[Leo_Chan]

This thread was initially created for discussing the widening of Bayview Avenue. However, due to the lack of reusability of it, it has been repurposed to encompass all road construction projects and general road discussion in York Region.

Environmental Assessment Study

Road Construction Schedule

York Region Transportation Master Plan 2016

10-Year Road and Transit Capital Construction Program

Bayview Avenue Road Widening (HOV Lanes, Multiuse Paths, Raised Medians)

York Region is looking at ways to improved Bayview Avenue, between Steeles Avenue and Elgin Mills Road for motorists, transit users, pedestrians and cyclists. What do you think of:

• Widening the road to six lanes for High Occupancy Vehicles/public transit
• Multi-use path for cyclists and pedestrians
• Streetcaping

>>>> Link <<<<

IMO, the decision to only have Reduced Cross Section Widening to one side is an attempt to reduce costs and reduce footprint. I feel like the York Region Original Plan Right-of-Way will serve the communities on the corridor better in the sense that a central median in the roadway has it benefits.

 

[amnesiajune]

I like Alternative A quite a bit. They're building something like that on Highway 7 after the Markham BRT ends and it's looking pretty great so far. Really the only downside of the median is reduced access to private roads and homes/businesses, but that's not really a big deal IMO.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Think Dufferin south of the 407 for a 6 lane cross section with median and HOV. That street is really the prototype for the slurry of 6 lane widenings that York Region is planning in the next 10 years.

I believe Major Mackenzie west of the 400 is almost done in a similar configuration - just minus the HOV (its a general purpose lane).

 

[Leo_Chan]

I like Alternative A quite a bit. They're building something like that on Highway 7 after the Markham BRT ends and it's looking pretty great so far. Really the only downside of the median is reduced access to private roads and homes/businesses, but that's not really a big deal IMO.

Well, with a median and left turn signal only turns, it would be possible to allow U-Turns on the left turn lanes. Which is what is allowed on Highway 7.

 

[Northern Light]

If one had to choose between the three, then 'A' would be preferred as the extra space is largely devoted to pedestrian, cyclists and aesthetics.

However, I think the choice is false.

York Region's lack of comfortable pedestrian-first and transit-friendly design is tied directly to too few major roads, where instead they focus on creating more veritable highways.

I would argue for extending Henderson northward through the Langstaff area to #7.

One-lane each way, plus sidewalks and bike lanes.

You could also make a small functioning bus route out of that.

Then leave the width of Bayview where it is (for travel lanes), and only widen for cyclist/pedestrian infrastructure.

Its do-able; not much more expensive and creates a much more human-scale grid.

 

[salsa]

Think Dufferin south of the 407 for a 6 lane cross section with median and HOV. That street is really the prototype for the slurry of 6 lane widenings that York Region is planning in the next 10 years.

It would be nice if York Region put more effort in fixing their shitty bus service for once.

 

[amnesiajune]

Well, with a median and left turn signal only turns, it would be possible to allow U-Turns on the left turn lanes.

That is still reduced access.

It would be nice if York Region put more effort in fixing their shitty bus service for once.

For what purpose? They aren't going to get more ridership with frequent bus service. That's why improvements have been largely aimed at reducing bus delays because of traffic. Outside of Thornhill, York Region is developed mainly for 407 and Go Train access.

 

[salsa]

For what purpose? They aren't going to get more ridership with frequent bus service.

The result in Brampton suggests otherwise. And I can say with certainty that cutting service year after year while raising fares does not improve ridership.

https://twitter.com/larrylarry/status/806503940728778753

 

[Leo_Chan]

This has to do with widening roads from 4 to 6 lanes in general. I don't like how when they widen the road to 6 lanes, they usually don't re-add the dedicated right turning lanes. This can be seen for most of the Highway 7 Rapidway (except for one at East Beaver Creak).

I understand that having basically an 8 lane intersection (3 + 3 + 1 left + 1 right) is very wide and that the curbside bus stops have to be moved (maybe), but it improves traffic flow for right turning traffic as traffic going straight doesn't hog the lane.

 

[innsertnamehere]

it just gets too wide to be reasonable at that point, I think. Possibly the widest intersection in the city is at Keele and 7.. it is 3+bus+bus+double left+3+right, with bike lanes and a viva station. That is 11 lanes! Hardly "urban", no matter how nice the landscaping is.

 

[innsertnamehere]

it just gets too wide to be reasonable at that point, I think. Possibly the widest intersection in the city is at Keele and 7.. it is 3+bus+bus+double left+3+right, with bike lanes and a viva station. That is 11 lanes! Hardly "urban", no matter how nice the landscaping is.

 

[Leo_Chan]

View attachment 95583

So like 11 lanes?

 

[salsa]

it just gets too wide to be reasonable at that point, I think. Possibly the widest intersection in the city is at Keele and 7.. it is 3+bus+bus+double left+3+right, with bike lanes and a viva station. That is 11 lanes! Hardly "urban", no matter how nice the landscaping is.

There's an absurd number of lanes, there are sections where Hwy 7 is grade separated from roads that intersect it, and meanwhile there's an actual highway running right next to all of that. It's literally a highway next to a highway. This is beyond redemption.

View attachment 95583

Also, look at how terrible the bike lane is. A huge chunk of it disappears inside that long left turn lane. It's not even physically separated from the speeding traffic.

 

[Leo_Chan]

There's an absurd number of lanes, there are sections where Hwy 7 is grade separated from roads that intersect it, and meanwhile there's an actual highway running right next to all of that. It's literally a highway next to a highway. This is beyond redemption.

View attachment 95598

Also, look at how terrible the bike lane is. A huge chunk of it disappears inside that long left turn lane. It's not even physically separated from the speeding traffic.

Well, with the current designs of bike lanes in the region, bike lanes are usually not separated from traffic in any way except for lines. In order to separate them more, the whole structure of the side of the road has to be redone, where bike lanes have a barrier between the right/left lane (one way) and they need to cross with pedestrians.

What I mean by this, is that the bike lane will have to be on the right side of the right turn lane rather than the left side of it. And it will cross similarly to how pedestrians cross where it has it's own "crosswalk".

I would like to see the green bike lane colouring all along the roadway INCLUDING intersections.

 

[Megaton327]

There's an absurd number of lanes, there are sections where Hwy 7 is grade separated from roads that intersect it, and meanwhile there's an actual highway running right next to all of that. It's literally a highway next to a highway. This is beyond redemption.

One of those is a privately-owned, expensively-tolled, fully-controlled-access highway, and the other is a public, free roadway, with many additional local intersections+traffic lights compared to the highway, even if not as many as a typical road. There isn't much of a valid comparison between Highway 7 and 407--I'm not sure what your point is, are you suggesting that highway 7 be closed and all traffic has to pay for the 407?