London Roads

[haljackey]

Veterans Memorial Parkway extension: Key for new jobs or 'highway to nowhere?'

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/veterans-memoria-parkway-extension-1.4244617

All this construction headache will actually reduce the level of service on the 401-VMP interchange...

[MolsonExport]

Lakhotia says the plan has been "phenomenally successful" in attracting new businesses: 65 new companies have come, bringing with them some 5,000 jobs.

hmm, I wonder how much public money subsidized these jobs, especially when I read this:

He calls the extension a $22-million "highway to nowhere."

For the record, I am in favor of wisely spending public money to improve infrastructure with the objective of creating well-paying permanent jobs. But if we are spending many millions to create several thousands...well I don't know if that is a really good use of public monies. Especially since these positive employment figures are never net (we are still well below the peak of industrial jobs, despite the expanded infrastructure).

Another thing: why is it necessary for trucks to have freeways, while residents have to spend 30+ minutes crossing the city?

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Veterans Memorial Parkway extension: Key for new jobs or 'highway to nowhere?'

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/veterans-memoria-parkway-extension-1.4244617

All this construction headache will actually reduce the level of service on the 401-VMP interchange...

Waste of money. Instead of repaving the road and wasting taxpayers money, turn it into an expressway already. We just like to waste money down here paving roads we're going to rip up again in a couple years.

[Djeffery]

I drive up and down VMP several times a day for work, as well as getting to and from work. Been a nightmare the last 2 years for the rebuilding of the road, but it was badly needed. The roadway itself was falling apart, and it wasn't that old. Not sure if the twinning was messed up or what, but regardless, this part had to happen. I would love to see it upgraded to freeway standard, but that is going to take a ton of money and cause a huge headache for traffic while over or underpasses are constructed (and other roads stopped up). This current work would have needed to happen anyway. And if Londoners were given the choice of 4 overpasses to be built, would they like them all on VMP to make it a freeway, or would they want Adelaide, 2 on Clarke and somehow one on Richmond? I bet most Londoners would want the rail down first before VMP.

As for the extension, I'm going to love being able to go right down to Wilton Grove instead of jogging over to Old Victoria. I would think the Dairy Farm guy would be happy to have a large reduction in traffic by his front door. That road is in terrible shape as well. And accessing the 401 from VMP instead of trying to make that left on to 74 is going to be a huge plus, especially for trucks. The 74 bridge is going to be ripped down and replaced in the next couple years anyway. I do agree though that the off ramp from 401 eastbound to VMP is a downgrade with the 2 traffic lights compared to how it was before. Nothing you can really do about that though, it's like all the other London exits. Maybe if we ever get VMP made into a freeway we can get a flyover built, but that will probably double the cost of that project.

[haljackey]

London is starting to remove 'pork chop' islands

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/pork-chop-islands-getting-axed-1.4366890

[Dupcheck]

Originally Posted by haljackey

London is starting to remove 'pork chop' islands

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/pork-chop-islands-getting-axed-1.4366890

About time. They did a good job at removing the Adelaide and Fanshawe Pk. one. The road crossing is much safer now. Good job. These are the little things that do matter to everyday life in the city.

[kaiserLDN]

Picture #1 of Horton St. extension. No idea how this could be built in London, Ontario with so many homes demolished. Good on them. However I wasn't around then but maybe it was supposed to be something bigger and it just ended up as an extension not an expressway. Maybe someone from around that time can tell us what happened.

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/10/25/pictures-from-the-past-oct-26

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by kaiserLDN

Picture #1 of Horton St. extension. No idea how this could be built in London, Ontario with so many homes demolished. Good on them. However I wasn't around then but maybe it was supposed to be something bigger and it just ended up as an extension not an expressway. Maybe someone from around that time can tell us what happened.

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/10/25/pictures-from-the-past-oct-26

This was pretty much the only example of demolishing the built environment to build roads in London. We got off pretty easy, many other cities in Canada and most in the US lost or segregated entire neighborhoods to build freeways.

It's a terrible practice. Toronto nearly got the same treatment with the Spadina Expressway but luckily it was halted when people came to their senses that this practice is no good.

While I'm in favor of building some kind of highway for London, it needs to go on the outskirts as I am completely against this kind of policy. 20th century planning at it's finest.

[Pimpmasterdac]

Originally Posted by kaiserLDN

Picture #1 of Horton St. extension. No idea how this could be built in London, Ontario with so many homes demolished. Good on them. However I wasn't around then but maybe it was supposed to be something bigger and it just ended up as an extension not an expressway. Maybe someone from around that time can tell us what happened.

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/10/25/pictures-from-the-past-oct-26

Essentially the city needed a better and more direct connection for traffic from the Southwest of London into downtown. Wharncliffe was way overcapacity, as it was handling north-south, but also east-west traffic. It came down to connecting Springbank to either Stanley/York St under the the CN line, or building a new ROW and connecting it with Horton St. across the Thames. The entire north side of Beaconsfield was expropriated, demolished and re-graded but not without a huge outcry and NIMBY backlash.

Very relevant to today though. Seems like the city is stalling over the Wharncliffe/CN Underpass widening due to a hand full of properties that need to be expropriated. Horton required dozens. And if BRT is passed, it'll make Horotn seem like child's play. Hopefully this and future council s will have the backbone to make the necessary improvements!

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by haljackey

London is starting to remove 'pork chop' islands

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/pork-chop-islands-getting-axed-1.4366890

good stuff. These are useless for traffic merging when volumes get above a certain level. They are also very ugly.

However, the city is building plenty of pork chops with its embrace of roundabouts (Which I hate, as the cars travel much faster through residential areas than they should). You get marooned on the pork chop because some asshole speeds through the circle. Happens every morning with me and my kids on our way to school. Roundabouts suck donkey balls for pedestrians.

why the hell can't drivers yield to crossing pedestrians? In BC, you get a mighty large ticket for for not yielding.

[go_leafs_go02]

Already was highlighted in a separate conversation a while ago, but Highway 4 is being re-routed and re-signed through London.

Information and a map can be found on the City's website: http://www.london.ca/residents/Roads-Transportation/traffic-management/Pages/Highway-4-Reroute.aspx

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

Already was highlighted in a separate conversation a while ago, but Highway 4 is being re-routed and re-signed through London.

Information and a map can be found on the City's website: http://www.london.ca/residents/Roads-Transportation/traffic-management/Pages/Highway-4-Reroute.aspx

Most interesting part of that was the mention of Sunningdale being widened to 4 lanes in 2020. (of course, that might not be news, but I'm new here lol).

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Dupcheck

About time. They did a good job at removing the Adelaide and Fanshawe Pk. one. The road crossing is much safer now. Good job. These are the little things that do matter to everyday life in the city.

Looks like the one at Crumlin and Dundas is being taken out as well. The one at VMP and Oxford was put back in after the construction up there, but I think it's a necessary one given the southbound traffic in one lane with the new lane starting right south of that island.

[jammer139]

Well Sarnia Road east of Hyde Park has wrapped up and as i suspected our mental midgets in City Hall have rebuilt the road with only 3 lanes all the way to the new CP overpass.

With the road dug up all summer and the replacement of all the underground sewers and services they could have built it 5 lanes wide from the get go.

Lack of vision and planning which is the curse of this city.

[MolsonExport]

the city did the same thing with Hyde Park rd (dug up with new sewers, for two lanes, and then 5 years later, tear the whole thing up again) as well as with Sarnia near Western Road (back in 2005, when the whole thing was torn up, only to tear it up again).

[kaiserLDN]

A map for this years construction season for London's infrastructure.

https://www.london.ca/residents/Roads-Tr.../Documents/InfrastructureProjectsMap.pdf

[Dupcheck]

They should also repair all the potholes that this wild swing winter gave us. For example Fanshawe park road from Adelaide to Hydepark is full of potholes.

[haljackey]

Thanks for the map!

So only Western Road gets widening this year?

Looks like there are some upgrades on Wonderland towards 402 / 401.

I wonder if Wonderland and Warncliffe will finally get left turn lanes on Wonderland. Traffic really backs up there.

Originally Posted by Dupcheck

They should also repair all the potholes that this wild swing winter gave us. For example Fanshawe park road from Adelaide to Hydepark is full of potholes.

Quite a lot have been filled in. Warncliffe south was full of them at the start of the month and they have been fixed up mostly.

You can report a pothole to the city and they will action it.
https://www.london.ca/residents/Roads-Transportation/Road-Maintenance/Pages/Report-Pothole.aspx

[Dupcheck]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Thanks for the map!

So only Western Road gets widening this year?

Looks like there are some upgrades on Wonderland towards 402 / 401.

I wonder if Wonderland and Warncliffe will finally get left turn lanes on Wonderland. Traffic really backs up there.



Quite a lot have been filled in. Warncliffe south was full of them at the start of the month and they have been fixed up mostly.

You can report a pothole to the city and they will action it.
https://www.london.ca/residents/Roads-Transportation/Road-Maintenance/Pages/Report-Pothole.aspx

Got it, found this other link that you can directly report online: https://service.london.ca/service-requests/report-pothole/

[haljackey]

Downtown to be a bit of a headache this year

http://lfpress.com/news/local-news/city-...g-to-communicate-2018-construction-finds