Highways in Canada

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by Infrequent Poster

You talk about a straw man argument, then you immediately throw up your own. I don't believe he said it was a disgrace to him personally but rather, that the "N" or "L" sticker publicly shames the driver who has to put the sticker on their car and drive around with it.

Regardless of ones feelings on the sticker program in BC, I don't see how anyone could argue that you would not feel a sense of shame or reluctance to put a sticker on your vehicle that tells everyone that you are a "noob" (I hate that word but it kind of fits here).

Just for the record I got my license 20 years ago before the graduated licenses and sticker program started, but I have family members and friends who have to deal with the stickers and none of them are talking about the pride they feel in displaying them. (anecdotal I know)

20 years ago you still had to have a sign up that you were a student driver for the 30 or more that you had your student driver license.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Still, NB probably has more divided highway per capita than any other province in the Dominion:

We've MADE ourselves the "pass through" province. What. Have. We. Done.

Should change our motto to "New Brunswick: Getting you to Nova Scotia and PEI faster than ever before."

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

We've MADE ourselves the "pass through" province. What. Have. We. Done.

Should change our motto to "New Brunswick: Getting you to Nova Scotia and PEI faster than ever before."

Very true……

I hope the Fundy Trail Parkway will rectify the situation.

[GrahamH]

Originally Posted by Infrequent Poster

You talk about a straw man argument, then you immediately throw up your own. I don't believe he said it was a disgrace to him personally but rather, that the "N" or "L" sticker publicly shames the driver who has to put the sticker on their car and drive around with it.

Regardless of ones feelings on the sticker program in BC, I don't see how anyone could argue that you would not feel a sense of shame or reluctance to put a sticker on your vehicle that tells everyone that you are a "noob" (I hate that word but it kind of fits here).

Just for the record I got my license 20 years ago before the graduated licenses and sticker program started, but I have family members and friends who have to deal with the stickers and none of them are talking about the pride they feel in displaying them. (anecdotal I know)

To each his own I suppose, but you guys must have pretty shallow egos if a sticker will make you feel uncomfortable with how you are perceived by others. I'm just speaking from experience when I say this. Neither me nor anyone I know has ever felt reluctant to put on the sticker for any reason.

I just don't see the harm in it especially when it can let other drivers know to be less aggressive around those with an N or L.

[haljackey]

The Westminster Drive / Highway 401 overpass in London was demolished this weekend to make way for highway widening between Highways 4 and 402.

Bridge info: http://www.historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=ontario%2Fwestminster%2F

A couple pics I took

A few hours before death.


Stopped by in the night to try and catch a glimpse of the demolition but every road around it was closed so couldn't get close. This was the best photo I could get... excuse the bad quality (at extreme zoom)


The overpass is being quickly replaced with a new bridge designed to span 8 lanes, although I doubt the 401 will ever be that wide west of the 402.



Bonus: Pic I took from the bridge in 2010:

Via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Highway_401#Future

[vid]

Back to the driving tests discussion: When I did my G1 exit test, I only did one thing wrong: I turned on my turn indicator a few seconds too late.

The girl that took the test after me (we were both enrolled in a driving school) failed, unfortunately. She was too nervous. I found the test itself more relaxing than the driving instructor.

The school's students has a G2 exit test pass rate over 90%, but the city itself is probably in the 80s or so. They probably make it easier to get your licence up here because a: there is less traffic, and b: driving is more of a necessity, especially in rural areas. I know many people who have been driving since they were 13 or 14 years old, primarily on private property.

[dmuzika]

Alberta has revised its highway shields to reflect its logo that was updated a couple years ago. Some of the shields are starting to show up in the Calgary region.

Here's what they have looked like for a while:

Old Primary (1-216)

Source: Wikipedia; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Alberta_Highway_36.svg

Old Secondary (500-986)

Source: Wikipedia; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Alberta_Highway_592.svg

New Primary (1-216)

Source: Alberta Safety Sign; http://albertasafetysign.com/image/cache...er-for-Highway-Numbers-1-216-500x500.jpg

New Secondary (500-986)

Source: Alberta Safety Sign; http://albertasafetysign.com/image/cache...-for-Highway-Numbers-500-986-500x500.jpg

[sonysnob]

The old steel box-beam guiderail along Hwy 400 in Ontario is being replaced. You can see the temporarily zipper barrier that has been installed in the northbound lanes of the highway as well as the temporary orange lane markings that shift traffic onto the outer highway shoulders.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The old steel box-beam guiderail along Hwy 400 in Ontario is being replaced. You can see the temporarily zipper barrier that has been installed in the northbound lanes of the highway as well as the temporary orange lane markings that shift traffic onto the outer highway shoulders.

I did notice on my recent trip up there but didn't realize that's what was happening. Always found the prospect of a truck hitting that barrier a little scary. We have that railing on part of the 401 in Kingston too, though that's being eliminated in the current widening project.

Speaking of Highway 400, I also noticed the interchange construction at the 11 split in Barrie. Did I read that the 400 will become the mainline route and accessing 11 will require exiting to the right?

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Speaking of Highway 400, I also noticed the interchange construction at the 11 split in Barrie. Did I read that the 400 will become the mainline route and accessing 11 will require exiting to the right?

No the 400 will still exit from the right side of the Crown Hill interchange. The new ramp to the 400 will no longer be posted with a 60km/h advisory speed, however (though I suspect the new ramp will still have some sort of advisory speed restriction).

[vid]

Originally Posted by dmuzika

Alberta has revised its highway shields to reflect its logo that was updated a couple years ago. Some of the shields are starting to show up in the Calgary region.

Here's what they have looked like for a while:

Old Primary (1-216)

Source: Wikipedia; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Alberta_Highway_36.svg

Old Secondary (500-986)

Source: Wikipedia; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Alberta_Highway_592.svg

New Primary (1-216)

Source: Alberta Safety Sign; http://albertasafetysign.com/image/cache...er-for-Highway-Numbers-1-216-500x500.jpg

New Secondary (500-986)

Source: Alberta Safety Sign; http://albertasafetysign.com/image/cache...-for-Highway-Numbers-500-986-500x500.jpg

They shouldn't put the logo on it at all. What about when they replace the logo again in 10 years?

Ontario does it right:

[1overcosc]

I find it interesting to hear about how MTO is apparently switching from asphalt to concrete in Windsor and the GTA... when in Ottawa they're doing exactly the opposite. The new 7 twinning was asphalt, and they're gradually replacing the concrete on the 417 with asphalt as the opportunity arises.

The 417 from Nicholas to the 174 is being widened and they're replacing the concrete with asphalt while they're doing it:



The rural segment between Ottawa & Montreal is also being converted. Just last year the 417 around Anderson & Boundary was replaced with asphalt. It's very noticeable when driving over the transition how suddenly quiet it becomes.

I wonder why MTO is moving in such divergent directions in different regions? Perhaps climate/geology differences?

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I find it interesting to hear about how MTO is apparently switching from asphalt to concrete in Windsor and the GTA... when in Ottawa they're doing exactly the opposite. The new 7 twinning was asphalt, and they're gradually replacing the concrete on the 417 with asphalt as the opportunity arises.

The 417 from Nicholas to the 174 is being widened and they're replacing the concrete with asphalt while they're doing it:



The rural segment between Ottawa & Montreal is also being converted. Just last year the 417 around Anderson & Boundary was replaced with asphalt. It's very noticeable when driving over the transition how suddenly quiet it becomes.

I wonder why MTO is moving in such divergent directions in different regions? Perhaps climate/geology differences?

I am not sure all of those sections were built with concrete. In the picture that you posted at St. Laurent for example, the existing lanes of the 417 are paved with asphalt, it's just that the asphalt is grey.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by vid

They shouldn't put the logo on it at all. What about when they replace the logo again in 10 years?

I agree, provinces should probably use something more permanent than a logo with a shelf life of about 25 years.

But that said, I do get a kick out of spotting signs with the old logos still kicking around:

Manitoba's current style, introduced in the 00s



The older, 80s style that you still see a fair bit



The even older 60s style that you rarely spot at all anymore

[Horus]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

The old steel box-beam guiderail along Hwy 400 in Ontario is being replaced. You can see the temporarily zipper barrier that has been installed in the northbound lanes of the highway as well as the temporary orange lane markings that shift traffic onto the outer highway shoulders.

Thank God. Those things were terrifying, especially where you could see evidence of the rail being broken in previous accidents.

[Innsertnamehere]

Now if they can replace the ones on highway 11 as well..

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Now if they can replace the ones on highway 11 as well..

That is probably a lower priority, since that highway is due for a complete makeover so they likely wouldn't do short-term fixes that could become throw-away later. They will likely replace the rails on 11 in a piecemeal fashion when they are broken or failing.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by vid

They shouldn't put the logo on it at all. What about when they replace the logo again in 10 years?

The old ones in Alberta also had a design-y logo on them as opposed to something sober. But that logo lasted a long time. I think I remember seeing it on signs and licence plates in the 70s.

[Innsertnamehere]

My understanding is that the 11 widening is still a long whiles off, especially north of orrilia where IIRC the crappy median is.

[vaportrail]

Originally Posted by vid

...
They shouldn't put the logo on it at all. What about when they replace the logo again in 10 years?
...

The previous Alberta logo was actually in place for 40 years. Not an unreasonable lifespan, though there's never a guarantee when the next change may be.