Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[gweed123]

Actually, states like NY, NJ, PA all seem to have pretty low limits on the interstates. Max 65mph and it goes down to 55mph in urban areas.

On the other hand, the country road limits are pretty high outside cities, usually 55mph, but can go down drastically in cities.

But other states, I think mostly in the south and west do have higher limits.

Yeah, most of the northern states still keep it at 65. I drove from Toronto to Florida a couple weeks ago, and the only states that I drove through that had a 65 rural speed limit were NY, PA, and MI. Personally I loved driving through the states where it was 70mph. It allowed me to do 120 km/h without any worry of being pulled over.

The only time where it seemed to drop to 55 in urban areas was where it was in really urban areas, with a lot of entrance and exit ramps (through downtowns for example). Through most of the suburban areas, it was 65.

 

[Haljackey]

Conceptual images of the Windsor-Essex Parkway.

Video
[video=youtube;09v5l72ullA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09v5l72ullA[/video]

Website: http://www.weparkway.ca/

The Windsor-Essex Parkway will extend Highway 401 to a new bridge border crossing with the USA, creating a full freeway link in Windsor.

Construction starts later this year. Prep work begun in 2010.

 

[TOareaFan]

When they show renderings of new/future highways why do they show so few cars? Makes me think "that is a lot of infrastructure for so little demand!

 

[gweed123]

When they show renderings of new/future highways why do they show so few cars? Makes me think "that is a lot of infrastructure for so little demand!

If you showed traffic jams, people would ask "why aren't you making the roads bigger?", haha... Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[Haljackey]

Very cool interactive map: http://www.weparkway.ca/interactivemap/InteractiveMap.html

It will be the first major highway project in Ontario since the 407 and 416 were completed in the late 1990's.

 

[Dan416]

It'll officially be part of the 401 though despite the fact that it's named the Windsor-Essex Parkway right?

 

[Haljackey]

It'll officially be part of the 401 though despite the fact that it's named the Windsor-Essex Parkway right?

Correct. The new section of freeway will be called the Windsor-Essex Parkway but will be designated as part of Highway 401.

Highway 401's first exit is #13, even though its only 2.6km from the current eastern terminus of the freeway. This was planned in foresight of an extension so we wouldn't have to renumber every single exit on the 401 in the province. (Exit numbers are from west to east.)

See here for the list of exits.

 

[Dan416]

Correct. The new section of freeway will be called the Windsor-Essex Parkway but will be designated as part of Highway 401.

Highway 401's first exit is #13, even though its only 2.6km from the current eastern terminus of the freeway. This was planned in foresight of an extension so we wouldn't have to renumber every single exit on the 401 in the province. (Exit numbers are from west to east.)

See here for the list of exits.

I did notice that when I looked at the Wiki. I just wanted confirmation because there's little reference to it as Highway 401 in the literature on the official website.

 

[ShonTron]

Also note that Highway 400 numbering also doesn't start with exit 1 (Jane Street), but was planned to go further south as a provincial freeway to near Eglinton. It would have connected to the Crosstown (and the Christie/Clinton connector) and Richview Expressways. The province built Black Creek Drive in this corridor and transferred it to Metro.

 

[Markster]

Also note that Highway 400 numbering also doesn't start with exit 1 (Jane Street), but was planned to go further south as a provincial freeway to near Eglinton. It would have connected to the Crosstown (and the Christie/Clinton connector) and Richview Expressways. The province built Black Creek Drive in this corridor and transferred it to Metro.

I believe that the exit numbering on the 400 gives it the leeway to go right to the lake.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I believe that the exit numbering on the 400 gives it the leeway to go right to the lake.

I had thought the 400 exit numbers measure in kilometres to Toronto City Hall.

 

[Haljackey]

Wasn't the 400 supposed to all the way to the Gardiner Expressway?

It was the Spadina that was going to hook up with the Crosstown.

Glad the Richview, Spadina and Crosstown weren't built, but the 400 extension would have come in handy IMO.

 

[picard102]

While roadway engineers continue to deal with the daunting problem of keeping up with capacity, the biggest remaining step we can take to make the 401 a less intimidating beast would be to address the speed issue unambiguously.

I'd suggest that if someone finds the 401 an intimidating beast, the best solution would be for those people not to drive on it.

 

[ShonTron]

I'd suggest that if someone finds the 401 an intimidating beast, the best solution would be for those people not to drive on it.

It would be nice if somehow there were consistent numbered highways that could somehow parallel the 401 so that we could have slower traffic use that. Oh yeah, there were. Highway 2 did that job at one time.

 

[MisterF]

Very cool interactive map: http://www.weparkway.ca/interactivemap/InteractiveMap.html

It will be the first major highway project in Ontario since the 407 and 416 were completed in the late 1990's.

I'd say the 400 to Sudbury and 11 to North Bay are just as major, at least in terms of the scope of the work. Those highways are cutting through some serious terrain for hundreds of kilometres.