) for drivers to travel 20 over the speed limit, and thats normal. Today i was driving north on highway 400 at about 140 in the far left lane and i saw a cop in the far right lane, I slowed to 120 and passed him without him even giving me a dirty look... about 10 min later when i was off the highway in a zone with the speed limit of 80 i was driving 100 and was passed (4 lane road) by a cop going about 10 faster than me.. People are racing on the 401 all day every day and cops do nothing to stop it, if you are going to drive on the highways of the GTA stay far to the left if you dont like crazy drivers on your ass and cutting you off all the time :) have a great day and drive safe on the GTA streets.
What an incredible piece of engineering! You did an amazing job on the video; I loved the facts and diagrams you added. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thanks!! It's nice to read a comment like yours. You left a really nice comment on my Gardiner Expressway video as well, I believe. If you haven't been, you really have to experience the 401 through Toronto, just once in your life. Where the footage starts in this video, if you didn't notice, the amount of right-of-way (exit lanes going west and entrance lanes heading west) is enough to theoretically squeeze in about 50 standard 12 foot wide lanes. I was able barely to capture the entire width of the freeway at that point, despite the HD lense. Impressive stuff!
You should come back out to Toronto around 2017, by then the 410 expansion should be completed. The project includes 2 new HOV lanes, 2 additional general purpose lanes and installing new concrete barriers (Ontario Tall Wall). The other major project is the reconstruction of the QEW between Cawthra Rd. and the 427 Interchange. This project includes the realignment of Service Roads, replacement of bridges (includes Cawthra Road, Dixie Road and Etobicoke Creek bridges), interchange reconfiguration of Dixie Road to a standard Ontario style Interchange (Parco A4), new auxiliary lanes, replacement of the median barrier from steel double guard rails to concrete barriers (Ontario Tall Wall) also replacement of illumination from standard street lights to high mast lighting and wider shoulders. Another one is 2 new short freeways to connect the extended 407 to the 401 (highway # are Kings Highway 412 and 418) Also extending of the core 401 collector express lane setup from Brock Rd. to the new Highway 418 (Durham County), also expanding the core lane setup from Hurontario St. to the Credit River (Peel County). All these projects are supposed to be completed or nearly completed by 2017.
ITS A BUSY ROAD WAS VISITING FROM IRELAND SOME PEOPLE OVER HERE THINK THE TRAFFIC IS HEAVY IN DUBLIN THEY NEED TO DRIVE ON 401 GREAT EXPERIENCE ,ONLY ONE CRITICISM SIGNPOSTING VERY SLACK
Thank you so much! It's great when people get a kick, watching my videos. Especially this video, since I always get a thrill driving Highway 401 thru Toronto. Happy New Years!
Oh no, definitely not. I've seen it in the summer, where the 401 was pretty much jammed, ALL day long. So, I decided to come back in October to film this, when traffic volumes drop just enough to have (mostly) free-flow traffic during non-peak hours. I'm pretty happy with the way this video turned out.
Yeah...the 401 through Toronto is definitely a freeway unlike any other...just so many vehicles on it at all hours during the day. The hillier sections allow for grand panoramic views of all the lanes (and traffic). Sorry I didn't respond earlier to your comment; I simply didn't even see it until now. Thanks for dropping by and watching!
FOABP ohhhh lol thought you meant Cali... toronto is in ontario.. ok? So highways here are provincially maintained... so yah there in toronto trucks can use express .. its not like New Jersey Turnpike or anything
Just can't wrap my head around that strange Canadian signage where the exit destinations seem to be the forward ones (whenever there's an option lane).
It can be indeed a bit confusing at first, but it makes much more intuitive sense, once you see a few of them. There are also ground-mounted signs that indicate the directions of the right 2 lanes (right, right+option to drive straight), to help clear up the confusion.
Wilson Flood Been their done that, Scotland doesn't know what heavy traffic is, lool, try Paris London, Marseille, Birmingham, Great Manchester, Amsterdam
Haha. I wouldn't have described my level of excitement to drive this in the way you did, but yes, I was pretty excited to get this on film. Thanks for watching, broski.
Just a quick question. I am moving out to CA soon and I have a choice between an LA office or a SD office. Meaning I would rather live in Riverside (near LA) or Chula Vista (near SD) as they both seem to have family friendly environments and are great for starting families. Which would you prefer to live in and (obviously) what's the traffic like (Riverside to LA) (Chula Vista to SD) thanks
Oh man. If you move to Riverside with the intention of commuting to Los Angeles, you should honestly budget for 2 to 2 1/2 hours each way. Quite honestly, I would rather go with Chula Vista (in the eastern part of the city). San Diego has some major freeway traffic issues as well, but rush hour periods are more predictable in San Diego (and don't last anywhere near as long as they do in Greater LA), and quite honestly, there's a better quality of life and a wide assortment of unique, walkable districts in San Diego that are full of character and are loaded with restaurants, cafes, lounges, coffeehouses, bars, mom-and-pop shops and other establishments...plus you have some awesome beaches to check out in San Diego that won't get as crowded as the ones in LA. There's more to do overall in LA, but it is about the most suburbanized place on the planet, and getting around can be a real chore.
lol, yeah, northlander is right...even at 3 AM, you'll see a steady stream of vehicles driving in both directions (although you'll have plenty of space out there, compared to the daytime hours).
More congested? Probably not, although from a simple glance, you probably wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference. Especially in the summer months, you can find long swaths of the 401 jammed up in one or both directions for virtually the entire working day. I filmed this in October, when congestion is mostly limited to peak hours.
but i think toronto is still bigger in size and much more people than houston i went to toronto last spring and it huge i was amazed alot stuff to there
It's pretty safe to assume it's the busiest freeway on earth. Europe isn't a major "car culture", most Asians and South Americas would still be too poor to own cars, and Australia has barely any freeways at all. And if it beats anything in the US...
I've lived in LA 3 times, and have videos on this channel from LA. You might be confusing busiest with most congested, which aren't the same thing. The 401 continues to be North America's busiest freeway based on recent traffic volume figures.
A part of it can obviously be explained by the over 8 million residents that call the sprawling Golden Horseshoe region their home. It's *the* main freeway that connects together some of Ontario's largest cities, including Toronto, Kitchener and London, not to mention it also serves as an (almost) direct link to Detroit and Montreal. It's also a major trade route for both Canadian and US-based trucking companies that depend on the 401 for the timely transport of goods. But beyond that, within the city of Toronto, it's the only complete toll-free east-west freeway. There's also an elaborate freeway network within Greater Toronto, which has helped to encourage a car-centered culture, similar to most American cities (although there's a decent mass transit system within Toronto and the adjacent suburbs). There's other factors involved, but hopefully it gives you some insight as to why the 401 is such a heavily traveled freeway.
It's very light traffic by 401 standards, unless this was shot at 5:30 am in late June. It's very often jammed, but even then the word chaotic doesn't apply and never did. Toronto is quite orderly, its highways included.
Excellent work, loved the energy of the video and I thought you did an especially good job of playing the transitions off the music breaks, enjoyed it!
I'm definitely subscribed to your videos as well.
@@interstateeddietv8551 Thank you!
@@Freewayjim you're welcome
Something to remember for Americans or rural folks visiting the GTA: you should only be in the far left lane for passing, and you should keep an eye on your rear-view to see if anyone is coming up behind you going faster, so you can move over to the right and let them pass when you can. MOST drivers in the GTA follow this principle of always leaving the far left hand lane open for passing, of course, the few who don't create hold ups for everyone. What was said in the other comments about the speed limits is very true here, especially on "100k/hr limit freeways". The people driving the slowest, in the far right hand lane, are going about 115-120k/hr. People in the far left lane will generally be going 130-140k/hr. It is quite uncommon to be pulled over on the 401 for driving anywhere less than 140k/hr. That is, of course, when you have space to actually drive, not so important when you're sitting in stop-and-go for hours never getting above 20k/hr.
speed limit is 90km/h so technically you are over speeding past 100 km/h on the 401 and should be arrested
X good point and I did speak to a family friend from the GTA and for their G1 to G2 drives test they had to drive on the 400 series highway for full G class license this is different from US road tests where they don't enter the highway
Actually, these traffic rules are in Europe by law but here you have it by chance. You should tighened up your traffic laws not only here in Canada but also in the US like they have in Europe.
@@goldenboyi1989 golden boy please keep yourself on the the far right lane and never move further left. - A message from the citizens of Canada
@@goldenboyi1989 I don't know what highway you were driving on but the 401 has, for the last 45 years at least, had a speed limit of 100 kmh.
I'm not sure what time the video was taken but that seemed pretty light for the 401, to be honest.
+lbeesntdeirx : It was indeed light, by 401 standards. I deliberately flew out to Toronto in October, knowing that non-commute traffic would be lighter (i.e. mostly free-flow), compared to the summer months, when parts of the 401 can be stop-and-go from sunrise until past sunset. The trade-off was less-than-desirable lighting conditions, but overall, the video came out satisfactory enough for me to post it on UA-cam.
I still have some other Ontario videos to work on. Did you happen to check out my Highway 417 video through Ottawa by any chance?
I remember Avenue Road, used to live around there...interesting name for a road I’ll say that much
My commute for over 20 years plus my condo. Thanks.
Good job catching the 401 on a good day
Yeah. Definetly.
Omg its so big! I'm from Auckland, New Zealand and our highways are only like 3-4 lanes!
Big, indeed! You should check out some of the freeways being reconstructed around Dallas, Texas. Some ridiculously wide and ultra-modern freeways that are all set to open within the next 1 - 5 years.
Omg, Iv watch this video numerous time, and today, I finally have a chance to drive on it in real life. This Highway is huge. HUGE. what breath taking experience. The only problem is that after exiting the express lane, the left lane abruptly ends, forcing drivers to merge right.... and of course, crazy drivers in toronto is another problem
The 401 is pretty beast, I commute on it everyday for work, fortunately I work 3-11 so I tend to avoid the chaos. I think the Gardner might be the new king of traffic at the moment. Nice vid though
Hey there, thanks for dropping by! Yup, the 401 is definitely a beast...just seeing all the vehicles driving it on at one time across all the lanes that make up the 401 through town, makes this an exciting drive. Quite a rush.
Speaking of the Gardiner, I also did a video of it...about a month before I released this video. Check it out, if you have time. Link is provided below.
Gardiner Expressway, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Great Job FB. nice choice of song too. and it look like it can do heavy numbers when rush hour is out of control.
Hey! I don't recall seeing your comment; someone posted my video to the FreewayJim Facebook group this morning, so I'm poking around to see if I missed any recent comments on here. Glad you enjoyed. You should see just how heavy this freeway gets during the summer months...there's all-day congestion along certain segments, Monday-Friday...some segments of the freeway never climb beyond an average of 20 MPH during the daytime hours during the work week. Yeah, 12 - 14 lanes, all jammed in both directions. During peak hours, you can see average speeds plunge below 10 MPH for many miles at a time. It's *that* intense.
Definitely did a great job presenting the 401, the music was a perfect fit to the crush traffic nature of the highway, and great effects too.
Nice ride Brent! Love the toggle between the express and collector lanes.
Thanks! I figured it would be a good idea for viewers to get a perspective from both the express and collector lanes. Decided doing the initial switch through "The Basketweave" portion of the 401 would be the best place for that switch. :-)
Thanks for the memories, Brent - used to live there. I like all your videos, I like the fact that you love the open road (or even the clogged road). That's a uniquely North American obsession.
Kellen Sarien : Thanks for dropping by and watching! I would love to live in Toronto...although I'm not sure if the Californian in me would be able to tolerate a full winter there, lol.
I do indeed love the open road...or the congested freeway. Always been fascinated by infrastructure...roads, included.
By the way, I just released a new video late last week, showcasing Texas State Loop 375 in El Paso. Check it out, if you want to see a great drive through the Franklin Mountains.
+FreewayBrent Ha! Ever tried traffic on the 405? It's my favorite California pastime!
Yup, I sure have, many times! Used to live in Irvine, then Sherman Oaks, Pasadena and finally Altadena.
I have a video of the 405 over Sepulveda Pass, in case you want to watch. :-)
ua-cam.com/video/zR0wp-0h1ec/v-deo.html
Multiblue Blanket : Yup, I sure have, many times! Used to live in Irvine, then Sherman Oaks, Pasadena and finally Altadena.
I have a video of the 405 over Sepulveda Pass, in case you want to watch. :-)
ua-cam.com/video/zR0wp-0h1ec/v-deo.html
Sick beats and awesome editing Brent. The suburban architecture looks epic out there.
I agree about the song; it's catchy as heck. First heard it about a month ago on SiriusXM's BPM channel, and thought it'd be PERFECT for this video. Fortunately, I was able to make the speeds work to fit the song in.
Glad you enjoyed!
Cool vid, liked and subbed. We just got back from a week in the GTA and it was awesome to drive on the legendary 401, when it was moving lol!
Great video for studying the roads. Better is a slow motion at each highway entrance and exit.
There's no way this was shot during rush hour. The cars are actually moving. This is how traffic is at about 5:30am on a Sunday morning.
Definetly not in a rush hour, like he said he made sure to go at a good time, and not in summer or anything. You know its not highway 401 in a rush hour if the cars are moving.
Greetings from USA🇺🇸! Your 401 doesn't look too bad, not too heavy traffic.👍
Oh, I'm from California, and trust me, the 401 can be as bad as anything out here in LA or the Bay Area! I filmed this in October, when traffic volumes go down by about 15% compared to the summer. There's still about 8-10 hours of daily congestion on the 401 during the winter months, and during the summer, much of the freeway can be jammed for the entire day.
Thanks for watching! If you have some time, feel free to check out my newest video (released today), showcasing the Gateway Bridge & Motorway in Brisbane, Australia. Cheers!
Agreed. Highway 401 can be alot worse then pretty much all highways in USA. First of all, when you say not too heavy traffic, remember the highway 401 goes up to 22 lanes, and that this was filmed in a good time. Filming in rush hour is completely pointless as driving in the 401 in rush hour is an absolute nightmare.
Excellent video FreewayBrent. Very slick editing and well-researched commentary. You did the highway justice!
Thanks! Had tons of fun putting this together...you should see just how much busier this freeway is during the summer months. Almost impossible to get a congestion-free video recorded between late May to early September.
Yes indeed! I live in Toronto and I've driven it more times than anyone should have to. From what I've heard the only highway with comparable congestion problems is the 405 in LA - how do they compare, in your experience?
Reminds me of I-271 East of Cleveland with the Express lanes, but way busier! Great job!
Oh, totally, WAY busier indeed. And the collector/express lanes setup goes on for dozens of miles. It's pretty crazy to see in person!
Try it at rush hour or a Friday night in the summer as people take the 400 to cottage country,
VERY familiar with this stretch and know it like the back of my hand. Remember that Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America and the stretch highlighted is part of the truck route from Windsor to Montreal. So far as traffic goes it can be a zoo. Check out Google maps, during busy rush hours the 401 can back up before Winston Churchill Blvd in the west, and be congested through Whitby in the east. Other locals may have input, but during rush hour I estimate it would be 2-3+ hours to travel this route through Toronto, maybe more. A distance of about 80 kms. And on a summer Friday, especially a long weekend? Forget it.
Toronto is a city where you can travel for an hour and still be in Toronto.
I DROVE 18 WHEELER ALL OVER CANADA USA-------NO ACCIDENTS---------THE 401--IS THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST DESIGNED---ITS 70 MPH THERE FOLKS
Awesome.. Brings back memories. I miss the 401. There is the Express lane and the collector lane. No speed cameras to bother you, just go with the flow.
Yup, it's a pretty awesome freeway, indeed. Although speed cameras probably aren't needed for about 9 hours a day in the fall, and about 12-13 hours a day during the summer months, lol.
Brings back some memories, LOL. It's even more fun going from Napanee right through to London. Express all the way.
I had one driver in front of me once, that thought taking the collectors would be quicker than the express. He took the first collector exit, and stayed there all the way until they ended, and came out right back in front of me. HA! No advantage there.
Ayce1955 : lol...funny that you even remembered that specific driver. There's so much to pay attention to while driving the 401 through Toronto, that I wouldn't even recall a specific vehicle or driver. Anyway, thanks for stopping by, leaving a comment and watching. I have a few other videos from around Ontario, in case you want to watch.
I'll link you to one of them. The ride along the Queensway in Ottawa. ua-cam.com/video/-YVUM0-YuaM/v-deo.html
I remember him only because the plate was the same going off and coming on, LOL.
Very nice production as usual Brent! I did not know the highway network around Toronto. Thank you to show it! Very impressive!
Thanks! Toronto has a pretty awesome freeway network; one of the most impressive networks in the world. The region doesn't have as many freeways as it probably should have, but the ones it does have can rival any in the 1st world for best designed and engineered.
And you were on the collector lanes doing a lot of this. I'm impressed, Brent.
Wow, very slick production! Well researched with great photography of what looks like a great city!
Thanks! The freeways are a blast to drive, but it's the city streets within Toronto where you really get to see the city come to life. Too bad I didn't record any; I was sort of suffering from a bit of road exhaustion after multiple days of driving. Decided to ditch the car and walk the streets/take mass transit for a few days, instead.
This guy makes freeways exciting
Haha, I try. Feel free to check out my newest video, showcasing the drive along the Pacific Motorway into Brisbane, Australia.
Someday I will drive this... super wide freeways are one of those weird obsessions for me.
That is something else - not for the faint of heart.
It's definitely one crazy ride...tons of fun to drive it! The pure width of the corridor is definitely something worth checking out sometime.
Really nice video! I feel Houston is going to be like this in a decade. The size of Toronto and the highway is unbelievable.
Thank you! To be honest though, Houston and Toronto are far different from each other...at least inner-city Toronto is a very vibrant place, full of exciting districts. Houston tends to be very suburban, in nature. Of course, Toronto has a lot of sprawling suburbs too, but inner-city Toronto is more reminiscent of a Chicago. Anyway, I have another video of the Toronto area I uploaded recently, along the Gardiner Expressway. Come check it out!
Yeah I know. I meant freeway wise but maybe not except Katy freeway or 290.
Obi Alfred Oh, I totally didn't understand what you meant. My bad!
The reason the 401 it's busy because it's the only Highway through Toronto
+minisluy : Indeed. Maybe traffic volumes will taper off slightly, once the eastern extension of the 407 ETR is completed soon to link directly with the 401, east of the city?
+FreewayBrent The 407 was built so that less people would use the 401, almost nobody uses the 407 though. Probably because it's an expensive toll road.
I'm not quite sure I would agree with the fact that "nobody" uses the 407. I know you didn't mean that in a literal sense, but the busiest section does get utilized by more than 180,000 drivers per day, many during peak hours. In fact, the 407 is on pace to experience stop-and-slow conditions by 2020, due to ever-increasing traffic demand on its busiest sections.
Still, I wonder how much traffic the 407 would take off the 401, if it were ever converted to a toll-free freeway.
FreewayBrent Well, I guess I would be more correct if I said that at least in the beginning, right after it was built, it wasn't very popular.
+minisluy dude not only toronto.. it goes by some big cities and ontario is just busy
Nice ride... impressed with it! You have really done a good job with the signs and what seems to be a very interesting highway to drive! Wow- good job man!!!!
Thanks a lot! I used to dread making the signs, but as I've gotten more comfortable with the digital tools needed to create them, they're actually one of the more fun parts of the whole editing process now.
Great take on the 401 Brent...12:00 weekdays is probably the best time to get a free flowing ride on the 401...weekend afternoons are a completely different story...almost as bad as rush hours if not worse especially EB which almost always seems backed up
Hey! Sorry I didn't see this comment of yours until now; been going through all the comments this morning, and I somehow missed yours. Glad you enjoyed watching. I'm actually working on the QEW/403 concurrency right now; should have that up on UA-cam in the next 3-10 days, depending on how much time I'm afforded. Drop on by soon!
Actually, 10am - 3pm and 7:30pm - 5:30am are the times to drive on it, before all the idiots are driving.
Super-awesome video, Brent! The 401 is really epic! :)
Yeah...it truly is an epic ride. I'm just glad I recorded it in October; it's unlikely to get a free-flowing ride like this during the daytime hours in July or August.
Hello everyone, I live about 30 min north of Toronto and would consider myself an aggressive driver. This highway is not for the faint of heart its normal on highways in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) for drivers to travel 20 over the speed limit, and thats normal. Today i was driving north on highway 400 at about 140 in the far left lane and i saw a cop in the far right lane, I slowed to 120 and passed him without him even giving me a dirty look... about 10 min later when i was off the highway in a zone with the speed limit of 80 i was driving 100 and was passed (4 lane road) by a cop going about 10 faster than me.. People are racing on the 401 all day every day and cops do nothing to stop it, if you are going to drive on the highways of the GTA stay far to the left if you dont like crazy drivers on your ass and cutting you off all the time :) have a great day and drive safe on the GTA streets.
What an incredible piece of engineering! You did an amazing job on the video; I loved the facts and diagrams you added. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thanks!! It's nice to read a comment like yours. You left a really nice comment on my Gardiner Expressway video as well, I believe.
If you haven't been, you really have to experience the 401 through Toronto, just once in your life. Where the footage starts in this video, if you didn't notice, the amount of right-of-way (exit lanes going west and entrance lanes heading west) is enough to theoretically squeeze in about 50 standard 12 foot wide lanes. I was able barely to capture the entire width of the freeway at that point, despite the HD lense. Impressive stuff!
FreewayBrent You're welcome! I actually do plan on driving on the 401 soon, and I will follow the exact route in your videos :)
You should come back out to Toronto around 2017, by then the 410 expansion should be completed. The project includes 2 new HOV lanes, 2 additional general purpose lanes and installing new concrete barriers (Ontario Tall Wall). The other major project is the reconstruction of the QEW between Cawthra Rd. and the 427 Interchange. This project includes the realignment of Service Roads, replacement of bridges (includes Cawthra Road, Dixie Road and Etobicoke Creek bridges), interchange reconfiguration of Dixie Road to a standard Ontario style Interchange (Parco A4), new auxiliary lanes, replacement of the median barrier from steel double guard rails to concrete barriers (Ontario Tall Wall) also replacement of illumination from standard street lights to high mast lighting and wider shoulders. Another one is 2 new short freeways to connect the extended 407 to the 401 (highway # are Kings Highway 412 and 418) Also extending of the core 401 collector express lane setup from Brock Rd. to the new Highway 418 (Durham County), also expanding the core lane setup from Hurontario St. to the Credit River (Peel County). All these projects are supposed to be completed or nearly completed by 2017.
+Brenden Schneider about time! will there still be 4 lanes?
+Brenden Schneider 95% of the projects mentioned are being started in 2017 and will extended into the 2020's, if you check their project outline PDF
+Mark Euglin responding very late. But yeah you are right.
Para-Dice Rider Calm Down! No need to start a fight! What Toronto do to you!?
FunFan123Plays Nothing except hoard immigrants and clutter up the 400 series
Awesome video as always. Always entertaining and interesting. :)
ITS A BUSY ROAD WAS VISITING FROM IRELAND SOME PEOPLE OVER HERE THINK THE TRAFFIC IS HEAVY IN DUBLIN THEY NEED TO DRIVE ON 401 GREAT EXPERIENCE ,ONLY ONE CRITICISM SIGNPOSTING VERY SLACK
john hunt : It's definitely quite a rush to drive this...that's for sure!
CANT FIGURE OUT WHY SIGN POSTING IS SO POOR IN FREEWAYS AND CITIES BAD HERE BUT NOT AS BAD
+john hunt WHY DO YOU CAPITALIZE EVERY WORD YOU SAY?
dontknow mr schneider ,any other questions for me
+john hunt How was your day?
the 401 is like the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago
987 Chicago except 100x longer
OMG. That was awesome video! Great job, Brent.
Thank you so much! It's great when people get a kick, watching my videos. Especially this video, since I always get a thrill driving Highway 401 thru Toronto. Happy New Years!
Awesome video! Keep'em coming!
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You must've picked a good day to go on the 401, traffic didn't seem that bad compared to what it can be somedays.
Oh no, definitely not. I've seen it in the summer, where the 401 was pretty much jammed, ALL day long. So, I decided to come back in October to film this, when traffic volumes drop just enough to have (mostly) free-flow traffic during non-peak hours. I'm pretty happy with the way this video turned out.
The same music that plays in the drive-through of ON-401 is the same song played during the second half of the 2014 Toyota Corolla Commercial.
Ontario has signs with crowns?! So weird for a province right next to staunchly French Quebec.
What a fast road!
Sick. In Poland max number of cars per 1 day will be on south Warsaw bypass - about 170k/d. There it's 3 times more. Must ride there sometime.
Yeah...the 401 through Toronto is definitely a freeway unlike any other...just so many vehicles on it at all hours during the day. The hillier sections allow for grand panoramic views of all the lanes (and traffic).
Sorry I didn't respond earlier to your comment; I simply didn't even see it until now. Thanks for dropping by and watching!
Thanks a lot, Brent!
My God, how many km I run there...
you should check out highway 400 during summer months, its always full of traffic
I'd definitely live in Toronto, it's all clean and fancy. The kilometers would ☢ my brain.
wow ca lets trucks in the express didnt know that
CAPRICES4LYFE : Yup, they sure do. They give trucks the same ability to bypass the interchanges along this chaotic freeway.
Thats not CA
Justin Gouge thats not canada ?
FOABP ohhhh lol thought you meant Cali... toronto is in ontario.. ok? So highways here are provincially maintained... so yah there in toronto trucks can use express .. its not like New Jersey Turnpike or anything
Canada has nothing to do with it, it's Ontario that makes the rules.
1:05 look at the sign
Mast lighting everywhere!
love the 401!!!
Me too...what a thrill this freeway is to drive!
Well I know you guys aren’t from Toronto lmao
wow it does look like the widest busiest and baddest! lol
It's definitely right up there!
Haha...yes, it's definitely an experience, that's for sure.
Last time I wasn't there I couldn't find the Don Valley Parkway
So. Many. Cars.
It really is a pretty amazing experience!
Just can't wrap my head around that strange Canadian signage where the exit destinations seem to be the forward ones (whenever there's an option lane).
It can be indeed a bit confusing at first, but it makes much more intuitive sense, once you see a few of them. There are also ground-mounted signs that indicate the directions of the right 2 lanes (right, right+option to drive straight), to help clear up the confusion.
its actually the eastbound 403, to eastbound 401 at the beginning but good video :D
It's not the 405 in LA? Seriously tho when I was in Canada the 401 was really bad and we were only on it for 4-5km
Hey! I know this video is over 3 years old... but how do you make the Ontario freeway signs? I'm traveling there this summer and plan to film!
Try driving the M8 through Glasgow, Scotland.This is a piece of cake.
Wilson Flood Been their done that, Scotland doesn't know what heavy traffic is, lool, try Paris London, Marseille, Birmingham, Great Manchester, Amsterdam
I swear sometimes you forget to breathe kilometers at a time when on this thing...
i remember when this was 2 lanes-------1966
I'm curious as to why the directional signs above the collector lanes are blue instead of green.
FKI YOU
May be you should check out Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway in India, it is muh much busier than North America's busiest highway
Come to Madrid here in Spain and you will see a busy highway
More like 5 hours for this ride sometimes.
just remember the toronto maple leafs won the cup in 1967
hi canadians -great drivers
Driving From Hwy 403 To Hwy 404 Along The Hwy 401.
this highway has the most car crashes then any other highway in ON.
Wouldn't surprise me one bit!
I feel like you came at least five times while driving on this
Haha. I wouldn't have described my level of excitement to drive this in the way you did, but yes, I was pretty excited to get this on film. Thanks for watching, broski.
Just a quick question. I am moving out to CA soon and I have a choice between an LA office or a SD office. Meaning I would rather live in Riverside (near LA) or Chula Vista (near SD) as they both seem to have family friendly environments and are great for starting families. Which would you prefer to live in and (obviously) what's the traffic like
(Riverside to LA) (Chula Vista to SD) thanks
Oh man. If you move to Riverside with the intention of commuting to Los Angeles, you should honestly budget for 2 to 2 1/2 hours each way. Quite honestly, I would rather go with Chula Vista (in the eastern part of the city). San Diego has some major freeway traffic issues as well, but rush hour periods are more predictable in San Diego (and don't last anywhere near as long as they do in Greater LA), and quite honestly, there's a better quality of life and a wide assortment of unique, walkable districts in San Diego that are full of character and are loaded with restaurants, cafes, lounges, coffeehouses, bars, mom-and-pop shops and other establishments...plus you have some awesome beaches to check out in San Diego that won't get as crowded as the ones in LA.
There's more to do overall in LA, but it is about the most suburbanized place on the planet, and getting around can be a real chore.
Try driving a tow plow on that highway.
#BusiestFreewayInNorthAmericaVideo
lol, yeah, northlander is right...even at 3 AM, you'll see a steady stream of vehicles driving in both directions (although you'll have plenty of space out there, compared to the daytime hours).
+FreewayBrent You should make a cool profile pic / background image for your channel
Justin Gouge : Finally did it!
Hi Brent , can you come and film Montreal highways? that will be nice :)
Eventually, I'll head back to Montreal. One of my best friends has lived there for a year; been meaning to visit her for quite some time.
Not really because the 401 doesn't have an alternative highway like other cities in North America that is free or cheap to use to help the 401
ooohhhyes
nice vid
This looks like I 5 in north Seattle on steroids.
lol, yeah I know what you mean. I find I-5 through Seattle to be just as interesting, if not more so than the 401.
Is it more congested than I-405 in southern California?? the pavement in Ontario highways are much better than highway in California
More congested? Probably not, although from a simple glance, you probably wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference. Especially in the summer months, you can find long swaths of the 401 jammed up in one or both directions for virtually the entire working day. I filmed this in October, when congestion is mostly limited to peak hours.
Want to see congestion? Try the 401 when a snow flake lands on the pavement. That's when the multi-cultures really show their driving abilities.
Traffic wasn't that bad !
freakyflow usually it is just on friday around 11:30 ish i was being slowed down for no reason by other drivers near don valley it was better
ninjadude991 I get nailed on the 403 near ford drive coming into burlington from mississaga then all the old drivers in Burlington doing 40 in a 60
well iam -pulling of for a cold beer and get the canadian skates sharped
What song is this?
john d Orion
Houstons tx katy freeway is very large and much more wider and with more traffic
That is true but the Katy Freeway is only 4 more lanes wide. I am also not sure if you are correct with "more traffic" without links to proof.
but i think toronto is still bigger in size and much more people than houston i went to toronto last spring and it huge i was amazed alot stuff to there
I thought North America's busiest freeway was in Mexico City, the most populous city in N. America
Probably in terms of traffic congestion...wouldn't surprise me one bit, lol.
(North) North America.. As in Canada? Not the one as in the USA?
No North America is a continent what are you talking about. Are you saying Canada is North America? That it's a continent?
nice!
Glad you enjoyed the ride! Had a blast putting this one together for my audiences to see.
clearly you have not seen the Greek Highway. if you make it alive is a miracle. especially the one connecting athens - patrα coded a8
MPH
busy as it may be, without palms, mountains or quadruple stacks just not as sexy as the Santa Monica Fwy/405/etc
not as much eye sore? xD
ace
It's pretty safe to assume it's the busiest freeway on earth. Europe isn't a major "car culture", most Asians and South Americas would still be too poor to own cars, and Australia has barely any freeways at all.
And if it beats anything in the US...
I thought Houston had the widest freeway
+northlander nope, the Katy freeway is still the widest
Maybe you have the widest freeway but the 401 is the busiest highway - that is the difference.
@@awsomeness4016 Yeah but that includes frontage roads... which usually isnt counted
@@awsomeness4016 Katy freeway and 401 both have 22 línes
Does people use the turn lights in the States? lol WTF?
highly doubt that it's the busiest in North America ..Have you ever been to L.A...
I've lived in LA 3 times, and have videos on this channel from LA. You might be confusing busiest with most congested, which aren't the same thing. The 401 continues to be North America's busiest freeway based on recent traffic volume figures.
great driving bye all canadians
Its in Canada though how can it be North Americas busiest Highway
A part of it can obviously be explained by the over 8 million residents that call the sprawling Golden Horseshoe region their home. It's *the* main freeway that connects together some of Ontario's largest cities, including Toronto, Kitchener and London, not to mention it also serves as an (almost) direct link to Detroit and Montreal. It's also a major trade route for both Canadian and US-based trucking companies that depend on the 401 for the timely transport of goods. But beyond that, within the city of Toronto, it's the only complete toll-free east-west freeway. There's also an elaborate freeway network within Greater Toronto, which has helped to encourage a car-centered culture, similar to most American cities (although there's a decent mass transit system within Toronto and the adjacent suburbs). There's other factors involved, but hopefully it gives you some insight as to why the 401 is such a heavily traveled freeway.
TheBeachKid 11 because Toronto is the fourth largest city in North America and has one of the largest metropolitan populations maybe?
FORCE THE VOTE
You call this chaotic? I'm from china and this is light traffic. 🌚
While China does have much busier Hwys this is a very good day on the 401
It's very light traffic by 401 standards, unless this was shot at 5:30 am in late June. It's very often jammed, but even then the word chaotic doesn't apply and never did. Toronto is quite orderly, its highways included.