Highways in Canada

[mattpa]

i prefer the canadian route on the way to toronto and always go through the states on the way back

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by vid

Me either, and Google Maps says it takes longer, but I've seen lots of people get recommended the US route between here and Calgary or Vancouver as opposed to travelling through Canada. Might actually be due to cheaper fuel costs as opposed to speed?

Everyone east of Thunder Bay heading west is better off taking the US, for sure.

The Interstate is a lot faster, with lower gas and food prices, and higher speed limits (and tickets with demerits that don't transfer to Canada).

To Calgary you would be slower because of how far south Interstate 90 is, to Vancouver you barely have a distance penalty since the mountain passes in the USA are a lot more direct, and the divide is much further east. For a fair portion of the interstate route the speed limit is 135 or 140 kph.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by vid

Every Canadian needs to drive through this region once in their life, though, if only to say they've done it.

A relatively painless alternative is to take the train from Toronto to anywhere in Western Canada (or vice versa)... you get the full effect while being able to concentrate on things other than just driving!

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

The Interstate is a lot faster, with lower gas and food prices, and higher speed limits (and tickets with demerits that don't transfer to Canada).

To Calgary you would be slower because of how far south Interstate 90 is, to Vancouver you barely have a distance penalty since the mountain passes in the USA are a lot more direct, and the divide is much further east. For a fair portion of the interstate route the speed limit is 135 or 140 kph.

The only US highway with a speed limit of 140 (85 mph) is in Texas.

[Procrastinational]

Originally Posted by le calmar

The only US highway with a speed limit of 140 (85 mph) is in Texas.

Yup, and it's only one specific toll highway... 80 mph (130 km/h) limits are also quite rare. You only see them in parts of western Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.
Realistically, you can legally go 75 (120 km/h) through most of the western States, and 70 (110 km/h) through the eastern states.

Legality aside, most of the Interstate system is constructed to a very high standard through rural areas, and you can drive along with the cruise set at 80 mph for hours at a time, and generally not have to worry too much about getting pulled over.

The main perk to taking the Interstates is their consistency. When you get on one, you know what to expect, and you know you don't have to worry things like sharp corners. Canada's highways don't really have the same consistency to them, and it makes driving across the country a little more involved.

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by esquire

A relatively painless alternative is to take the train from Toronto to anywhere in Western Canada (or vice versa)... you get the full effect while being able to concentrate on things other than just driving!

Why would you do that? You can only get to Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, Kamloops and Vancouver 3 times a week by train. You can't even get to Thunder Bay, Brandon,Regina, Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Calgary, Banff, Golden or Revelstoke by train.
You get the full effect of being delayed by freight trains or having your trip cancelled by derailments. That is not what I call service.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

Why would you do that? You can only get to Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, Kamloops and Vancouver 3 times a week by train. You can't even get to Thunder Bay, Brandon,Regina, Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Calgary, Banff, Golden or Revelstoke by train.
You get the full effect of being delayed by freight trains or having your trip cancelled by derailments. That is not what I call service.

You'd do it because it's by far the most pleasant way to travel long distances over land. You sit in your little room or up in the dome car, nursing your cocktail, watching the scenery drift by. And when you get tired of that, you go have a nap, watch a movie or whatever.

If anyone is in a big rush, they should just go and buy a Westjet ticket.

[jmt18325]

I'd rather drive. I enjoy driving and detest sitting with little to do.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

I'd rather drive. I enjoy driving and detest sitting with little to do.

Taking a train is not like flying or being a passenger in a car... it's more like being on a cruise ship. You can get up, move around, sit in one of a number of lounges, eat in a restaurant, watch movies, read, converse with people, get off for walks at station stops. It's pretty pleasant... you only sit around if you choose to.

[sonysnob]

Study website for proposal to add HOV lanes to Hwy 404 northerly north of Hwy 7.

http://hwy404eastudy.ca/

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by le calmar

The only US highway with a speed limit of 140 (85 mph) is in Texas.

Like anywhere, your reasonable speed is 10 kph over the posted limit. And lots of cars passing.

You can drive a lot faster than 90 - 120 kph on the transcanada.

[Innsertnamehere]

looks like more of a general design contract for future widenings, which likely includes HOVs.

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by esquire

You'd do it because it's by far the most pleasant way to travel long distances over land. You sit in your little room or up in the dome car, nursing your cocktail, watching the scenery drift by. And when you get tired of that, you go have a nap, watch a movie or whatever.

If anyone is in a big rush, they should just go and buy a Westjet ticket.

Believe me I have taken the train many times, back in the 1970's when there was actually daily service on both the CN and CP routes and it was enjoyable, but when you can't even get to many destinations what use is the current service? There is no doubt that train service cannot compete with air over long distances. It should be able to compete with auto/bus on shorter distances but roads are continually upgraded to 4 line highways with higher speed limits while the railways languish due to government policy.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by esquire

Taking a train is not like flying or being a passenger in a car...

I don't know, it didn't seem much if any better to me.

[MolsonExport]

train>driving>plane (my level of tolerance for elapsed time).

Flying from Montreal to Perth (Oz) was....very unpleasant. Of course the train would have been so too.

[Procrastinational]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Like anywhere, your reasonable speed is 10 kph over the posted limit. And lots of cars passing.

You can drive a lot faster than 90 - 120 kph on the transcanada.

Yes, but going 140+ will get you pulled over almost everywhere in Canada or the States if a cop sees you. You hear the argument that if everyone is going that speed no one will get pulled over, but from experience (at least in the States) going nearly 90 mph in a line of cars will result in at least one random car being pulled over. Generally it's the last or first car in the line if there is only one cop.

Also, apart from in the prairies and maybe the maritimes, there aren't a whole lot of places on the Trans Canada built to a high enough standard to safely drive more than 120 or 130. Through a fair bit of BC and Northern Ontario, you are doing well if you can manage about 100.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by vid

The highway 11 drive from Thunder Bay to North Bay is probably the most boring drive in the country. It's flat, but unlike Saskatchewan where you have things to look at in the distance, it's just a tunnel of trees for 1,100km.

Thunder Bay is actually the largest city located on Highway 11 at this point, and that highway is 1,600km long and crosses the province! That's how desolate it is! If it didn't wiggle all over the place for most of its distance, it would probably kill people with how boring it is.

Highway 17, on the other hand, is pretty decent. Heading west it is really boring once you get to Dryden since you're out of the uplands and into flatter, less varied terrain, but from Dryden to Thunder Bay it's varied enough to interest you, and the railway runs along it and there are actually towns and stuff! But you definitely need to be able to tolerate driving for two hours without so much as a space on the shoulder to pull over, because that's how basic it is up here.

Every Canadian needs to drive through this region once in their life, though, if only to say they've done it.

What's weird is the times I've driven from Calgary to S. Ont. or vice versa have been very time dependent (such as arriving in Kingston 24 hours before my candidacy exam), but we always agreed that the predictability of not passing through customs with a 20' UHaul outweighed any advantage of higher speed limits and cheaper gas. I'll be making the trip one more time shortly, not sure which route I will take.

[MalcolmTucker]

If you time it right and take the ferry across Lake Michigan you can get a nice rest and skip navigating around Chicago.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

If you time it right and take the ferry across Lake Michigan you can get a nice rest and skip navigating around Chicago.

Is that really worth it, cost and time-wise? The Chicago area has some pretty good bypass highways...

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is that really worth it, cost and time-wise? The Chicago area has some pretty good bypass highways...

Even if you wait an hour and a half for the ferry it is time neutral (eventually crossing at Sarnia). Plus you get to nap or grab a bite without eating into travel time.