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Ontario's Highways

Started by un1, January 19, 2009, 03:21:49 PM

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cbeach40

Quote from: compdude787 on May 13, 2019, 09:54:29 PM
^ That's a step in the right direction. But I'm surprised that there's not more freeways than that being raised to 110 km/h. I hope this is followed up with more increased speed limits.

It's rather deliberately these ones - one in each of MTO's southern Regions, and roads with very forgiving designs (all built/completely rebuilt in the 70s-80s-90s). Starting with those ones where the outcome is likely less of a surprise will be better optics than BC's slapdash approach to raising speed limits.

(though in fairness to BC, most of what they do with highways is pretty slapdash)  :-D
and waterrrrrrr!


jakeroot

At least I can still drive 120 on the Coq!

compdude787

Quote from: cbeach40 on May 14, 2019, 10:45:51 AM
Quote from: compdude787 on May 13, 2019, 09:54:29 PM
^ That's a step in the right direction. But I'm surprised that there's not more freeways than that being raised to 110 km/h. I hope this is followed up with more increased speed limits.

It's rather deliberately these ones - one in each of MTO's southern Regions, and roads with very forgiving designs (all built/completely rebuilt in the 70s-80s-90s). Starting with those ones where the outcome is likely less of a surprise will be better optics than BC's slapdash approach to raising speed limits.

(though in fairness to BC, most of what they do with highways is pretty slapdash)  :-D

I'm surprised that the 416 isn't getting higher speed limits. That one is pretty new.


AsphaltPlanet

AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.



jakeroot

Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on July 17, 2019, 08:39:42 PM
Some photos of the 407 extension in eastern Durham Region:

Great photos! As always.

I looked around your website but couldn't find any info. What's your camera setup like? Do you use the same camera for stills and your videos?

repost from yesterday to include quote

AsphaltPlanet

Thanks for the kind words, it truly is appreciated.

My website is pretty out of date for personal stuff like that.  These were photographed with a Sony Alpha 6300 with an 18-135 kit lens.  That's pretty much my go-to nowadays for still photography.  I use a proper video camera for road videos.  I started with a mirrorless camera, but both the Sony Alpha 6000 and 6300 are prone to overheating on long trips in the car.
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andrepoiy

That's a pretty wide median.

Also, they really need to expand the 404 north of Highway 7... The traffic here is just... too much.


Stephane Dumas

Quote from: andrepoiy on August 28, 2019, 10:43:08 PM
That's a pretty wide median.

Also, they really need to expand the 404 north of Highway 7... The traffic here is just... too much.

I begin to wonder if an extension of Hwy-412 north of Hwy-407 could be a relief route to Hwy-404?

AsphaltPlanet

I would personally love to see the 412 extended northerly (I would probably drive it every day), but there aren't any plans to extend the 412 any further north, and the current interchange with the 407 is pretty prohibitive to a northern extension unless several of the ramps were re-worked.
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rickmastfan67

The extension there of the 407 looks pretty well completed.  Is there a date being thrown around for a possible opening?

AsphaltPlanet

No, no date yet. I'd bet though it will be open by the middle of November.  The 407 is pretty well done, but there is more work to do on the 418, specifically at the 401 interchange.

I've certainly been wrong before though.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

jakeroot

Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on September 20, 2019, 10:30:51 AM
The 407 is pretty well done, but there is more work to do on the 418, specifically at the 401 interchange.

Seeing this post reminds me. Any idea how did Ontarians pick up the practice of using indefinite articles before freeway numbers? It makes sense in southern California, with all the freeway names (and a populace that got used to saying "the [xxx] freeway"); Did many Ontario freeways originally feature names as well? I'm aware of some major names like the M-C Freeway and the QEW.

AsphaltPlanet

^ That's a good question, I'm honestly not sure how that practice started.  But, it's definitely a thing.  Where I live it's common for someone to refer to a two-lane highway as just "Highway X", but any freeway is pretty much always "The X".

The other thing about Ontarian's that I find interesting is even among non-roadgeeks there is a certain mystique about the 401.  I don't know why it is, but Ontarian's love the 401.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

jakeroot

I see. I can't imagine there's many California transplants, so that's not likely. Most likely scenario I can imagine is that it started with first-gen British immigrants, who got used to saying "the [xxx]" (such as "the A1" or "the M6") back home. I know there's a sizeable number of British (and Irish) ethnic backgrounds in that area.

"The 401" does have a sort of allure to it that many might relate to California's obsession with "the 405"; both very busy, well-known routes that serve as essential arteries for their respective jurisdictions. To say that you don't like the 401 would be akin to dissing something like Route 66...it's too damn important to hate!

Chris

Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on September 23, 2019, 09:54:11 AMThe other thing about Ontarian's that I find interesting is even among non-roadgeeks there is a certain mystique about the 401.  I don't know why it is, but Ontarian's love the 401.

This may also have raised some additional awareness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Rescue:_401

cl94

My assumption is that the Ontario convention of referring to expressways as "the 4xx" stems from British usage ("the M25", etc.). Southern Ontario is a slightly-Americanized version of the UK.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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J N Winkler

I suspect the convention of prepending "the" before the numbers of 400-series freeways evolved independently in Ontario and has more to do with the first freeways being named ("the Queen Elizabeth Way," "the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway," etc.).  While the British were using the definite article more or less from the start of road classification (of which A/B numbering is part) in 1922, this has never applied to segments of the King's Highway in Ontario other than the 400-series freeways, and the first parts of the 401 actually opened over a decade before the first British motorway.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

Great Lakes Roads

The Government of Ontario wants your feedback on the pilot of raising the speed limit to 110 km/h. It's due by November 23, 2019.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-speed-limits-ontario-highways

GaryV

I answered. I wonder if they can tell I'm not from Ontario?


jakeroot

Quote from: J N Winkler on September 25, 2019, 04:05:19 PM
I suspect the convention of prepending "the" before the numbers of 400-series freeways evolved independently in Ontario and has more to do with the first freeways being named ("the Queen Elizabeth Way," "the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway," etc.).  While the British were using the definite article more or less from the start of road classification (of which A/B numbering is part) in 1922, this has never applied to segments of the King's Highway in Ontario other than the 400-series freeways, and the first parts of the 401 actually opened over a decade before the first British motorway.

I had a sneaking suspicion that might be the case.

I still have two question, though: 1) were any of the freeways originally built without numbers, and/or made up of multiple route numbers?; and 2) were full freeway names ever common on signage? I only ask because California's usage of the definite article stemmed from A) original freeways either not having numbers, or being a conglomerate of many numbers), and B) freeway names being signed overhead.

I've seen the M-C Freeway shield, but was never sure if the whole name was ever signed.

tdindy88

Speaking of Ontario and Southern California. When I drove around the GTA over in 2016 it honestly felt like driving in Southern California. The sheer amount of traffic and fast driving had a similar feel as it did when I went around Los Angeles in 2015. On top of using "the" in front of the route numbers, the signs all were of a similar size, kind of like many of the California highway signs. The whole highway network had a California feel to me.

Montreal on the other hand felt more like driving in New York City for some reason.

AsphaltPlanet

Quote from: jakeroot on September 26, 2019, 02:33:26 AM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 25, 2019, 04:05:19 PM
I suspect the convention of prepending "the" before the numbers of 400-series freeways evolved independently in Ontario and has more to do with the first freeways being named ("the Queen Elizabeth Way," "the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway," etc.).  While the British were using the definite article more or less from the start of road classification (of which A/B numbering is part) in 1922, this has never applied to segments of the King's Highway in Ontario other than the 400-series freeways, and the first parts of the 401 actually opened over a decade before the first British motorway.

I had a sneaking suspicion that might be the case.

I still have two question, though: 1) were any of the freeways originally built without numbers, and/or made up of multiple route numbers?; and 2) were full freeway names ever common on signage? I only ask because California's usage of the definite article stemmed from A) original freeways either not having numbers, or being a conglomerate of many numbers), and B) freeway names being signed overhead.

I've seen the M-C Freeway shield, but was never sure if the whole name was ever signed.

That's a good question.  The QEW was first "the Middle Road" before it was the QEW.
The 401, on the other hand was just Highway 2A, or maybe the Toronto By-pass.  But I'm not sure if the Toronto By-pass was ever actually used in normal parlance.  Without looking it up, I don't think the M-C Freeway designation was applied until the advance of the Centennial in 1965.
The 400 was the Toronto-Barrie Highway for for five years before it became the 400.

I've never given it much thought, but it could just be simple as a prominent traffic reporter of the time called the highways as "the" and it's just stuck for the decades that follow.
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