Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[Transportfan]

I'm not sure where "Wellington Road" comes from but I'm guessing it's just the name of someone who owned land there. That's where a lot of Toronto's street names come from. Lawrence, Sheppard, Finch, Morgan Street, Arnold Avenue, John Street, Langstaff Road, Gamble Road - all those streets are named after someone who owned land on the corner of that street and Yonge in the 19th century.

Wellington Street is just a common, generic town- or city street name like "Main" "King" "Queen", etc., not a specific name like Lawrence, Sheppard, or Finch. Which is why a name for Hwy. 7 through YR is difficult to settle on.

 

[amnesiajune]

For example, we know a section of Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham was previously named 17th Sideroad because of a disjointed section at Warden Avenue.

Also because of the parallel streets. 14th, 15th (now Highway 7), 16th, 17th (now Major Mack), 18th (now Elgin Mills), 19th, etc.

 

[chinesehorse]

Also because of the parallel streets. 14th, 15th (now Highway 7), 16th, 17th (now Major Mack), 18th (now Elgin Mills), 19th, etc.

I've always wondered when they renamed the streets. There's almost no trace of many of the historic names after they've been renamed. The only trace of Elgin Mills ever being named 18th Avenue is a sign saying Formally 18th Avenue at the Victoria Square Boulevard and Elgin Mills Road.

 

[Dan416]

I dislike how the numbered streets are inconsistently used. We have a small number of remaining numbered streets. Ninth Line and Tenth Line still have those names, although I guess they could be considered a holdover from when those lands were annexed.

We also have Fifth Line still existing, although looking at the map it's been surpassed by Erin Mills Pkwy which almost next to it for part of it and it looks like it took over part of Fifth Line's former alignment. Why they didn't bother renaming Fifth Line after that who knows.

Second Line was probably the most recent renaming, with a portion named after Silken Laumann and a portion named Terry Fox. Another portion remains Second Line.

Seems to me like you might as well rename all of them and not bother to have any numbered streets if you can't navigate based on the numbers anyway.

 

[Johnny Au]

I dislike how the numbered streets are inconsistently used. We have a small number of remaining numbered streets. Ninth Line and Tenth Line still have those names, although I guess they could be considered a holdover from when those lands were annexed.

We also have Fifth Line still existing, although looking at the map it's been surpassed by Erin Mills Pkwy which almost next to it for part of it and it looks like it took over part of Fifth Line's former alignment. Why they didn't bother renaming Fifth Line after that who knows.

Second Line was probably the most recent renaming, with a portion named after Silken Laumann and a portion named Terry Fox. Another portion remains Second Line.

Seems to me like you might as well rename all of them and not bother to have any numbered streets if you can't navigate based on the numbers anyway.

Perhaps they are being saved for future distinguished individuals.

 

[Transportfan]

I dislike how the numbered streets are inconsistently used. We have a small number of remaining numbered streets. Ninth Line and Tenth Line still have those names, although I guess they could be considered a holdover from when those lands were annexed.

The numbers are also wrong, after Mississauga annexed the lands. Scroll down to the "North-south roads" section.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roads_in_Mississauga

 

[Johnny Au]

The numbers are also wrong, after Mississauga annexed the lands. Scroll down to the "North-south roads" section.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roads_in_Mississauga

Ninth and Tenth Lines are holdovers from concession roads in Trafalgar Township (now Oakville and eastern part of Milton). Trafalgar Road in Oakville and Milton is named after the former township.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Does anyone know if Highway 7 will be widened under Highway 404 after the bridge is rebuilt? That reversible bus lane is so inefficient.

 

[Steve X]

Does anyone know if Highway 7 will be widened under Highway 404 after the bridge is rebuilt? That reversible bus lane is so inefficient.

The whole VIVA rapidway is so inefficient when there's no traffic. Buses now stop twice and could only proceed slowly past a platform. Too bad there isn't any good data or a Steve Munro to compare the previous mix traffic and the current ROW.

The 510 Spadina isn't moving faster than the 77 Spadina bus but it's carrying a lot more riders. VIVA in the other hand still uses the same buses and it doesn't seem like headways have improved yet.

 

[darth_freeman]

Does anyone know if Highway 7 will be widened under Highway 404 after the bridge is rebuilt? That reversible bus lane is so inefficient.

Are the bridges actually being rebuilt? Isn't the current construction related to the new E/W crossing of 404? http://www.york.ca/wps/portal/yorkhome/newsroom/news/highway404highway7interchangeimprovements/

 

[Leo_Chan]

Are the bridges actually being rebuilt? Isn't the current construction related to the new E/W crossing of 404? http://www.york.ca/wps/portal/yorkhome/newsroom/news/highway404highway7interchangeimprovements/

This is the project to add an overpass north of Highway 7, which is a York Region project. I'm talking about the MTO project that is to widen Highway 404 from 407 to Stouffville, which also rebuilds the Hwy 7 and 16th bridges and new Major Mack ParknRide. Construction is suppose to start in the summer though.

 

[Edward Skira]

News Release

Adding More Lanes to Highway 400 to Keep People Moving
June 20, 2017

Ontario Creating Jobs and Improving Traffic Flow for Commuters and Families
Ontario is creating jobs and keeping people moving by widening more than 10 kilometres of Highway 400 from Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan to King Road in the Township of King.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca and Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges-Markham, were in King City today to announce the start of construction of the Highway 400 widening project. This project, which is scheduled for completion in fall 2020 will widen the highway from six lanes to eight lanes and include a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction.

Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history. To learn more about what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

Improving key transportation infrastructure to keep people moving is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.


QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is investing $89.9 million in this project.
• Widening of Highway 400 will create or sustain approximately 629 construction jobs.
• The average daily traffic for this section of Highway 400 is approximately 122,500 vehicles per day.
• Ontario is committing over $2.1 billion to repair and expand provincial highways and bridges across the province.

 

[ShonTron]

Family friendly highway expansion!

 

[Haljackey]

I'm reading this as 8+2HOV right?

The first phase of a large project to push HOVs up to Barrie?

 

[innsertnamehere]

It'll be 6+2HOV, with the additional 2 general purpose lanes to be "roughed in" for easy addition, from my understanding. All that it will require is a bit of gravel and some asphalt. All structures, interchanges, crash walls, etc. will be done.

Too bad about the 3 year construction period, I was hoping this would be done sooner. Ah well. Should make the drive to cottage country easier, now if they can just widen it up to Hwy 9 and through Barrie.