Trans-Canada Highway Numbering

[NE2]

This is probably getting off topic a bit, but anyone else want to comment on why Ontario, Quebec, NB and Nova Scotia didn't change their sections of the TC to route #1?  I realize they may already have had route 1's, but it seems to me that unifying the closest thing Canada has to a national highway under a single number would be worth the minor inconvenience of lesser routes getting new numbers.

The TCH is much less important to these provinces. Here's a 1955 map of the TCH, showing how it follows a bunch of different highways in Ontario.

[ghYHZ]

This is probably getting off topic a bit, but anyone else want to comment on why Ontario, Quebec, NB and Nova Scotia didn't change their sections of the TC to route #1?  I realize they may already have had route 1's, but it seems to me that unifying the closest thing Canada has to a national highway under a single number would be worth the minor inconvenience of lesser routes getting new numbers.

Why? Here in Nova Scotia TCH104, as well as TCH105 & TCH106 works fine for me as it probably does for most others that drive it every day......if it ain`t broke, why fix it!  104, 105 & 106 all carry the green TCH shield.

NS1 is an original two lane Trunk highway running from Halifax to Yarmouth via the Annapolis Valley. The parallel four lane freeway is NS101 and the closest it comes to the Trans Canada is about 80 kms.

[xonhulu]

Why? Here in Nova Scotia TCH104, as well as TCH105 & TCH106 works fine for me as it probably does for most others that drive it every day......if it ain`t broke, why fix it!  104, 105 & 106 all carry the green TCH shield.

Because it's one route. At least give it one number in NS, even if it's not 1.  No, it's not necessary, but far more sensible.

There's precedent for this in Canada, by the way.  The current TCH 16 originally consisted of different numbered routes (AB/BC 16, SK 5, SK 14, MB 4), but the latter two provinces changed their portions to 16 by 1977 to give the Yellowhead Highway a consistent route number.  All were signed with the Yellowhead shield before this, so by your criteria it wasn't necessary to do this, but I don't think anyone would disagree it's better to have the entire highway united under a single route number.

[ghYHZ]

Why? Here in Nova Scotia TCH104, as well as TCH105 & TCH106 works fine for me as it probably does for most others that drive it every day......if it ain`t broke, why fix it!  104, 105 & 106 all carry the green TCH shield.

Because it's one route. At least give it one number in NS, even if it's not 1.  No, it's not necessary, but far more sensible.

As I said 104, 105 & 106 work just fine here. The whole provincial highway numbering system would be affected........1, 2, 3, 4 etc are the original Trunk routes. When that route was "Super 2d"  twinned or the parallel divided highway constructed it became the 101, 102, 103, 104 etc.

A renumbered "TCH1"  would have to be at least a "TCH 101"  here except for short sections in Cape Breton where it is on the old trunk alignment.

Conceivably there could be a continuous number from the NB border to the Newfoundland Ferry at North Sydney.....not changing at Port Hastings as it does now from TCH104 to TCH105.  But how would you treat the spur (current TCH106) from Mt. William to the Caribou Ferry?   

A lot of expense for nothing gained. If someone can't follow a green TCH shield instead of a number..........

[vdeane]

Do Ontario and Quebec even post TCH shields?

The majority of Ontario's population is probably south of the TCH anyways.

[ghYHZ]

Do Ontario and Quebec even post TCH shields?

The majority of Ontario's population is probably south of the TCH anyways.

Yes the shield is posted along with the provincial route number in both Ont and Quebec.

The 401 corridor is south of the TCH and the closest the TCH gets to Toronto is about 80kms. 

[vdeane]

Do Ontario and Quebec even post TCH shields?

The majority of Ontario's population is probably south of the TCH anyways.

Yes the shield is posted along with the provincial route number in both Ont and Quebec.

The 401 corridor is south of the TCH and the closest the TCH gets to Toronto is about 80kms. 

Doesn't seem to be shown on the photos I've seen of ON 17 and ON 417 just now.  I'm pretty sure I didn't see any when I was in Ottawa in 2009 which is why I wanted to check.

[ghYHZ]

Do Ontario and Quebec even post TCH shields?

The majority of Ontario's population is probably south of the TCH anyways.

Yes the shield is posted along with the provincial route number in both Ont and Quebec.

The 401 corridor is south of the TCH and the closest the TCH gets to Toronto is about 80kms. 

Doesn't seem to be shown on the photos I've seen of ON 17 and ON 417 just now.  I'm pretty sure I didn't see any when I was in Ottawa in 2009 which is why I wanted to check.

Definitely posted along Autoroute 20 in Quebec and the ones I saw on 17 were in the Ottawa Valley around Deep River and Rolphton.

[vdeane]

Granted I didn't see too many photos of ON 17 either way; they might have dropped them on ON 417 in favor of the freeway designation, but I've personally only been on 20 km of it.

[NE2]

From a bit of looking on Google Street View, Ontario seems to not use trailblazers for the TCH and only use reassurance sometimes.

[ghYHZ]

Granted I didn't see too many photos of ON 17 either way; they might have dropped them on ON 417 in favor of the freeway designation, but I've personally only been on 20 km of it.

Here's ON17 just beyond the end of 417 at Arnprior:

http://g.co/maps/pcrv

[Alps]

Do Ontario and Quebec even post TCH shields?

The majority of Ontario's population is probably south of the TCH anyways.

Yes the shield is posted along with the provincial route number in both Ont and Quebec.

The 401 corridor is south of the TCH and the closest the TCH gets to Toronto is about 80kms. 

Doesn't seem to be shown on the photos I've seen of ON 17 and ON 417 just now.  I'm pretty sure I didn't see any when I was in Ottawa in 2009 which is why I wanted to check.

Definitely posted along Autoroute 20 in Quebec and the ones I saw on 17 were in the Ottawa Valley around Deep River and Rolphton.

Quebec is the only province, I believe, where the number is not posted in the shield because they use the Autoroute shield instead.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Ontario doesn't put numbers in their TCH shields either. They're usually posted numberless along with the standard King's Highway reassurance shields.

[NE2]

Sometimes they put the name of the branch (like "Northern Ontario Route") in the shield. http://www.thekingshighway.ca/intro.html has photos near the bottom.

[Pilgrimway]

There is already a route 1 in New Brunswick which is a major highway so renaming the TCH there would also involve a major renumbering that would be more trouble than its worth.  No one in New Brunswick is complaining about "TCH-2".  Or even TCH-16 which runs to the Confederation Bridge.

[xonhulu]

I agree that renumbering routes would involve some difficulties, but it's been done before in numerous locations and eventually everyone adapts.  If they had renumbered every segment of the main route of the TCH to 1 or some other number when the route was first designated, then today nobody (except maybe us) would remember that so-and-so was originally route 1 but it was forced to change numbers decades ago because of the TCH.  But my main point wasn't that provinces should be forced to apply route 1 to the TCH, it was simply the philosophical statement that it would be better if the route had a consistent number across provinces and my curiosity as to why that wasn't the case.

Put another way, what would've been better in the Interstate and US Route systems in the States: that roadways change numbers crossing state lines, or that routes keep their numbers across those state lines?  Obviously, it's better and easier for following those routes that they maintain consistent numbers.  But it would've still worked if we'd kept the named highway trails and cosigned those with the routes; it's just that the Interstate and US Routes as they are constitute a more efficient way to indicate a multi-state route than, say, the Lincoln Highway consisting of multiple differently-numbered routes.

On another note, I don't necessarily even think 1 should've been the number for the TCH.  Other numbers, like 0 or 100, would have been interesting choices, and not because they'd represent extensions of US numbering schemes, but more for them being unique, distinctive numbers.

[Michael in Philly]

^^I think once a numbering system has been in place for some time, old habits die hard.  A national numbering system for US routes caught on because it was the 1920s and most people hadn't been driving for very long; a national numbering system for the Interstates caught on because the roads themselves were completely new.  Superimposing the Trans-Canada about 1960 on existing provincial highways that had been in place for a few decades.... 

The analogy that comes to mind is the European route system.  Good idea, I suppose, but the only people who care about it are people in countries (Belgium and the Scandinavian countries) which have suppressed the domestic numbering of their expressways in favor of the European numbers (which is the case in Belgium) or never had domestic numbering of their expressways (which I believe is the case in Scandinavia).  In other words, in those countries, the European number is serving as the number even locals use to get from one city to the next or in traffic reports....  In most of Europe, where there's a domestic numbering system in place as well, people - even from other countries - know roads by their domestic numbers.

So for example no one would ever follow the E19 from Paris to Amsterdam, or at least think they were following it, even though it is marked; they'd think of it as the (French) A1, then the A2, or follow signs to Brussels, then Antwerp.... unless they chose a different route altogether, and it's only really called the E19 on the Belgian segment where the domestic numbers aren't signed.

[texaskdog]

It's Canada, there is only one road.  "Follow the only road"

[triplemultiplex]

It's Canada, there is only one road.  "Follow the only road"

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104261/follow-the-only-road-in-canada

"It's paved and wide and up to code."

Can't get a South Park reference passed this guy.

[ghYHZ]

In the Constitutional division of powers between Ottawa and the Provinces (believe me......you don't want to go there!).......Highways are a Provincial responsibility.

Even though federal funding is provided to maintain a national system, it is overlaid on existing provincial highways.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/policy/NHS_2007.pdf

If visitors to Canada can follow a route maker displaying only a "QEW"  (whatever that is! ) and without a number between the Niagara Frontier and Toronto.......they should be able to follow a Green Maple Leaf for the 7,800 km from St. John's to Victoria.

[ghYHZ]

It's Canada, there is only one road.  "Follow the only road"

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104261/follow-the-only-road-in-canada

"It's paved and wide and up to code."

Can't get a South Park reference passed this guy.

I'd like to see this but when I klick the link I get: "Sorry Canada....Video Not Available" 

[Dr Frankenstein]

If visitors to Canada can follow a route maker displaying only a "QEW"  (whatever that is! ) and without a number between the Niagara Frontier and Toronto.......

Queen Elizabeth Way.

I'd like to see this but when I klick the link I get: "Sorry Canada....Video Not Available" 

Blame the incompatible copyright laws...

[Michael in Philly]

If visitors to Canada can follow a route maker displaying only a "QEW” (whatever that is! ) and without a number between the Niagara Frontier and Toronto…….

Queen Elizabeth Way.

I'd like to see this but when I klick the link I get: "Sorry Canada....Video Not Available" 

Blame the incompatible copyright laws...

Trivia question (to which I know the answer):  who was the Queen Elizabeth Way named after?

[Quillz]

The Queen Elizabeth Way was named for Queen Elizabeth (later known as the "Queen Mother"), the Queen Consort of King George VI.

[Michael in Philly]

^^Thus saith Wikipedia (which I checked to verify what I'd already heard or read years ago).
:-)