dunkalunk
Senior Member
To avoid discussion of officially-proposed projects from going off-topic on their appropriate threads, I'd recommend moving discussion of fantasy road proposals here.
Last edited:
|
|
|
Roads: Fantasy Proposals
- Thread starter dunkalunk
- Start date
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
My fantasy proposal:
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Use this map inside, Toronto in 1916:
Not even a Queen Elizabeth Way.
Not even a Queen Elizabeth Way.
Last edited:
pstogios
Senior Member
Thank you for creating this.
ssiguy2
Senior Member
Seeing the other thread is for ONT/GTA highways I will assume this is a fantasy thread for all of Ontario.
I think outside the GTA there are 3 priorities in the South..........a freeway connecting Hamilton to KWC, a complete Hamilton bypass connecting Brantford with Niagara, and a 402 extension from Strathroy to Woodstock/403 across northern London which is where it was suppose to go in the first place until politics got in the way. They have to connect Ham/KWC, provide relief for the Ham/Niagara QEW, and relief for the 401 Woodstock to London section which wuld also serve northern London where it takes so long to get to the 401 in the south of the city that many are now travelling on the regular roads to Stratford/Kichener and getting on the 401 at Kitchener to get to Toronto.
I think outside the GTA there are 3 priorities in the South..........a freeway connecting Hamilton to KWC, a complete Hamilton bypass connecting Brantford with Niagara, and a 402 extension from Strathroy to Woodstock/403 across northern London which is where it was suppose to go in the first place until politics got in the way. They have to connect Ham/KWC, provide relief for the Ham/Niagara QEW, and relief for the 401 Woodstock to London section which wuld also serve northern London where it takes so long to get to the 401 in the south of the city that many are now travelling on the regular roads to Stratford/Kichener and getting on the 401 at Kitchener to get to Toronto.
dunkalunk
Senior Member
I agree with you regarding the need for a freeway along the north edge of London. Veterans Memorial Parkway is currently being built to be upgradable to act as the eastern section of a London ring road should a northern bypass be built.
As for "a freeway connecting Hamilton to KWC" (Waterloo Region), I don't think one is really necessary. There are currently two projects in the pipeline: The Highway 6/401 interchange including Morriston Bypass as well as the Cambridge East Boundary Rd (which will link up to the South Boundary Rd) that will easily connect the 401 to provincial Highways 6, 8, 24 and 52. The grade-separated Highway 7 bypass under construction between Kitchener and Guelph will also funnel traffic towards an upgraded Hanlon Expy/Highway 6.
dunkalunk
Senior Member
An example of a fantasy proposal:
St Clair Extension to Don Valley Pkwy
St Clair Ave is extended eastward through Mud Creek Ravine and north of the Beltline Trail to connect with Bayview Ave. A new bridge would be built over the Don River and GO rail line to connect with onramps to the DVP.
Existing ramps at the Bloor St Access and Bayview would be reconfigured as a partial SPUI to allow for a direct connection from Bayview Ave to Bloor. There need need to be two light cycles; one for eastbound travel over the bridge and another for Westbound Travel. Bayview Ave would continue to flow freely. This connection could alternatively be achieved through a regular intersection.
While Toronto does have precedent for building roads through its ravines, and there is nothing limiting the St Clair extension with regards to technical feasibility, it would be difficult for such a proposal to pass a modern Environmental Assessment. A St Clair extension would also likely see significant community pushback from those living in the Moore Park neighbourhood who would no longer have a tree canopy, front lawn, or street parking. Property acquisition would be a significant cost, even before complete expropriation is deemed necessary to make way for road widening.
There are still merits to reconfiguring the existing Bloor-Bayview ramp complex to make the most of the highway stub that exists.
St Clair Extension to Don Valley Pkwy
St Clair Ave is extended eastward through Mud Creek Ravine and north of the Beltline Trail to connect with Bayview Ave. A new bridge would be built over the Don River and GO rail line to connect with onramps to the DVP.
Existing ramps at the Bloor St Access and Bayview would be reconfigured as a partial SPUI to allow for a direct connection from Bayview Ave to Bloor. There need need to be two light cycles; one for eastbound travel over the bridge and another for Westbound Travel. Bayview Ave would continue to flow freely. This connection could alternatively be achieved through a regular intersection.
While Toronto does have precedent for building roads through its ravines, and there is nothing limiting the St Clair extension with regards to technical feasibility, it would be difficult for such a proposal to pass a modern Environmental Assessment. A St Clair extension would also likely see significant community pushback from those living in the Moore Park neighbourhood who would no longer have a tree canopy, front lawn, or street parking. Property acquisition would be a significant cost, even before complete expropriation is deemed necessary to make way for road widening.
There are still merits to reconfiguring the existing Bloor-Bayview ramp complex to make the most of the highway stub that exists.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
Never understood the need for the mid pen highway, widen the QEW if you have to instead.
The 417 extended to petawawa would be nice, as would a widening of the 400 from Vaughan to Barrie and 11 upgraded to the 411 as a full freeway.
The 417 extended to petawawa would be nice, as would a widening of the 400 from Vaughan to Barrie and 11 upgraded to the 411 as a full freeway.
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
A continuation of the 409 under Pearson airport SW to connect with the 403 via East Gate Parkway. Would improve access to the airport from the West and relieve some pressure on the 403/410/401/427 mess of interchanges.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
My personal favourite - burying Avenue Road from south of Bloor to just south of College.
AoD
AoD
doady
Senior Member
Yeah, building more roads in a floodplain probably would not be allowed and it wouldn't be a good idea anyways.
If anything, my fantasy is to completely get rid of Gardiner and DVP. Only new road I want to see is Lawrence East between Leslie and Bayview. And Queensway West to Erin Mills Parkway in Mississauga.
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
Avenue Rd doesn't exist south of Bloor; I assume you mean Queens Park
Anyways what purpose would this serve? This seems like a fairly random stretch of road to bury, especially since Queens Park Rd/Cres is already quite speedy.
A more useful connection IMO would be Highway 424 between Brantford and Cambridge. It would still be very useful for that Hamilton-KWC trip (over and up instead of the current up and over that's used for 6-401), but would also be useful for the Branford area as well.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
1. Didn't type it all in for the sake of brevity - the point has gotten across.
2. Burial isn't for the sake of speed - but for consolidating green space and create a legislative precinct.
AoD
wolfewood
Active Member
To build off of AoD's suggestion, I've always liked the idea of closing at least the west side of Queen's Park Crescent to reconnect Queen's Park and the U of T campus. Recreate Taddle Creek through the area and create a large park through downtown (partially on U of T's campus but few would see the difference). I've never considered burying the entirety of Queen's Park Crescent because it struck me as unnecessarily expensive (because of the University line) but if it were doable it would certainly make closing the road far more palatable than my idea (to make the east side of QPS into a two-way road lol)