: Blue May 07, 2010, 11:02:12 -06:00
Yeah, I would welcome the change of name to the street, ever since I moved here from Montreal, I wondered who honestly looked at King George and saw a highway... there are traffic lights at every block.. THERE ARE BLOCKS! Very un-highway like. I suppose a long while ago it was a highway, but then people started populating its environs? I dunno, I never had a history lesson on Vancouver, I was only taught Quebec history in school...
I think of something without blocks and traffic lights as a "freeway", but maybe that's just me. :)
: Silvermink May 11, 2010, 11:12:47 -06:00
: Blue May 07, 2010, 11:02:12 -06:00
Yeah, I would welcome the change of name to the street, ever since I moved here from Montreal, I wondered who honestly looked at King George and saw a highway... there are traffic lights at every block.. THERE ARE BLOCKS! Very un-highway like. I suppose a long while ago it was a highway, but then people started populating its environs? I dunno, I never had a history lesson on Vancouver, I was only taught Quebec history in school...
I think of something without blocks and traffic lights as a "freeway", but maybe that's just me. :)
And a boulevard is a broad, tree-lined roadway. Which KG certainly is not. True, north of Hwy 10, it would be indistinguishable from 136 St (which is essentially what it is there), but between Hwy 10 and its southern end at the roundabout with 8 Ave (Hwy 99 J2), it definitely has the highway characteristics, ie. a major arterial route. The name change is to try persuading people that KG is a Surrey road, as if to try to encouraging staying in Surrey, rather than seeing the road as the quickest way to GTFO from Surrey.
: Rukario May 12, 2010, 05:00:57 -06:00And a boulevard is a broad, tree-lined roadway. Which KG certainly is not. True, north of Hwy 10, it would be indistinguishable from 136 St (which is essentially what it is there), but between Hwy 10 and its southern end at the roundabout with 8 Ave (Hwy 99 J2), it definitely has the highway characteristics, ie. a major arterial route. The name change is to try persuading people that KG is a Surrey road, as if to try to encouraging staying in Surrey, rather than seeing the road as the quickest way to GTFO from Surrey.
Dubbing King George Highway a "boulevard" would be a pretty sorry attempt at romanticizing it, for sure.
: Silvermink May 13, 2010, 10:57:03 -06:00Dubbing King George Highway a "boulevard" would be a pretty sorry attempt at romanticizing it, for sure.
Lame! Apparently the original plan was to just change the name of the Whalley part (along with the other Whalley roads, now Boulevards). But they've gone and done the entire length of it instead.
Can we maybe split the KG hwy/blvd discussion off from the furmeet topic?
: Rukario May 13, 2010, 12:34:44 -06:00
Lame! Apparently the original plan was to just change the name of the Whalley part (along with the other Whalley roads, now Boulevards). But they've gone and done the entire length of it instead.
Suddenly I'm overcome with the desire to move to Whalley! I mean, it has boulevards! How European!
...no, not really. :)
(I grew up in Surrey, so I'm allowed to rag on it, right? ;D)
: Carthage May 13, 2010, 01:25:24 -06:00
Can we maybe split the KG hwy/blvd discussion off from the furmeet topic?
Can't say I really intended this to become a "discussion", as such, but hey, whatever... :)
You can also look out Mountain Hwy in North Vancouver, has lights and etc. Don't forget these streets were named a long time ago.. Traffic patterns change, names stay the same.
We should start naming roads after geographic coordinates. We'd never be able to find anything without a GPS, but at least you'd know EXACTLY where things were.
: Carthage May 13, 2010, 06:57:32 -06:00
We should start naming roads after geographic coordinates. We'd never be able to find anything without a GPS, but at least you'd know EXACTLY where things were.
The view of the mountains is enough GPS for me ;)
A bit of a history lesson for those who aren't familliar with the route in question:
The King George Hwy was, and still is a numbered highway. 1A*/99A to be exact. Prior to the current route of Hwy 99, This route was the highway you took from Vancouver to Surrey, then south through Newton, White Rock and finally, the Canada/US Border. That all changed in the late 1950's/early 1960's when the current freeway was built.
As Medair pointed out about the Mountain Highway in North Van, The KGH isn't the only highway that has traffic lights on it. In fact, prior to 1992, where the Cassiar Tunnel is now, used to be a major at grade intersection where Hwy 7 crossed the TCH. That was the last spot in BC, where a freeway had traffic lights on it. As he pointed out, traffic patterns change, but the names stay the same.
: Fargo May 13, 2010, 08:04:02 -06:00
A bit of a history lesson for those who aren't familliar with the route in question:
The King George Hwy was, and still is a numbered highway. 1A*/99A to be exact. Prior to the current route of Hwy 99, This route was the highway you took from Vancouver to Surrey, then south through Newton, White Rock and finally, the Canada/US Border. That all changed in the late 1950's/early 1960's when the current freeway was built.
As Medair pointed out about the Mountain Highway in North Van, The KGH isn't the only highway that has traffic lights on it. In fact, prior to 1992, where the Cassiar Tunnel is now, used to be a major at grade intersection where Hwy 7 crossed the TCH. That was the last spot in BC, where a freeway had traffic lights on it. As he pointed out, traffic patterns change, but the names stay the same.
There were also lights on the #1 at Lonsdale Ave and at Westview in the early 90s. Thank god they are long gone.
A highway is not necessarily a freeway. A highway is just a major arterial route. Just a note, Fraser Highway still has its name unchanged.
: Rukario May 13, 2010, 09:11:08 -06:00
A highway is not necessarily a freeway. A highway is just a major arterial route. Just a note, Fraser Highway still has its name unchanged.
Yes of course, Fraser lol. I forgot about that one and I live 5 block from it :P
There is also the Dollarton Hwy in Eastern North Van.
Speaking of old road names, there's Dewdney Trunk Road at its starting point in Coquitlam. Hardly a trunk road of any sort.
: Rukario May 13, 2010, 10:01:58 -06:00
Speaking of old road names, there's Dewdney Trunk Road at its starting point in Coquitlam. Hardly a trunk road of any sort.
Though it's just the western section of what used to be a continuous and much longer road - broken into three parts now, if memory serves. My parents live on the eastern section of Dewdney Trunk, way out by Stave Lake. That part still ends at Dewdney, which is near Hatzic Lake east of Mission.
Old Yale Road in Surrey/Langley/Abbotsford/Chilliwack (just called Yale Road in Chilliwack, actually) is similar - there are pieces of the old road here and there, but most of it ran along what's been redesignated as other highways (e.g., Fraser Highway).
Actually, those two roads were the main arterials on either side of the Fraser River back in the late 19th century.
The route originally opened as an extension roadway from the then newly completed Patullo Bridge which had been built from October 1934 to November 1937. The original name for KGH from 1937 to 1939 was "Peace Arch Highway". This was then changed to "King George the 6th Highway" on December 13th 1939, a few months after the King and Queen of England crossed Canada in May 1939. At the Highway's opening ceremonies at Peace Arch Park on October the 16th 1940 "King George the 6th" highway was officially declared. Back in those days Surrey was still undeveloped and there were very few cross roads. Today with all the development of housing, businesses and cross roads the highway has been relegated to nothing more than a large arterial street. With on demand traffic signaling at most intersections along the current day route it is a good place to avoid when driving through Surrey or else you may get EFRL.
The Pattulo bridge replaced a smaller road crossing that used to be on the upper deck of the current railway bridge that crosses over the Fraser River just below it, (which opened in 1904.) Many of the men who built King George VI Highway were persons who had been involved in the unemployment riots during the great depression. Many of these men went to "relief camps" where they would be housed, fed and would be able to go to work, (even though conditions were bad at these camps.) Out here in the south Surrey White Rock area there were two camps. Camp 205, ( Located at Stokes Road for men working on the roadbed from there to Sunnyside Road.) There was also Camp 206, ( Located at Sunnyside Road for the men who worked from there to the US border. ) The camps caused some problems because some of the men would set up stills in the bush nearby to produce bootleg alcohol and operate a small black market with goods taken from the commissary.
The highway itself was originally constructed in sections through what was then a mostly treed Surrey, very few cross streets and settlements. The closest roads were Semiahmoo Trail (1872), Scott Road (1875), Yale Road (1875), McLellan Road (1874-5) and the Fort Langley Road (1858). The Pacific Highway, (currently 176th Street) opened in 1923 to run from Cloverdale south to The US border. Much of Pacific Highway was constructed on the abandoned New Westminster and Southern railway grade. Today Harvie Road from 92nd Ave south to Fraser Highway near 72nd st sits on the old railway grade. Parts of the old rail bed can still be seen on the geographic east side of Pacific Highway between 72nd and 68th Aves.
Wow, thanks for the history on KGH, Lope! I guess, then, that the original route followed the alignment of what is now Highway 99 on the segment south of 8 Avenue. But the name change still defies logic, from Highway to Boulevard. What gets me is that the name changes "will convince people to stay in Whalley", particularly WRT KGH, is ridiculous. Whatever Dianne Watts was on when she came up with that idea, I want some!
: Rukario May 14, 2010, 01:44:31 -06:00
What gets me is that the name changes "will convince people to stay in Whalley", particularly WRT KGH, is ridiculous. Whatever Dianne Watts was on when she came up with that idea, I want some!
Mmm, wishful thinking.
: Rukario May 13, 2010, 09:11:08 -06:00
A highway is not necessarily a freeway. A highway is just a major arterial route. Just a note, Fraser Highway still has its name unchanged.
And it's still numbered too. BC Highway 1A.
Maybe call it Hwy to Crackville. :P Whalley is such an ugly place after dark D:
: mediar May 15, 2010, 12:27:45 -06:00Maybe call it Hwy to Crackville. :P Whalley is such an ugly place after dark D:
Yeah, was caught there for an hour last night at Surrey Central station. Very, very ugly place after dark.
I accidentally picked up a prostitute on King George Highway once. True story. It pretty much went down like that episode of Frasier (she was standing on the side of the road waving at the car and looked like she needed a ride), only without me giving her any money.
: Fargo May 15, 2010, 09:08:18 -06:00
: Rukario May 13, 2010, 09:11:08 -06:00
A highway is not necessarily a freeway. A highway is just a major arterial route. Just a note, Fraser Highway still has its name unchanged.
And it's still numbered too. BC Highway 1A.
It's the highway OUT of crackville. Though, it's 30km/h not far from my house. :P
: Felix McKline May 25, 2010, 12:03:48 -06:00It's the highway OUT of crackville. Though, it's 30km/h not far from my house. :P
The reference was to KGH, but I guess Fraser Hwy also runs through Whalley. But KGH is mostly 70 km/h around here. And, it goes TO Whalley, hence Highway TO Crackville. :P
: Rukario May 25, 2010, 01:56:10 -06:00
: Felix McKline May 25, 2010, 12:03:48 -06:00It's the highway OUT of crackville. Though, it's 30km/h not far from my house. :P
The reference was to KGH, but I guess Fraser Hwy also runs through Whalley. But KGH is mostly 70 km/h around here. And, it goes TO Whalley, hence Highway TO Crackville. :P
Unless you're heading east of course. ;) Then you're going through Fleetwood, Langley, Murrayville, Aldergrove and Aberdeen, before crossing Hwy 1 and becoming Old Yale Road in the west part of Abbotsford.
It's funny, though, I was at the Surrey Pride parade, along with Wolffie, Gray Coyote, Buddy, and some others (let me know if I missed you). And even Dianne Watts even referred to "The Highway".
: Rukario July 15, 2010, 01:05:42 -06:00
It's funny, though, I was at the Surrey Pride parade, along with Wolffie, Gray Coyote, Buddy, and some others (let me know if I missed you). And even Dianne Watts even referred to "The Highway".
Surrey has a Pride parade now? Wild.
There's still one sign at the roundabout at 14AVE that stubbornly says "King George Hwy".
Yeah, there's still a lot of signs that still say "Highway", like the signs on Hwy 99 leading up to it, and the ones on KGB/H itself at the junction with the slip roads.