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Canadian Highway Fantasy Thread

EnviroTO said:
All of these highways below are part of the National Highway System but only some are part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, and for most there is only really only true Trans-Canada Highway (BC1-AB1-SK1-MB1-ON17-QC40-QC25-QC20-QC85-NB2-NS104-NS105-NF1).
Click to expand...
I am confused as to why they are numbered differently than in real life. For instance, you put 70 as being 16.
 
EnviroTO said:
View attachment 572294
View attachment 572295 McDonald-Cartier Freeway
View attachment 572298View attachment 572299 Trans Canada Highway
Click to expand...
So many things wrong with this numbering system you made up.... You randomly split 17 into two, rerouting "50" onto 101 in the middle of absolutley nowhere, and for some reason every highway that crosses the border needs to continue as the same number, even if it makes no sense... (69 going the total wrong way, 85 going in seemingly all 4 directions just to link up with another highway that has nothing to do with it, "420" being a spur of "20", I can go on and on). I like the idea of a unified system, but this is just not it
 
micheal_can said:
What is with the new numbering system and shield that look like they are from Quebec?
Click to expand...
Quebec has a fleur-de-lis on these route signs.
A50_QC_Autoroute.png
QC155_Primary.png
QC389_Secondary.png


Ontario does not.
A85_ON_Autoroute.png
ON10_Primary.png
ON560_Secondary.png
ON800_Tertiary.png
 
2323 said:
So many things wrong with this numbering system you made up.... You randomly split 17 into two, rerouting "50" onto 101 in the middle of absolutley nowhere, and for some reason every highway that crosses the border needs to continue as the same number, even if it makes no sense... (69 going the total wrong way, 85 going in seemingly all 4 directions just to link up with another highway that has nothing to do with it, "420" being a spur of "20", I can go on and on). I like the idea of a unified system, but this is just not it
Click to expand...
69 - The North American Highway from Mexico to Canada connecting to the GTA.
1718394183028.png

85 - The fastest north south route
1718394382763.png


All the routes are about the shortest routes across large distances. Route 50 is 2262km from Winnipeg to Montreal vs ON17's 2370km, 100km shorter without any improvements to orientation of the road.
 
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lenaitch said:
I guess some people get their kicks out of drawing random numbered lines on maps.
Click to expand...
Not random. Taking a system that hasn't evolved and has become useless in terms of providing guidance and creating routes that have purpose. More and more there are highways that end in the middle of nowhere because ownership changed, or that were at one time the fastest/shortest route between locations, but haven't been rerouted to take advantage of new roads that have been built. The idea of a long distance highway route should be to guide people to the most efficient route between those two places, not to take people on some nostalgic journey through time and small towns. So many of our highway numbers are stuck in the past, broken by change, and don't represent a goal of guiding people on the best route between two places. Routes should evolve. These are the highways that almost anyone would find themselves on if they are making a long journey in Canada.

North-south highways are odd numbered with 1 in west, and 97 in the east. Where north-south Interstate numbers reach the Canadian border the same number has been continued into Canada to complete their journey.
East-West highways are even numbered, and the Trans Canada has been given 50, the most central number. East-west highways range from 2 against the southern border to 80 in the north, and the primary east-west highways in Canada end in "0".



1718482789823.png
 
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EnviroTO said:
Not random. Taking a system that hasn't evolved and has become useless in terms of providing guidance and creating routes that have purpose. More and more there are highways that end in the middle of nowhere because ownership changed, or that were at one time the fastest/shortest route between locations, but haven't been rerouted to take advantage of new roads that have been built. The idea of a long distance highway route should be to guide people to the most efficient route between those two places, not to take people on some nostalgic journey through time and small towns. So many of our highway numbers are stuck in the past, broken by change, and don't represent a goal of guiding people on the best route between two places. Routes should evolve. These are the highways that almost anyone would find themselves on if they are making a long journey in Canada.

North-south highways are odd numbered with 1 in west, and 97 in the east. Where north-south Interstate numbers reach the Canadian border the same number has been continued into Canada to complete their journey.
East-West highways are even numbered, and the Trans Canada has been given 50, the most central number. East-west highways range from 2 against the southern border to 80 in the north, and the primary east-west highways in Canada end in "0".



View attachment 572783
Click to expand...
This actually manes those numbers make sense. I feel, we would have been more open sooner had your idea been fully explained. It seems you want to mix the way the interstates, and Quebec Autoroutes are numbered, and you also want us to be attached to the numbering system of whatever the USA has brought to our border. Am I right?
 
I like the idea of some revised highway numbering, though with a country the size of Canada and the fact that highways are provincial responsibility, full-scale renumbering to a national grid might be a hard proposition.

On a different platform, I did propose some provincial renumbering, attempting to utilize existing provincial numbering schemes. Credit to https://us-atlas.com/ where I found the basemaps.

In Eastern Canada, I attempted to extend the '1' designation for the TCH mainline, as well as retire some the of the more isolated TCH side routes.
East_CAN1.png


Ontario
Ontario_E_CAN1.png

  • TCH sections are signed like most other provinces with the number within a TCH shield.
  • ON-17/ON-417 becomes TC-1.
  • Central Ontario TCH branch is rerouted to serve Toronto via ON-400 & 401. M-C shields are also restored on ON-401.
  • ON-12 & ON-7 (TCH sections) are cosigned with the 'Historic Trans-Canada Highway' shield.
  • ON-411 is built between Gravenhurst & Newmarket around the eastern edge of Lake Simcoe, connecting to ON-404. ON-11 south of North Bay, and ON-404 become ON-411; it is also cosigned with the Don Valley Pkwy, Gardiner Expy, and QEW.
  • Bypassed ON-11 between Barrie & Gravenhurst becomes ON-111, or ON-426 if upgraded to freeway (400-series) standards.
  • TCH section of ON-71/ON-11 (Kenora-Fort Francis-Thunder Bay) is retired.
  • (Optional) former ON-17 is restored east of Ottawa and cosigned with and Historic TCH.
  • (Not mapped) ON-409 is renumbered to ON-499 (or something else) and ON-409 is designated to the Bradford Bypass.
Quebec
  • Due to its established highway grid system and additional political challenges, it would be exempt from renumbering its TCH section to TC-1.
  • A-20 is rerouted to follow A-85 to New Brunswick
  • A-20 east of Riviere-du-Loup would become A-32
  • QC-132 between Mont-Joli & Matapédia (NB-11) becomes QC-193, adhering to the grid and treated as a 'north-south' highway (perpendicular to the St. Lawrence River); breaking the giant 'P' shaped highway.
  • TCH Laurentian Route (A-15/QC-117/ON-66) is retired. It is technically the shortest route between Montreal & Thunder Bay (via ON-11), but also very isolated and would probably be even less utilized for cross-country traffic if the TCH between Ottawa and North Bay was upgraded to a four lane standard.
  • (Optional, not mapped): TCH Mainline is renumbered to A-10 ('01' backwards) while the current A-10 could become A-20.
Atlantic Canada
Atl_CAN1.png

  • TCH Mainline becomes TC-1 through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; optionally TC-101 in Novia Scotia to adhere its 100-series numbering for expressways.
  • The TCH PEI spur would become TC-9. If 100-series remains, TC-109 in Nova Scotia. I considered a '6' base (existing TC-106); however there might be confusion between the current proximity of NS-6 and NB/TC-16 that would become NB/TC-6. '9' is currently unused in NB & NS, and is a minor highway in PEI.
  • Current NS-101 & NS-1 would become NS-107 & NS-7 respectively to free up '1', as the two routes currently connect to one another in Dartmouth.
  • NB-8 between Miramichi & Bathurst becomes NB-11, reflecting the current Shediac-Campbellton corridor. Bypassed NB-11 via Tracadie-Sheila becomes NB-18.
  • NB-1 becomes NB-5, an unused number.
  • TC-1 would be redirected in St John's to terminate in downtown via current NF-2, as opposed following the Outer Ring Road (not mapped).
  • Optional: consider adding NS-102 to the TCH.
 
For western Canada I sought to create TC-2 that connects I-15 with AK-2 via AB-4, AB-2, AB-43, BC-2, BC-97, & YK-1; as well as improve northern connections, such as additional routes connecting the Alaska & Mackenzie Highways.

West_CAN1.png


British Columbia
The main goal is to reroute TC-1 to the Coquihalla Highway and retire some of the BC-97 suffixes (especially C & D) by using different numbers. The bypassed section of TC-1 through the Fraser Canyon would be renumbered but signed as the Historic TCH. Other renumberings would be:
  • BC-97C (Merritt-Kelowna) becomes BC-8, as per the real life original proposal when the highway was constructed
  • BC-97C & BC-5A via Princeton-Meritt-Ashcroft becomes BC-25 (or any other available number)
  • BC-97D between Logan Lake (BC-97C) and the Coquihalla Hwy becomes BC-25A
  • BC-95 is extended northeast from Golden along the Blaeberry River to Howse Pass, linking with AB-11
  • BC-43 is extended north from Elkford to Elk Pass, linking with AB-40 in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park (Kananaskis Country)
  • Break-up BC-97 and create a Vancouver-Northern BC continuous highway via TC-1 & BC-97 between Hope & Dawson Creek, becoming BC-7.
  • BC-97 (Vernon-Kamloops-Cache Creek) becomes BC-6
  • BC-5A (Kamloops-Merritt) becomes BC-1A.
  • Optional (not mapped):
    • BC-99 is renumbered to BC-5 in the Vancouver area, reflecting the northern continuation of I-5.
    • BC-5 north of Kamloops becomes BC-25, while the above proposed BC-25 assumes a different number.
SW BC_CAN1.png

Alberta
  • The North-South Trade Corridor (CANAMEX Corridor) becomes TC-2
    • AB-2 south of Fort Macleod becomes AB-89 (or any other available number)
    • AB-2 between Edmonton & AB-49 becomes AB-34 (or any other available number)
  • AB-49/AB-2 between Valleyview and Grimshaw becomes AB-35
  • AB-2 between Grande Prairie & Grimshaw becomes AB-40
  • AB-63 is extended south to Edmonton via AB-28 & 28A (unmapped), and extended to Fort Smith, NWT
  • AB 58 is extended from Rainbow Lake, AB to Fort Nelson, BC; possible extension east to Fort Chipewyan along existing winter roads.
  • Proposed E-W Highway between Peace River and Fort McMurray is constructed and finished and becomes AB-86; it is also extended east to La Loche, SK
  • AB-881 between Lac la Biche & Fort McMurrey becomes AB-36
  • AB-40 through Kananaskis Country is renumbered AB-43, linking the BC-43 extension; AB-40 & AB-541 south of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park would become AB-7
Saskatchewan
  • SK-11 is extended southeast from Regina via SK-6 (cosigned) and SK-39; Regina & Saskatoon now have a direct highway to its busiest US border crossing.
  • SK-4 is rerouted from Meadow Lake to via SK-55 (consigned) and SK-155 to La Loche, then extended west to Fort McMurray, AB
  • In Regina, TC-1 & SK-11 are restored to their pre-Regina Bypass expressway alignments; while the Regina Bypass is renumbered to SK-401; eventually the missing NE section is added.
Manitoba
  • MB-75 becomes MB-29 to reflect its connection to I-29
  • MB-6 is extended to Churchill
Yukon - YK 1 & 2 switch designations to allow for TC-2 along the Alaska Highway; the new YK-1 also includes YK-9
 
EnviroTO said:
69 - The North American Highway from Mexico to Canada connecting to the GTA.
View attachment 572500
85 - The fastest north south route
View attachment 572504

All the routes are about the shortest routes across large distances. Route 50 is 2262km from Winnipeg to Montreal vs ON17's 2370km, 100km shorter without any improvements to orientation of the road.
Click to expand...
You are right, I just don't think it is necessary to look at it from a US standpoint. We are a different country, we are allowed to have our own highways. I don't think it is necesarry to mess around with half the 407 and random parts of the QEW to make a connected highway from the 400 to "85", which zoomed out I guess makes sense but I'd be hard pressed to be convinced that is a natural traffic patern, even looking from a USA standpoint. If anything, E-W traffic from the Thruway (I-90) is certainly greater than any traffic coming from southern NY in the middle of nowhere, so by that logic the QEW-403-401 should be a highway from Detroit to Buffalo as that is technically the fastest route between those cities. Same thing for the 69. The 401 is a major highway in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, and I'm not sure we need to sacrifice the continuity of it because another unrelated American highway happens to connect (indirectly, at that) to it. As for rerouting 17 onto the 101 in the north, the 101 is simply a worse highway from a design standpoint and offers even fewer services than the already abysmal ones on the 17. I'm sure you've heard that the fastest route through Northern Ontario isn't necesarilly the best. Many truckers will outright prefer taking 11 across instead of 17 (even if it adds more distance) because the route is far flatter and straighter.
 
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