I don't use an Apple, iPhone or iPad but I, and legions of Apple users recognize, appreciate, and will pay for great design. It's reflected in the company's valuation as one of the world's most valued companies!
The same principal holds true for cycling on roads.
Old York Road is a hilly, fun stretch of road that is a gateway from Hamilton & Burlington to iconic, winding Snake Road. During the past several weeks, my cycling has been interrupted by road repairs as the road was patched.
This week, to my dismay the entire road has been given a gravel surface.
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| Tar and Chip road. |
According to mavens at city hall, Old York Road is undergoing surface treatment also know as Tar & Chip. Surprisingly,
they assure me that Old York Road was never an asphalt road but I've cycled this road for years but it felt like and looked like an asphalt road. They've assured me that after a year or two, surface treated roads are "
similar" to asphalt roads.
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| Old York Road with patching. |
This weekend, I cycled several combined asphalt / tar & chip roads of various ages. Cyclists and motorists easily know when they are on a tar & chip road! It's the difference between night & day. These roads are not meant for cycling. They are rough, bumpy and strewn with loose gravel from the edges of the road which have not been compacted by the weight of cars.
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| Caution loose gravel on Old York Road. |
Tar & chip replacing asphalt is another case where good enough is NOT good enough. The legions of cyclists from Hamilton and other areas will find alternatives to Snake Road, probably outside of Burlington.
If you feel asphalt roads shouldn't be downgraded to tar & chip surfaces, let your councillor know.
Old York Road was never asphalt, it was always tar and chip. You could tell by the long smooth black strips found on the surface before they did their current fix up. True asphalt wouldn't have that inconsistency.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand it's frustrating to cycle down the road at the moment, it will look and feel as it did eventually. Tar and chip roads that are very bumping are usually roads that don't receive a lot of sun light and therefore don't benefit from the heat in the summer months to help compact the loose gravel.
Just relax...it's going to be ok.
The long back black strips found on the surface you are referring to were a recent addition in preparation for resurfacing.
ReplyDeleteSorry but your Jedi mind trick doesn't work. Tar & chip surfaces are inferior and will always be inferior.
You state that tar & chip road that are "very bumping" are the product of the weather. It sounds like no further maintenance is done on these roads once applied if even they cure improperly.
A job worth doing is worth doing right!
It has been tar and chip fo the last fifty years...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteSo when was the last time chip & tar was applied? I and many others used to cycle this route. Now its deserted.
Old York Road with access to the bridge over the QEW was the safest way for cyclists to cross the QEW. While you can still cross at the bridge, the tar & chip road, with its lose gravel, mounds of stones on the edges and very rough surface is a deterrent to cyclists.
There are economic benefits to cycling tourism. Many cyclists from the GTA cycle in Halton. They won't be cycling on this road.