Is a third lane all Northern Ontario highways need? A driverless Waymo wandered into a Denver farmers market, and police say there's no way to ticket it. And there may be some modest fixes for supersized pickups. Welcome to the Good Roads Podcast, where we break down the biggest municipal infrastructure, transportation, and road safety stories shaping Ontario communities.
This week, Thomas and Andrew unpack three stories that explore highway design, autonomous vehicle enforcement, and vehicle safety.
🛣️ Two's Company, Three's a Highway
A new Northern Policy Institute report argues that most of the Highway 11-17-71 corridor needs 2+1 lanes, not full four-lane twinning. The estimated cost is about $3.3 billion versus $18.8 billion, in a region where the road fatality rate is more than double the South's. We discuss where twinning still makes sense and why the upcoming Highway 11 pilot in Nipissing could be the test case.
🤖 A Robotaxi at the Farmers Market
An empty Waymo slipped past closure barricades at a Denver farmers market and cruised between vendor tents. Police and State Patrol confirmed that state law has no mechanism to ticket a vehicle without a driver. We explore who gets the ticket, and what Ontario should settle before robotaxis arrive.
🛻 Half-Measures for Supersized Vehicles
You don't have to ban pickups to act on pedestrian safety. We look at three practical steps: reining in aftermarket lift kits and bull bars, regulating grille heights or requiring front cameras, and asking whether public fleets really need a pickup for every job. One of those is entirely in municipal hands.
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