Highways in Canada

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by libtard

The average American suburb is actually more walkable than much of the lower mainland. At least they actually build sidewalks. Now it might take you a long time to walk to any type of amenities but technically it is walkable. In Metro Vancouver, and especially in recent years, sidewalks are the responsibility of developers. The city takes no initiative in building sidewalks and instead waits for lots to be developed so the developer can build the sidewalk. In the meantime, pedestrians have nowhere to walk

The city should have a bylaw that all residential and industrial streets must have sidewalks.

Rural roads, not an issue.

[SignalHillHiker]

A few pics from this afternoon's drive.

First pic is the TCH from the Avondale Access Road, right red circle:





Second and third pics are from Veteran's Memorial Highway, left red circle above:

[mcpish]

This is my latest video in a new series about the Coquihalla Highway that I'm doing. This one covers Kamloops to Merritt.

• Video Link

[craner]

Originally Posted by JHikka
Will be driving the A-85 southbound tomorrow. Really looking forward to the improvements. They can't twin it soon enough.
I'm looking forward to the completion of the twinning too, but I am dismayed that it won't be completed until 2025.

I remember the project to complete the twinning of the TCH through NB was first green lighted in the early 1990's. The A-85 was promised at the same time. I believe it was about 1992 and I was 35 years old.

By the time the damned thing is complete, I will be 68 years old (or dead).

Could be worse - at least you have a good chance of being alive when it's completed. Unlike my chances of being alive when twinning of the TCH though BC is completed (and I'm younger than you).

[mcpish]

Originally Posted by craner

Could be worse - at least you have a good chance of being alive when it's completed. Unlike my chances of being alive when twinning of the TCH though BC is completed (and I'm younger than you).

Pretty amazing to think the Coquihalla Highwas was constructed in record time of only 2 years. Why can't they do that between Kamloops and the Alberta border?

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

The city should have a bylaw that all residential and industrial streets must have sidewalks.

Rural roads, not an issue.

Not sure I agree with this. Courts and Crescents have little traffic and many driveways, making it safer to walk on the road where you are more viable. I would rather collector and arterial streets not have houses and have sidewalks on both sides that are set back from the road.

As for rural roads, have you every walked on one? They may not have many pedestrians, but the traffic can be fast, so they should be required to at least have a wide, continuous shoulder that you can walk on.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Not sure I agree with this. Courts and Crescents have little traffic and many driveways, making it safer to walk on the road where you are more viable. I would rather collector and arterial streets not have houses and have sidewalks on both sides that are set back from the road.

As for rural roads, have you every walked on one? They may not have many pedestrians, but the traffic can be fast, so they should be required to at least have a wide, continuous shoulder that you can walk on.

I noticed a couple of provincial highways in BC have concrete barriers in some areas to separate pedestrians from the main flow of traffic. Parts of Highway 11 between Abbotsford and Mission have this, as well as a couple spots on Highway 99 north of Vancouver.

These kinds of barriers may be a good idea for parts of the RIRO section of Ontario's Highway 11, where people actually live on the highway - and like the above BC examples, the speed limit is 90 km/h. I haven't seen stats on pedestrian deaths on that highway though I do remember one happening south of Orillia about 12 years ago.

[Innsertnamehere]

I drive highway 11 all the time and can't remember the last time I actually saw a pedestrian on it. I'd say that they are about as common as they are on 400 series highways - only difference is that they are technically allowed to be on Highway 11.

[DrNest]

I drove part of the new 407 extension and 412 today. I have to say I found it very quiet. Not in terms of the number of cars, but the actual volume of noise from the road surface was very quiet. It was a pleasure to drive on.

[haljackey]

Highway 401 at Allen Road drone footage

• Video Link

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I drive highway 11 all the time and can't remember the last time I actually saw a pedestrian on it. I'd say that they are about as common as they are on 400 series highways - only difference is that they are technically allowed to be on Highway 11.

I'm not sure what the case is today, but it seems to me that schoolchildren living in the area had to walk along the highway to get to their bus stop.

I believe there is also a church right on the highway, but it was a small old rural one; not sure if it's still in operation.

[FrAnKs]

New video !
This is featuring Route 116 & Route 134 to the wonderful Jacques-Cartier Bridge in Montréal.
At 3,425.6 m (11,239 ft) (including approaches) It is the second longest bridge of the province of Québec. It was built in 1925.
Enjoy !

• Video Link

[MolsonExport]

great video, like always. I presume that the Champlain Bridge is the longest bridge in Quebec? possibly the longest in Canada after the confederation bridge linking PEI and NB?

[JHikka]

My roadtrip on Tuesday was Ottawa -> Saint John via 417, A-30, A-20, A-85, Route 1, Route 7. Took about 11 hours including a half-hour delay on the A-85 for construction (repaving a single-lane section and traffic was held up on both directions).

417 (Ottawa West Hunt Club -> Vaudreuil) -> No matter how many times I drive this between Ottawa and Montreal it always seems obscenely boring.

A-30 (Vaudreuil -> Sainte-Julie) -> First time driving this and it was pretty good. The $2.50 toll is definitely worth paying if it means I avoid the island and I didn't find that there was much of a time loss. Traffic was a bit slow through Chateauguay and Brossard (especially for Tuesday at 11AM) but otherwise was fine.

A-20 (Sainte-Julie -> Riviere-du-Loup) -> Pretty straightforward per usual. Steady traffic from St-Hyacinthe to Drummondville before easing off. Lévis to Pocatiere was standard-issue, although it was rough in patches. Some traffic in Lévis-area which I guess it to be expected.

A-85 (Riviere-du-Loup -> NB Border) -> First time driving this in a while. The upgrades make a big difference. Majority of it is twinned now and the un-twinned sections are littered with enough passing lanes that it hardly makes much of a difference. Only people complaining about this are likely people who get nervous driving near transports.

Route 2 (QC Border -> Oromocto) -> First time in forever driving this in daylight. Mostly boring drive.

Route 7 (Oromocto -> Saint John) -> Driven this route enough I could likely do it blindfolded. I was the only vehicle driving southbound that I saw for the duration of my 35 minute drive. People in SJ like to call for this highway to be twinned but judging from the amount of traffic I saw on Tuesday night (see: barely any) I find it difficult to imagine.

I do the whole drive in reverse next Wednesday. Any QCers have recommendations on where to stop along the A-20 for dinner? I usually stop quickly in Drummondville but i'm feeling adventurous.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by JHikka

My roadtrip on Tuesday was Ottawa -> Saint John via 417, A-30, A-20, A-85, Route 1, Route 7. Took about 11 hours including a half-hour delay on the A-85 for construction (repaving a single-lane section and traffic was held up on both directions).

417 (Ottawa West Hunt Club -> Vaudreuil) -> No matter how many times I drive this between Ottawa and Montreal it always seems obscenely boring.

A-30 (Vaudreuil -> Sainte-Julie) -> First time driving this and it was pretty good. The $2.50 toll is definitely worth paying if it means I avoid the island and I didn't find that there was much of a time loss. Traffic was a bit slow through Chateauguay and Brossard (especially for Tuesday at 11AM) but otherwise was fine.

A-20 (Sainte-Julie -> Riviere-du-Loup) -> Pretty straightforward per usual. Steady traffic from St-Hyacinthe to Drummondville before easing off. Lévis to Pocatiere was standard-issue, although it was rough in patches. Some traffic in Lévis-area which I guess it to be expected.

A-85 (Riviere-du-Loup -> NB Border) -> First time driving this in a while. The upgrades make a big difference. Majority of it is twinned now and the un-twinned sections are littered with enough passing lanes that it hardly makes much of a difference. Only people complaining about this are likely people who get nervous driving near transports.

Route 1 (QC Border -> Oromocto) -> First time in forever driving this in daylight. Mostly boring drive.

Route 7 (Oromocto -> Saint John) -> Driven this route enough I could likely do it blindfolded. I was the only vehicle driving southbound that I saw for the duration of my 35 minute drive. People in SJ like to call for this highway to be twinned but judging from the amount of traffic I saw on Tuesday night (see: barely any) I find it difficult to imagine.

I do the whole drive in reverse next Wednesday. Any QCers have recommendations on where to stop along the A-20 for dinner? I usually stop quickly in Drummondville but i'm feeling adventurous.

Stop at Le Madrid 2.0 , exit 202

[Innsertnamehere]

I find it's usually quicker to go through backcountry US when going to St. John. I did Toronto - St. John in just under 12 hours in December, you take Quebec 212 and Maine 27 through the back country and then the airliner up to Calias. A bit of zigzagging is involved in Madison and Skowhegan, but it's generally 1-2 hours faster than staying in Canada.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I find it's usually quicker to go through backcountry US when going to St. John. I did Toronto - St. John in just under 12 hours in December, you take Quebec 212 and Maine 27 through the back country and then the airliner up to Calias. A bit of zigzagging is involved in Madison and Skowhegan, but it's generally 1-2 hours faster than staying in Canada.

New Brunswick is quicker through the US if you're travelling from Toronto/Hamilton/Kitchener-area. From Ottawa you're not saving much time and for a half-hour difference i'd rather twinned cruising for the overwhelming majority than the backroads adventuring that the Maine route requires. If you prefer getting hassled at the border that's your own prerogative.

Originally Posted by GreaterMontreal

Stop at Le Madrid 2.0 , exit 202

Noted!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

Stop at Le Madrid 2.0 , exit 202

Hostie

[FrAnKs]

Originally Posted by JHikka

My roadtrip on Tuesday was Ottawa -> Saint John via 417, A-30, A-20, A-85, Route 1, Route 7. Took about 11 hours including a half-hour delay on the A-85 for construction (repaving a single-lane section and traffic was held up on both directions).

417 (Ottawa West Hunt Club -> Vaudreuil) -> No matter how many times I drive this between Ottawa and Montreal it always seems obscenely boring.

A-30 (Vaudreuil -> Sainte-Julie) -> First time driving this and it was pretty good. The $2.50 toll is definitely worth paying if it means I avoid the island and I didn't find that there was much of a time loss. Traffic was a bit slow through Chateauguay and Brossard (especially for Tuesday at 11AM) but otherwise was fine.

A-20 (Sainte-Julie -> Riviere-du-Loup) -> Pretty straightforward per usual. Steady traffic from St-Hyacinthe to Drummondville before easing off. Lévis to Pocatiere was standard-issue, although it was rough in patches. Some traffic in Lévis-area which I guess it to be expected.

A-85 (Riviere-du-Loup -> NB Border) -> First time driving this in a while. The upgrades make a big difference. Majority of it is twinned now and the un-twinned sections are littered with enough passing lanes that it hardly makes much of a difference. Only people complaining about this are likely people who get nervous driving near transports.

Route 1 (QC Border -> Oromocto) -> First time in forever driving this in daylight. Mostly boring drive.

Route 7 (Oromocto -> Saint John) -> Driven this route enough I could likely do it blindfolded. I was the only vehicle driving southbound that I saw for the duration of my 35 minute drive. People in SJ like to call for this highway to be twinned but judging from the amount of traffic I saw on Tuesday night (see: barely any) I find it difficult to imagine.

I do the whole drive in reverse next Wednesday. Any QCers have recommendations on where to stop along the A-20 for dinner? I usually stop quickly in Drummondville but i'm feeling adventurous.

Stop at Fromagerie Lemaire. Just west of Drummondville. They offer one of the best poutines I've ever had !

http://www.fromagerie-lemaire.ca/menu-restaurant-fromagerie-lemaire/

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Route 1 (QC Border -> Oromocto) -> First time in forever driving this in daylight. Mostly boring drive.

[)

NB Route 2, right?