Newmarket streets, Hwy. 404 top York Region's worst road list

Yonge Street, Prospect Street and Hwy. 404 cause biggest commuting headaches

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 16, 2019
Lisa Queen

Do you hate your commute? Who doesn’t?

Is there a stretch of road where construction is so bad that it adds years to your age?

Each month, we tally up your worst traffic woes.

Based on feedback, here are the top three nominations for our third #YorkRoadRage list.

Yonge Street: Newmarket -- Mulock Drive to Davis Drive

With York Region building the bus rapidway project, travelling on Yonge Street throughout the region is going to be a headache for quite some time. But this stretch has commuters frustrated at the moment.

“It’s taken me 30 minutes to get from Davis to Mulock on Yonge. That’s if my car even makes it due to the potholes, uneven pavement and unmarked grates elevated all over,” one driver said. And drivers are often waiting green light after green light to make a left in either direction from Yonge.

Adding to the problem, the right turn lane from westbound Mulock to northbound Yonge is closed with no forewarning, meaning that drivers get into the lane only to find they have to merge back into traffic.

And drivers are often waiting green light after green light to make a left in either direction from Yonge.

Prospect Street: Newmarket -- Mulock Drive to Water Street

Driving on Prospect Street during rush hour is getting more congested all the time. Now, there are white lines meant to prohibit southbound vehicles from passing left-turning cars even though the road is wide enough to accommodate two vehicles abreast and keep traffic moving.

Add issues along Water Street: cars avoiding Prospect are often backed up on Cotter Street one block to the west trying to turn on to Water.

There is the unfortunate placement of the railway tracks and the entrance to the parking lot of the police station at the bottom of the hill on Water. And there’s the weird pedestrian crossing/not crossing for people walking between Riverwalk Commons and Fairy Lake. A great part of town to visit, but with some definite traffic snarls.

Hwy. 404: Newmarket -- Mulock Drive

While there isn’t a sign of construction or red brake lights for miles at this juncture, it sure has many drivers shaking their heads.

Currently -- and with no future plans to correct the interchanges -- there’s no access to Hwy. 404 northbound from Mulock. On the flip side, there’s no exit on to Mulock travelling southbound on Hwy. 404.

The half-way on- and off-ramps is an example of lack of forethought or future planning on the part of the provincial government. Does anyone travel north on Hwy. 404? Why, yes -- hence the extension to Ravenshoe Road.