Don Mills Road

Infobox road
marker_

highway_name=
Don Mills Road
maint=the City of Toronto
direction_a=North
terminus_a=John Street in Markham
direction_b=South
terminus_b=O'Connor Drive in East York
rural_municipalities=
cities=Toronto (East York; North York)
Markham

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. North of Steeles Avenue, the road is officially named as York Regional Road 12.

From south to north, it passes through the neighbourhoods Todmorden Village, Flemingdon Park, Don Mills, Graydon Hall, Henry Farm, Parkway Forest, and Don Valley Village.

Between Sheppard Avenue and Finch Avenue is a planned community called Don Valley Village, built in the 1960s. Here, Don Mills Road splits into two one-way curved boulevards known as Don Mills Road East and Don Mills Road West. This section is called The Peanut due to its shape on a topographic map. It surrounds schools, community centres, and the Peanut Plaza.

History

The road was originally built as a routing beside the eastern banks of the Don River (now called Broadview Avenue) to the original mills on the Don (now called Todmorden Mills). In the 1950s, when the urban planned community of Don Mills was created, the road was further extended north into North York beyond its termination at York Mills Road, where there was a "jog" along York Mills to the third concession east of Yonge Street, known before the Highway 404 construction as Woodbine Avenue.

In the news

The newer alignment crosses over Highway 401 but has no access to that highway. This six-lane overpass was in the news in early 2005 twice.
*During a cool winter, a motorist swerved to avoid an accident but lost control due to black ice, crashed through the bridge parapets, and fell down on the freeway, although he escaped unhurt.
*Later, a suicide occurred; the victim first threw his five-year-old daughter from the bridge, who survived.

Public transportation

TTC 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 TTC to run streetcars on Don Mills from Steeles to Overlea Boulevard to Pape station with the Don Mills LRT, as part of the TTC's Transit City plan.

Attractions

*Ontario Science Centre at Eglinton Avenue
*The remains of the demolished Don Mills Centre at Lawrence Avenue
*Fairview Mall at Sheppard Avenue
*The Peanut between Sheppard and Finch Avenue
*Seneca College, Newnham Campus at Finch
*The historic [http://www.toronto.ca/culture/zion_church.htm Zion Church Cultural Centre] at Finch

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]