Don Mills Road
{{short description|Major north-south route in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario}}
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{{Infobox street
| name = Don Mills Road
| marker_image = File:Don Mills Road Toronto.jpg File:York Regional Road 12.svg
| other_name = York Regional Road 12
| image = File:Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue Intersection.jpg
| caption = Intersection of Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue, looking north toward Wynford Drive.
| maint = City of Toronto
Region of York
| length_km = 46
| length_mi =
| length_ref =
| length_notes =
| location = Toronto
East York
North York
Markham
Thornhill
| direction_a = South
| terminus_a =O'Connor Drive
in East York, Toronto
| direction_b = North
| terminus_b = John Street
in Thornhill, Markham (Continues as Leslie Street)
| junction =Eglinton Avenue
Lawrence Avenue
{{jcon|Hwy|401}}
Sheppard Avenue
Finch Avenue
File:York Regional Road 95. Steeles Avenue.png Steeles Avenue
| inauguration_date =
| demolition_date =
| browse = {{Nearby arterials|type=Toronto|next= Victoria Park Avenue |previous= Leslie Street }}
}}
Don Mills Road is a north-south route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, passing through the former cities of East York and North York. It begins at O'Connor Drive near ramps to the Don Valley Parkway, and ends at John Street in Markham, where its name changes to Leslie Street. North of Steeles Avenue, the road is officially named as York Regional Road 12.
From south to north, it passes through the neighbourhoods of Todmorden Village, Flemingdon Park, Don Mills, Graydon Hall, Henry Farm, Parkway Forest, and Don Valley Village.
Between Sheppard and Finch Avenues, Don Mills Road splits into
two one-way curved boulevards known as Don Mills Road East and Don Mills Road West.{{Cite web|url=http://www.google.ca/maps/place/Peanut+Plaza,+3030+Don+Mills+Rd.,+North+York,+ON+M2J+3B6/@43.7845569,-79.3506465,16z/data=!4m12!1m5!3m4!2s43.784310,+-79.351800!8m2!3d43.78431!4d-79.3518001!3m5!1s0x89d4d2e17d01e95f:0x11d24add6ff479de!8m2!3d43.7857036!4d-79.3520144!16s%252Fg%252F1td_zlbf%20 | title=Google maps}}
This section is called The Peanut due to its shape on a topographic map. It surrounds schools, a community centre, and the Peanut Plaza.{{Cite web|url=http://www.google.ca/maps/place/Peanut+Plaza,+3030+Don+Mills+Rd.,+North+York,+ON+M2J+3B6/@43.7845569,-79.3506465,16z/data=!4m12!1m5!3m4!2s43.784310,+-79.351800!8m2!3d43.78431!4d-79.3518001!3m5!1s0x89d4d2e17d01e95f:0x11d24add6ff479de!8m2!3d43.7857036!4d-79.3520144!16s%252Fg%252F1td_zlbf%20 | title=Google maps}}
History
Originally named Don Independent Road due to donations of the land by local farmers for the public improvement, the road was carrying traffic from many mills in the area: flour, grist, woollen, and sawmills, hence the current name.{{sfn | Filey | 2004 | p=320}}
In the 1950s, when the urban planned community of Don Mills was created, Don Mills Road was further extended north from this terminus into North York.
By 1990, Don Mills Road was widened from four to six lanes between Overlea Boulevard and York Mills Road. The two additional lanes became the first carpool diamond lanes in Toronto.{{cite news| url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/470667921.html?dids=470667921:470667921&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+22%2C+1989&author=Jim+Byers+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Biggest+roads+plan+in+20+years+okayed+by+Metro+Council&pqatl=google | title=Biggest roads plan in 20 years okayed by Metro Council | date=1989-06-22}}
Public transportation
Toronto Transit Commission bus routes that run along Don Mills Road include: 25 Don Mills, 100 Flemingdon Park, 303 Don Mills (Blue Night), and 403 South Don Mills (community route).
Since November 2002, Don Mills station located under Fairview Mall has served as a connection between the Sheppard subway line and a multitude of other bus routes.
There are plans by the Toronto Transit Commission to run streetcars on Don Mills from Steeles to Overlea Boulevard to Pape station with the Don Mills LRT, as part of the Transit City plan.{{cite web |url=http://www3.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Projects_and_initiatives/Transit_city/index.jsp |title=TTC Transit City |accessdate=2008-10-21}}
Attractions
- Ontario Science Centre south of Eglinton Avenue
- Shops at Don Mills at Lawrence Avenue
- Fairview Mall at Sheppard Avenue
- The Peanut between Sheppard and Finch Avenue
- Seneca College, Newnham Campus on Finch
- The historic [http://www.toronto.ca/culture/zion_church.htm Zion Church Cultural Centre] at Finch
- Don Mills Collegiate Institute a local high school
External links
- [http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Don+Mills+Rd+%26+Oconnor+Dr+East+York,+ON&daddr=Don+Mills+Rd+%4043.758630,+-79.347100+to:Steeles+Ave+E+%26+Don+Mills+Rd+ON&sll=43.753241,-79.347382&sspn=0.208312,0.466919&ie=UTF8&z=11&om=1 Google Maps of Don Mills Road]
Sources
- {{cite book | last=Muir | first=E.G. | title=Riverdale: East of the Don | publisher=Dundurn | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-4597-2872-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2OlHAwAAQBAJ | access-date=2024-07-16 }}
- {{cite book | last=Filey | first=M. | title=Toronto Sketches 8: The Way We Were | publisher=Dundurn Press | year=2004 | isbn=978-1-55488-032-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GHEw5QE7plEC&pg=PA320 | access-date=2024-07-16|page=320}}