London Roads

[MolsonExport]

thanks for the updates.

[jammer139]

Another busy year ahead. Looking forward to the new traffic light system hopefully coming online soon as well. Would love to see improvements to the advance green signals to improve safety and reduce the all too frequent left turn collisions that plague so many of our intersections. If they can't address the geometry of the left lanes to improve visibility they should introduce left turn signal red lights to reduce people trying to rush a left turn in. Smart traffic planning could cut the carnage a great deal. It's not rocket science and easily done if only they would act.

[haljackey]

...So no work on the Highbury expressway this year? I recall seeing reports about rehab starting south of the Thames River bridge but do we get a 1 year break or something? If so yipee... until next year

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by haljackey

...So no work on the Highbury expressway this year? I recall seeing reports about rehab starting south of the Thames River bridge but do we get a 1 year break or something? If so yipee... until next year

Yes that is correct, the expressway portion won't be rebuilt until next year (here is a CTV article)

However, I believe the MTO will start to rebuild the 401/Highbury interchange this year or next year (can't remember exactly when), so enjoy the construction-free zone while you can! lol

Edit: and to add on to the construction fun, the Highbury/Hamillton intersection will see a complete rebuild towards the end of the decade.

Edit 2: false alarm! As jammer posted in another thread, it was announced today that due to the unexpected increase in the construction costs for the Adelaide underpass project, the city had to take funding away from other projects to make up for the increased construction costs, and the rebuild of the expressway portion of Highbury is one of those projects. This means that this project will be deferred for at least a few years.

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

You can check out this map which will show all of the projects this year: https://london.ca/sites/default/files/20...rojects2022_100x115-GROUP-ALL-WARD_0.pdf

Also I'm glad to see that Fanshawe Park Road will be resurfaced in the Hyde Park area this year ... the road has become quite bumpy lately

[MolsonExport]

Hyde Park area traffic has grown exponentially in the 16+ years that I have lived in the neighborhood

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Hyde Park area traffic has grown exponentially in the 16+ years that I have lived in the neighborhood

I remember that area in the early-mid 90s - there was very little traffic. Up near Fanshawe Park Road, it was almost all rural, though some of the office park development on the west side of Hyde Park was there. There was a chip stand on the southeast corner of that intersection that served some mighty good poutine. The one part of Hyde Park that had heavy traffic back then was on Gainsborough Road around Bellamere Market, that was a major destination back in the days before Remark or Angelo's were in NW London.

I also remember when trains used to pass through Hyde Park and crossed Gainsborough Road and Highway 22.

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by jammer139

Another busy year ahead. Looking forward to the new traffic light system hopefully coming online soon as well. Would love to see improvements to the advance green signals to improve safety and reduce the all too frequent left turn collisions that plague so many of our intersections. If they can't address the geometry of the left lanes to improve visibility they should introduce left turn signal red lights to reduce people trying to rush a left turn in. Smart traffic planning could cut the carnage a great deal. It's not rocket science and easily done if only they would act.

I actually agree with you on this. Montreal has a system like this, works beautifully. Their lights are arrows, which makes it easy to know when your turn is and when you can go, and they are better synced up. You have a left advance light, a pedestrian only light, a straight light, and right turn light, and they all combine depending on the situation at the intersection. I absolutely loved driving in downtown Montreal, very efficient. Their highways are another story lol. Also a ton of one way streets, which I wonder if London should incorporate more, especially downtown. Also the thing about Montreal is you need to be careful for bikers and pedestrians, there are a ton there.

But also, left hand turn collisions are the fault of the average Londoner, as many people have no clue how to be in a lane or use it properly here. People who are too far out of the turn lane, making it hard for others to see in the opposite lane, is a large one. People also lacking patience, is another one. Why can't people in London be more patient? If you miss your turn big whoop, just wait, it's not the end of the world.

Another thing that bothers me a ton is people who will turn out from an intersection/plaza/driveway and cut you off, and it happens a lot here. It usually happens too when I'm the only car on the road too. Makes me angry people can't wait a second for me to pass them so they can go ahead, but instead, cut me off and waste more time doing so.

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by tyeman200

Another thing that bothers me a ton is people who will turn out from an intersection/plaza/driveway and cut you off, and it happens a lot here. It usually happens too when I'm the only car on the road too. Makes me angry people can't wait a second for me to pass them so they can go ahead, but instead, cut me off and waste more time doing so.

Yes definitely! Big pet peeve of mine.

On the subject of left turns, I always find it funny, and quite strange, when people try to do a left turn (with no traffic light) onto a busy road at a busy time usually from a commercial plaza, when that same plaza connects to a road with a traffic light. The Costco in the north end comes to mind, or Sherwood Forest Mall.

[jammer139]

Gideon Dr getting resurfaced and shoulder widening for bike lanes in this joint project with the County.


https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=91440

[CanadianTalk]

The environmental assessment has been completed for the Oxford Street West and Gideon Drive intersection improvements.

The EA recommends a roundabout for this intersection.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=92407

[jammer139]

Western Rd and Philip Aziz study report - https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=93134

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by jammer139

Western Rd and Philip Aziz study report - https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=93134

I see they're considering, but not recommending dual left turn lanes from Western to Sarnia. That would be great for auto traffic, but given the amount of pedestrian use at the intersection, dualys seem kinda unsafe? I'd love to see duals from Sarnia to Western too, or at least have one of them for buses only like Sarnia and Wonderland.

[Pimpmasterdac]

The dual lefts could work if it was done as a separate signalized left, similar to Exeter & Wellington, so that pedestrian and left turning traffic don't conflict. Most of the recommended solutions seem like Band-Aid solutions at best, sure have bus bays will help and widening Philip Aziz which is required by fire code. Nothing is really being done to help the pedestrian traffic, whether tunnels below grade, pedestrian bridge above or have a scramble crosswalk which seems to be the glaring issue.

Originally Posted by haljackey

I see they're considering, but not recommending dual left turn lanes from Western to Sarnia. That would be great for auto traffic, but given the amount of pedestrian use at the intersection, dualys seem kinda unsafe?

[MolsonExport]

why no scrambled pedestrian at the intersection? for someone who uses this intersection quite often, it is a nightmare for pedestrians. unsafe for drivers, too.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/reta...P03usBi9LGu2BPqwD8gdnc3NGAUWcgR1Cizab8aw

Businesses in the small building at the SE corner of Richmond and Fanshawe have been given 90 day eviction notices by the city, after the city expropriated the property for intersection improvements. I'm in favour of the road work, but really, is the city actually going to do anything before next spring now? As the London Audio guy says, he's not going to be able to do anything in 90 days, and that will be heading into the Christmas season as well.

Going back over the thread and came across this from almost a year ago. 90 days to get the hell out, the building still sitting there vacant today and not a bit of work done to the intersection.

[CanadianTalk]

Yeah I was curious about that too myself since the intersection improvements at Fanshawe and Richmond has been scheduled for 2022 for a few years now, and I noticed that the building is still there (and I believe all the tenants have now moved out??), but when I checked the project page earlier this year, it says that it's been deferred to 2023.

Speaking of 2023, I did a little more research on the city's website, and there are so many major roadwork projects scheduled for next year such as this one, Sunningdale widening, Dingman widening, Bradley extension, Colonel Talbot 2 lane upgrade, White Oak Rd 2 lane upgrade, Wharncliffe underpass, year 2 of Adelaide underpass, as well as all 3 rapid transit projects for the first time, and the MTO's Highbury and 401 interchange rebuild. Will definitely be a busy year.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

Yeah I was curious about that too myself since the intersection improvements at Fanshawe and Richmond has been scheduled for 2022 for a few years now, and I noticed that the building was still there (and I believe all the tenants have now moved out??), but when I checked the project page earlier this year, it says that it's been deferred to 2023.

Speaking of 2023, I did a little more research on the city's website, and there are so many major roadwork projects scheduled for next year such as this one, Sunningdale widening, Dingman widening, Bradley extension, Colonel Talbot 2 lane upgrade, White Oak Rd 2 lane upgrade, Wharncliffe underpass, year 2 of Adelaide underpass, as well as all 3 rapid transit projects for the first time, and the MTO's Highbury and 401 interchange rebuild. Will definitely be a busy year.

I wonder where the deferred projects from this year fit in, and whether that will defer some of those you mention? Maybe Adelaide goes even more over budget and puts off some other stuff.

[CanadianTalk]

I drove on Robin's Hill Road for the first time in a while recently, and I noticed that the condition of the road is not good. I emailed the city asking when this road is up for reconstruction, and I got a reply back saying that it's set to be reconstructed next year, pending council approval.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

I drove on Robin's Hill Road for the first time in a while recently, and I noticed that the condition of the road is not good. I emailed the city asking when this road is up for reconstruction, and I got a reply back saying that it's set to be reconstructed next year, pending council approval.

I sometimes drive my truck up there 4 times a day going between my work in Woodstock and my deliveries in London and yeah it's in pretty crappy shape (from guys like me no doubt lol). Kind of like Wilton Grove was a few years ago.