Highways in Canada

[vid]

Based on what I saw this weekend Ontario doesn't seem to have a "keep off the shoulder" law either. Give Northern Ontarians a shoulder on their highway and they think they've got a second lane to drive on.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

In Ontario, there is no "keep right" law. So, that needs to change first.

We do have "traffic impediment" law though. OPP GTA (Sgt Kerry Schmidt) said again and again that cars can be ticketed for holding up traffic. They just need to enforce that.

Don't even get me started on that time (6:30 am, June 29) when 2 cars were doing 110 kph side by side in Hastings County. I had the privilege of forcing the one on the left out of the lane.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by vid

Based on what I saw this weekend Ontario doesn't seem to have a "keep off the shoulder" law either. Give Northern Ontarians a shoulder on their highway and they think they've got a second lane to drive on.

Northern Ontario has a lot of highways without shoulders at all. Hwy 144 is well know for that but "Emergency Pull-offs" are being added every so many kilometres.

[vid]

Well once they get a shoulder they act like a guided bus and drive directly over the white line separating it from the actual road.

Either that or the guy was drunk at 11am on a Sunday.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by vid

Based on what I saw this weekend Ontario doesn't seem to have a "keep off the shoulder" law either. Give Northern Ontarians a shoulder on their highway and they think they've got a second lane to drive on.

Originally Posted by Loco101

Northern Ontario has a lot of highways without shoulders at all. Hwy 144 is well know for that but "Emergency Pull-offs" are being added every so many kilometres.

What the... That's just substandard.
Either rock-blasting costs too much, or the government straight-up pretends that the north is a colony of the south...

[vid]

That's not substandard. No shoulders is standard. Shoulders is high class. Divided is the holy grail.

Speed limits over 100? Those don't exist here. Interchanges? We have 4.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

What the... That's just substandard.
Either rock-blasting costs too much, or the government straight-up pretends that the north is a colony of the south...

Having commuted that particular highway, there isn't much traffic volume and the terrain is miserable. If you go off, it is into a rock cut or down an embankment, particularly between Cartier and the Watershed. The lanes are narrower too. The MTO is slowly improving it.

Then again, plenty of European countries have narrow roads.

Northern Ontario drivers leave a lot to be desired in skill level too - several people have already been killed on the new stretch of Highway 69 (four lane divided modern freeway) since it has been opened.

[vid]

Northern Ontarians have no skill level. Exemptions are made in Ontario's driving tests here because we lack many of the features and situations Southern Ontario roads have (things like divided highways, interchanges, passing lanes), our vehicle registrations are also cheaper (half the price) and vehicle standards are lower (no emissions testing, and I would bet that what passes a safety in this region won't pass in the GTA). A driver who passes a road test in Thunder Bay most likely won't pass one in Toronto.

Thunder Bay's third pedestrian activated crossing was activated a block from my work yesterday morning, and very few people understand it even though the city has had this kind of cross over for over a year and there has been constant promotion of them. (We're building 2 to 4 cross overs every year for several years as part of a plan to improve movement through the city.)

We put curb buffers on a street with on-street parking to reduce the width of street pedestrians had to cross, and people kept driving into them and wrecking their vehicles because they got used to driving in the parking spaces when there were fewer cars using them. I've seen cars drive on my street (4 lanes wide, but the outer lanes are for parking) zig-zag in and out of parked cars to get around "slower moving" traffic. It's insane.

I told one of our councillors-at-large that I want curb extensions all along my street and he nearly had a heart attack. He was literally screaming at me at my work. He said they "slow traffic down" and I said "Yes, that's why I want them!" and he threw his hands up in the air and made a shrieking sound. It was cartoonish. That's Thunder Bay for you.

[Loco101]

About the last five posts: I agree with everything!!!!

So many insane drivers in Timmins as well. I find that drivers in general are much better in North Bay and the Sault. Sudbury is in the middle.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by vid

That's not substandard. No shoulders is standard. Shoulders is high class. Divided is the holy grail.

Speed limits over 100? Those don't exist here. Interchanges? We have 4.

Yeah it seems to me that a lot of Ontario highways have no shoulders. And when they have them they are generally unpaved.

Highway 417 east of Ottawa has shoulders but mostly unpaved. Much of the 401 in Eastern Ontario has unpaved shoulders too iirc.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yeah it seems to me that a lot of Ontario highways have no shoulders. And when they have them they are generally unpaved.

Highway 417 east of Ottawa has shoulders but mostly unpaved. Much of the 401 in Eastern Ontario has unpaved shoulders too iirc.

If I remember correctly, right shoulder is a thing, sometimes even paved such that you can drive on it. Left shoulder? Quel est-ce lol?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

If I remember correctly, right shoulder is a thing, sometimes even paved such that you can drive on it. Left shoulder? Quel est-ce lol?

I don't understand your question, but here are some fairly typical examples of both two lane undivided and four lane divided highways.

Ontario

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.5214342,-...22rP0g-VQeLN5VMqpqwUw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.1951384,-...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Quebec

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4891767,-...il9VfNHI8Yx_jvoICc-bg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.2365296,-...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Now, it's true that on newer Ontario highways and those that have been redone, I think you tend to have paved shoulders that are a lane wide or close to a lane wide.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I don't understand your question, but here are some fairly typical examples of both two lane undivided and four lane divided highways.

Ontario

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.5214342,-...22rP0g-VQeLN5VMqpqwUw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.1951384,-...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Quebec

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4891767,-...il9VfNHI8Yx_jvoICc-bg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.2365296,-...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Now, it's true that on newer Ontario highways and those that have been redone, I think you tend to have paved shoulders that are a lane wide or close to a lane wide.

Oops that was embarrassing on my part. I meant to say "What is that?" (Sarcastically)

[Airboy]

The Grande tour for next summer is starting to come together. I will need some info on highways for some final decisions. But from Alberta to Winnipeg is pretty much set. We have 7 days to get to Montreal (plenty of time). But as it is looking now, Highway 13 out of Edmonton and hitting Highway 32 and 42 in Sask to Moosejaw. (ferrie crossing on 42 at Lake Diefenbaker. Then into Winnipeg on 1. trying to decide if we stay on 1 or take highway 11 into Thunder bay through Ft Frances. After that it is pretty much open depending if we have to go to TO first. if not a straight shot east to Montreal. Then Fly to St Johns for the Regatta. The southern route is tentative. Boston, Baseball Game) Indianapolis, (DCI International Championships), St Louis, (Possible Baseball game), Kansas City, Denver then North.
If I head south to TO is the Manitoulin ferries worth taking.

Anyone drive Montreal to Boston, need an enjoyable drive south.

Total trip will be 10,000 kms about over 1 month.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Airboy

The Grande tour for next summer is starting to come together. I will need some info on highways for some final decisions. But from Alberta to Winnipeg is pretty much set. We have 7 days to get to Montreal (plenty of time). But as it is looking now, Highway 13 out of Edmonton and hitting Highway 32 and 42 in Sask to Moosejaw. (ferrie crossing on 42 at Lake Diefenbaker. Then into Winnipeg on 1. trying to decide if we stay on 1 or take highway 11 into Thunder bay through Ft Frances. After that it is pretty much open depending if we have to go to TO first. if not a straight shot east to Montreal. Then Fly to St Johns for the Regatta. The southern route is tentative. Boston, Baseball Game) Indianapolis, (DCI International Championships), St Louis, (Possible Baseball game), Kansas City, Denver then North.
If I head south to TO is the Manitoulin ferries worth taking.

Anyone drive Montreal to Boston, need an enjoyable drive south.

Total trip will be 10,000 kms about over 1 month.

The most scenic route from Montreal to Boston is A-10 to Sherbrooke, then A-55 south to I-91 to I-93 down to Boston.

This takes you through the pretty scenery of the Eastern Townships and also through the beautiful Franconia Notch region of New Hampshire - not too far from Mount Washington.

[PEI highway guy]

Acajack:

There is nothing wrong the route listed below. If you like countryside and have the time, and do not mind a more winding, country route I suggest taking route 2 just before I93
in Vermont. Once in New Hampshire take NH route 16 at Gorham. Shopping in N.Conway if you like. 16 takes you right to I 95 on the NH seacoast. 16 becomes a divided highway a short ways before you hit I 95. I 95 takes you toward Boston and I believe you have to get on I93 to go to Downtown Boston.

Th route below is great as well.
The most scenic Route from Montreal to Boston is A-10 to Sherbrooke, then A-55 south to I-91 to I-93 down to Boston.

This takes you through the pretty scenery of the Eastern Townships and also through the beautiful Franconia Notch region of New Hampshire - not too far from Mount Washington.
__________________

[SignalHillHiker]

Outer Ring Road:



Allandale Road, which is the link through the huge Pippy Park (it's Stanley Park-level in size) between the Outer Ring Road and Prince Philip Drive. St. John's is kind of shaped like a bowtie. Prince Phillip Drive is part of the ring round around the ball in the middle of the bowtie, which includes downtown.



And then Team Gushue Highway U/C. This will be one of the only north-south routes linking the Kenmount Road part of St. John's with the adjacent city of Mount Pearl, on the other side of the hill (which exceeds the until-recently maximum elevation for development, so nothing could link them.



Red circle is intersection above. I'm on Blackmarsh, camera is facing south:

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I don't understand your question, but here are some fairly typical examples of both two lane undivided and four lane divided highways.

Ontario

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.5214342,-...22rP0g-VQeLN5VMqpqwUw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.1951384,-...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Quebec

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4891767,-...il9VfNHI8Yx_jvoICc-bg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.2365296,-...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Now, it's true that on newer Ontario highways and those that have been redone, I think you tend to have paved shoulders that are a lane wide or close to a lane wide.

Quebec has been adding continuous paved shoulders that are wide enough for bicycles for the last 15 years or so on its national (provincial) non-freeway highways when they get repaved. Most of the paved shoulders are maybe about half a lane wide.

Highway 401 has fully paved shoulders from Windsor to Kingston and they are being added when construction is done anywhere East of Kingston. Most of the 400 series highways have paved shoulders as well but there are a few exceptions of some sections of them.

In Northern Ontario the only highways with that have continuous paved shoulders are Hwy 17 from the Manitoba border to a little bit East of Dryden, Hwy 69 South of Sudbury and Hwy 11 South of North Bay.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

Acajack:

There is nothing wrong the route listed below. If you like countryside and have the time, and do not mind a more winding, country route I suggest taking route 2 just before I93
in Vermont. Once in New Hampshire take NH route 16 at Gorham. Shopping in N.Conway if you like. 16 takes you right to I 95 on the NH seacoast. 16 becomes a divided highway a short ways before you hit I 95. I 95 takes you toward Boston and I believe you have to get on I93 to go to Downtown Boston.

The route below is great as well.

The most scenic Route from Montreal to Boston is A-10 to Sherbrooke, then A-55 south to I-91 to I-93 down to Boston.

This takes you through the pretty scenery of the Eastern Townships and also through the beautiful Franconia Notch region of New Hampshire - not too far from Mount Washington.
__________________

If I were to take a local road deviation through the White Mountains to North Conway, rather than taking NH16 down from US2, I would suggest Rte 302 right off of I-93. This will take you past the Mount Washington Hotel and through Crawford Notch (truly spectacular). This will deposit you back onto on NH16 just north of North Conway.

[PEI highway guy]

If I were to take a local road deviation through the White Mountains to North Conway, rather than taking NH16 down from US2, I would suggest Rte 302 right off of I-93. This will take you past the Mount Washington Hotel and through Crawford Notch (truly spectacular). This will deposit you back onto on NH16 just north of North Conway. Go 'Cats Go

Also a good/ maybe better suggestion. I love that area of NH