Roads: Ontario/GTA Highways Discussion

[lenaitch]

Ownership is indeed a bit of a burden. It feels like you need to maximize use of it and can't take other vacations. It makes little sense if you have to work in the city so you're slogging back and forth just for the weekends. For teachers it would be ideal, or those that can WFH at least part time. Perhaps the pandemic will change how acceptable this is. And Starlink satellite internet will be transformational for internet access and ability to WFH in remote areas.

A large number of owners are doing weekly rentals, which can be a serious money generator, but the problem is the 'high weeks' is when they normally want to use it themselves. An article I read recently said the rental market is pretty much already booked for 2021.

Connectivity is a big factor, but not the only one. Is the road plowed? Does the school bus come down the road? How reliable is the electricity? And on and on. A new neighbour decided to retire to their cottage in Haliburton - they lasted one winter. Looking out at a dark, bleak lake in February is different than July, and they had to schlepp half and hour to the nearest general store, which had minimal hours and stock in the off season; otherwise it was an hour to the nearest town. Some folks may relish it but others may find it a bit too much.

 

[PinkLucy]

Let’s get back to highways …

 

[anb]

I've driven the 404 many times and "cool" has never come to mind.

I really just get distracted by the view of Toronto to ever even pay attention to the 404. Even the DVP has better aesthetics and design despite the actual expressway being.. you know.

 

[Transportfan]

Connectivity is a big factor, but not the only one. Is the road plowed? Does the school bus come down the road? How reliable is the electricity? And on and on. A new neighbour decided to retire to their cottage in Haliburton - they lasted one winter. Looking out at a dark, bleak lake in February is different than July, and they had to schlepp half and hour to the nearest general store, which had minimal hours and stock in the off season; otherwise it was an hour to the nearest town. Some folks may relish it but others may find it a bit too much.

If you have a cottage in Wasaga Beach, retiring there is easy as the cottages are actually in town. You can walk to the grocery store and restaurants from some of them and there's even transit.

 

[lenaitch]

If you have a cottage in Wasaga Beach, retiring there is easy as the cottages are actually in town. You can walk to the grocery store and restaurants from some of them and there's even transit.

Yes, Wasaga is one of the rare few, along with perhaps Grand Bend and perhaps some along Erie although I'm not familiar with them. Walkability to grocery, etc. largely depends on where you live since the 'retail centres' are grouped around River Rd. W/Main St. in the east and River Rd. W and 45th St. (CR 7) in the west.

 

[ShonTron]

Yes, Wasaga is one of the rare few, along with perhaps Grand Bend and perhaps some along Erie although I'm not familiar with them. Walkability to grocery, etc. largely depends on where you live since the 'retail centres' are grouped around River Rd. W/Main St. in the east and River Rd. W and 45th St. (CR 7) in the west.

Port Elgin, Southampton, Sauble Beach, Port Stanley, all have older cottage-style neighbourhoods, in walking distance to basic shopping as well as lakeside parks and beaches. Neither have transit (unlike Wasaga Beach), though. I wouldn't count Port Dover, as its downtown has become very touristy, with the only grocery store (No Frills) way out on the edge of town.

 

[innsertnamehere]

A lot of cottagers spend summers at the cottage and winters in Florida at their affordably purchased condo or home in Orlando or somewhere, which they purchased after selling their old primary dwelling in Canada. And they drive between the two each year on the Ontario Freeway network

That only works for so many years though. Eventually, usually by your late 70's or early 80's, it becomes too much.

 

[terag51]

Highway 401 Mississauga Cameras West of Hwy 410 Added On https://511on.ca/

 

[Allandale25]

Highway 7 land purchase a ‘positive thing’ in moving planned expansion forward: Galloway

Long standing provincial project takes small steps toward next phase, acquiring land for infrastructure needs

www.kitchenertoday.com

I can't remember if there's a separate thread for this project so posting it here.

 

[W. K. Lis]

 

[CaskoChan]

Its crazy how much has changed around these roads.

 

[Northern Light]

Sigh.

From the Budget:

The Bradford Bypass, a new 16.2-kilometre four-lane controlled access freeway that will connect two busy Ontario highways — Highway 400 and Highway 404 — in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury and the Town of East Gwillimbury. Ontario is advancing engineering and environmental assessment work, which will allow early works to begin as early as fall 2021

 

[Transportfan]

Sigh.

Yeah!

 

[W. K. Lis]

York Region unanimously supports Bradford Bypass construction​

From link.

While Ecojustice, acting on behalf of Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition and Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, is asking the federal government for a new environmental assessment for the Bradford Bypass, York Regional Council is sending a letter to the federal government in support of constructing the 16 km link between Highways 404 and 400.

Opponents argue that policies have changed dramatically in the 20-years since the project was started and approval for such a large infrastructure project on environmentally sensitive land :-“when the context has changed dramatically is concerning.”

“It is so dated that you have to start over.”

The proposed Bradford Bypass is a 16.2-kilometre freeway connecting Highway 400 and Highway 404 in York and the County of Simcoe. The Environmental Assessment for the project is currently being updated, with approval expected by the end of December 2022.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained AECOM Canada Ltd. to complete a Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for the proposed Highway 400 – Highway 404 Link (Bradford Bypass). MTO previously completed a route planning study for the Bradford Bypass in 1997 and a subsequent EA and Recommended Plan were approved in 2002.

The bypass will run between Lines 8 and 9 in Bradford West Gwillimbury, crossing a small portion of King Township and will connect to Highway 404 between Queensville Sideroad and Holborn Road in East Gwillimbury. There are proposed full and partial interchanges, as well as grade separated crossings at intersecting municipal roads and watercourses, including the Holland River and Holland River East Branch. This project will also include the Preliminary Design for the replacement of the 9th Line structure on Highway 400.York Regional Council unanimously supports the highway construction.

“This has been studied and discussed since the late 1980s. We need the infrastructure for the growth that has already occurred,” said Rob Grossi, Georgina regional councilor.

A staff report also supported the project and the process.

“Staff has not been able to identify any instance of the minister exercising their discretion in this manner over a project that would otherwise only be regulated by a provincial environmental assessment process,” the report concluded.

“The Region anticipates the current provincial environmental assessment process for the Bradford Bypass will continue to address environmental, social, economic and health issues as well as necessary public consultation to balance the needs for all community stakeholders.”

The report said the Bypass project fits into York Region’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan.

“The Bradford Bypass, also known as the Highway 400-404 Link, supports the Region’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan (2016) and is an important component of servicing planned growth in the Region. The Region has long supported the Bradford Bypass Project and has been consulted by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation since the original Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) approved in 2002.”

York Regional Council’s letter to the federal government will support the provincial EA process.

 

[innsertnamehere]

The ironic thing is that the Bradford bypass goes right through the Holland marsh - a far more environmentally sensitive area than anything GTA west does.