Number changes would be more-so for the benefit of travelers along the highway than the residents who already live there. I recall reading about when road travel by car was in its infancy, there was resistance from towns putting up signage indicating the town name, the attitude being that they already know what town they're in...
Rerouting the TCH through Toronto via Hwys 400 & 401, even if it's using the current Ontario standard of a KH numbered shield + blank TCH shield, seems like an obvious improvement to it following Hwys 12 & 7 through Orillia and Peterborough. As for other shield and numbering changes, I agree in a vacuum the cost-benefit probably doesn't work out, other than for those who prefer consistency; but this is a "highway fantasy" thread.
However, if it was incentivized with funding for improvements, then maybe there might a case. For example, if there was a hypothetical agreement where the province adopts a new number and shield, but the feds agree to fund the highway being a four lane, divided highway (or other needed capital improvements) within x number of years, would they go for it?
I understand this is a fantasy thread.I am just trying to see the point. Fifty years ago out west, and in the Maritimes, the single number TCH made sense to help cross country travel. Back when we traveled by paper maps, knowing that if you stay on this highway the whole way, you get where you need to go was important. Now with GPS navigation, you just follow what the instructions tell you.
Now, if you did it as an incentive to fund divided highways through BC and ON to create an interstate like system, I could agree with. But then you run into the fact that all ,and I do mean
ALL cross country traffic must pass through a single choke point that is the Nipgon bridge and that area. Maybe if we also pushed for a second route between ON and MB to ensure that one spot does not shut down traffic, it would also be worth a re organization. If that were done, I would suggest the TCH routes all be single digits.
Here would be my E-W numbering in that case:
TCH 1 - existing TCH 1 (BC highway 5 4 lanes), ON 17, ON 417, A 40, QC 130, QC 300 NL 500 NL 510, NL 430, TCH 1to St John's
TCH 2 - ON 401, A 20, A 30 (not included sections between A30) A 85, NB 2,, NS 10, NS 102
TCH 3 - Yellowhead highway, New routing through existing MB roads and highways over the north of Winnipeg, ON new highway through Sioux Lookout, over the top of Lake Npigon, ON 11, ON 400
TCH 4 - NB 16, PEI 1
TCH 5 - Rest of NS 104, NS 105, NL TCH 1
TCH 6 - NT 3, NT 3, AB 35, AB 2
TCH 7 - YT 1, BC 97
In general, none are concurrent with any other TCH. They go to all major cities and all capitals that are connected by road to the rest of Canada.