Veterans Memorial Parkway - freeway conversion - Page 6

GreatTallNorth2 · #**101** Posted **Jan 20, 2014, 1:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by middeljohn

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

As far as converting VMP to a freeway is concerned, I'm not sure what good it will do. It is way too far east of downtown (8km if I remember correctly) to be a faster option to get there. It would be beneficial for people trying to get to the north (assuming it gets extended to Fanshawe).

I live in SOHO and my preferred route for getting to the 401 - even when traveling west bound - is Hamilton to Highbury to 401. The stretch on Hamilton from Adelaide to Highbury is only 2km. From Wellington it's 3km. Converting the VMP would do nothing for the central part of the city however this isn't necessarily a bad thing either.

The city messed up when it didn't turn Highbury into a full freeway and now it's too late. I don't think I've been north of Huron in over 2 months now, just because it takes too long to get there. The only thing that the city can still fix road-wise is converting as many rail crossings to overpasses as soon as possible. The only major road that would be a problem is Richmond (the tracks would have to he moved below grade).

A lack of foresight led to no freeway and sparsely distributed overpasses, which I believe are the two primary reasons this city is now struggling to grow economically.

Welcome. Good thoughts except I disagree with building more overpasses because it ensures the trains will stay for good. London needs a bold plan to get the trains out of the city. Windsor got 1.4 billion for a new freeway. We could tap into the feds, province and train companies to get freight trains out of London.

middeljohn · #**102** Posted **Jan 20, 2014, 1:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

Welcome. Good thoughts except I disagree with building more overpasses because it ensures the trains will stay for good. London needs a bold plan to get the trains out of the city. Windsor got 1.4 billion for a new freeway. We could tap into the feds, province and train companies to get freight trains out of London.

I don't particularly mind the trains themselves, even with my apartment rumbling a few times a day (I'm right beside a track). As long as it doesn't impede traffic then I'd be happy. However converting the tracks to pedestrian/cycling pathways would be awesome!

Pimpmasterdac · #**103** Posted **Jan 20, 2014, 2:09 AM**

Weclome John!

I've always thought that myself too as VMP was only upgraded to a 4-lane road 8-9 years ago. Why it was never thought to expropriating property along Highbury from Hamilton to at least Dundas and making that a freeway, instead of the Airport Rd. Highbury is already used, it's within the city and used by both commuter and transport traffic, most of the bordering properties are pretty rundown. Alas not much can be done now..

Quote:

Originally Posted by middeljohn

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

As far as converting VMP to a freeway is concerned, I'm not sure what good it will do. It is way too far east of downtown (8km if I remember correctly) to be a faster option to get there. It would be beneficial for people trying to get to the north (assuming it gets extended to Fanshawe).

I live in SOHO and my preferred route for getting to the 401 - even when traveling west bound - is Hamilton to Highbury to 401. The stretch on Hamilton from Adelaide to Highbury is only 2km. From Wellington it's 3km. Converting the VMP would do nothing for the central part of the city however this isn't necessarily a bad thing either.

The city messed up when it didn't turn Highbury into a full freeway and now it's too late.

middeljohn · #**104** Posted **Feb 16, 2014, 6:11 AM**

After some further reconsideration, I don't think there is any point to converting VMP to a freeway now. At best it'll save 5 minites for people who drive the entire 9km stretch. What the city needs to do is make sure the development doesn't reach the road itself, so that once the density is there, and a freeway is justified in that area, it'll be simple to convert (ie. don't put yourself in a position where lots of land would have to be acquired later to do so - acquire the land now). Hopefully they learned from the Highbury disaster.

MolsonExport · #**105** Posted **Feb 20, 2014, 2:11 PM**

Highbury is just useless. Mostly a typical city road with a billion traffic lights, with a freeway stub, and then more traffic lights. Waste of time/money. Veterans should be extended north to Fanshawe or even Sunningdale. Sunningdale or Medway should be converted into an urban boulevard...some limited access, medians, but not overpasses, given extreme costs.

haljackey · #**106** Posted **Jun 9, 2015, 12:25 PM**

Question about the VMP's future came up yesterday on Reddit. Hopefully I got it right.

http://www.reddit.com/r/londonontario/comments/392wrb/vmpairport_road_future/

kaiserLDN · #**107** Posted **Jun 20, 2017, 4:22 PM**

This is from City Of London website. Hopefully they save enough room for future interchanges.

Clarke Road Improvements

The City of London has retained Stantec Consulting Ltd., to undertake a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for the anticipated widening of Clarke Road from the future VMP Extension to Fanshawe Park Road East. This project is being carried out under the planning and design process for a Schedule ‘C’ project as outlined in the Municipal Engineers Association’s Municipal Class Environmental Assessment. The Clarke Road widening project was identified as a priority in the 2030 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) as part of the reprioritization of growth management implementation strategy (GMIS) for transportation projects, as well as in the 2014 Development Charges Background Study (DCBS). The study will evaluate widening of Clarke Road to 4 lanes with considerations and protection for future widening.

haljackey · #**108** Posted **Jun 20, 2017, 4:51 PM**

Good foresight to get Clarke widened first before the VMP gets extended to it and dumps a lot of traffic on a 2 lane rural road.

Fanshawe east should get 4 lanes from Highbury to Clarke eventually too.

I'm assuming the northern VMP extension will be just 2 lanes for now. No need to make it 4 until a grade-separation at the rail crossing near Huron is built.

The southern VMP extension is going to be 4 lanes right away I think.

kaiserLDN · #**109** Posted **Jun 20, 2017, 6:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by haljackey

Good foresight to get Clarke widened first before the VMP gets extended to it and dumps a lot of traffic on a 2 lane rural road.

Fanshawe east should get 4 lanes from Highbury to Clarke eventually too.

I'm assuming the northern VMP extension will be just 2 lanes for now. No need to make it 4 until a grade-separation at the rail crossing near Huron is built.

The southern VMP extension is going to be 4 lanes right away I think.

I just hope when thinking about protecting property for future widening they think about protecting for interchanges so VMP keeps going north.

kaiserLDN · #**110** Posted **Jun 21, 2017, 2:13 PM**

A letter is out to residents in the area about VMP extension north which will be done in 2019. On the diagram it looks like it has Clarke Rd. curving into the VMP and stopping so the VMP can extend northward down the current Clarke rd. in a future phase. It says a public meeting will be held in the fall with the actual design.

jammer139 · #**111** Posted **Jun 22, 2017, 9:46 PM**

Look no further then this past Mayor to see why London doesn't have a VMP freeway or ring road. Famous quote "We don't want the city to grow"

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/06/22/jane-bigelow-londons-first-female-mayor

kaiserLDN · #**112** Posted **Jun 23, 2017, 4:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

Look no further then this past Mayor to see why London doesn't have a VMP freeway or ring road. Famous quote "We don't want the city to grow"

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/06/22/jane-bigelow-londons-first-female-mayor

I wasn't around then but I heard how bad she was.

kaiserLDN · #**113** Posted **Jun 29, 2017, 4:12 PM**

A little bit more information on the VMP extension to Fanshawe Park Rd.

http://www.london.ca/residents/Environment/EAs/Documents/Clarke_Rd_Final_Study_Commencement.pdf

MolsonExport · #**114** Posted **Jun 30, 2017, 12:51 PM**

but it is going to Clarke Rd. which intersects with Fanshawe pk rd. Thus the extension is to clarke.

kaiserLDN · #**115** Posted **Jun 30, 2017, 2:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

but it is going to Clarke Rd. which intersects with Fanshawe pk rd. Thus the extension is to clarke.

So to better understand between the 2019 project and this Clarke Rd. study above. The study says Clarke Rd. because that's what it is now. This Clarke rd. study is between the 2019 extension and Fansahwe park rd. On the actual new diagram for which I don't have the link for in the 2019 extension has Clarke rd curving east into VMP and stopping just past the VMP. So then that's when this study comes in for what happens past this interchange.

In these 2 older links of the VMP full build out to Clarke rd. it shows better the Clarke rd. interchange with the VMP

http://www.london.ca/residents/Environme...morialParkwayInterchangeBinder_Part4.pdf

http://www.london.ca/residents/Environme...morialParkwayInterchangeBinder_Part5.pdf

go_leafs_go02 · #**116** Posted **Jun 30, 2017, 2:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

but it is going to Clarke Rd. which intersects with Fanshawe pk rd. Thus the extension is to clarke.

Partly correct. With the new London Plan, Clarke Road between the VMP and Fanshawe Park Road is classified as an Expressway, so it will be a freeway from 401 to Fanshawe.

jammer139 · #**117** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 12:36 AM**

Don't think your going to see a real expressway. The option died decades ago.

We now have a 4 lane primary road with street intersection traffic lights at every intersection. Even after extending it north from Huron and angling it over to meet Clarke Road south of the bridge it will still be a primary road.

No expressway/freeway unless every current level intersection gets a overpass bridge built.

Not very likely.

manny_santos · #**118** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 1:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

Don't think your going to see a real expressway. The option died decades ago.

We now have a 4 lane primary road with street intersection traffic lights at every intersection. Even after extending it north from Huron and angling it over to meet Clarke Road south of the bridge it will still be a primary road.

No expressway/freeway unless every current level intersection gets a overpass bridge built.

Not very likely.

What I've heard is that overpasses are a long term plan. So not in the next 20 years, but possibly in my lifetime. I could be in a nursing home by then.

kaiserLDN · #**119** Posted **Jul 4, 2017, 8:22 PM**

The property is already saved for the on ramps. It has to happen at some point with traffic increasing. But I agree with Manny I may be in a nursing home by then.

kaiserLDN · #**120** Posted **Sep 7, 2017, 2:08 PM**

The PIC will be in a few weeks for the VMP to Fanshawe Park Rd. Should see more about the project then.

http://www.london.ca/residents/Environment/EAs/Documents/Clarke%20Rd_PIC1_Final.pdf