Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
We all know that York Region is growing. In some parts of the Region, this growth is happening so quickly that some people might worry their neighbourhoods could change in ways they won’t like. Truth is, growth throughout the Greater Toronto Area is going to continue and bring about change – it’s inevitable.
That’s why York Region has been so enthusiastic about bringing the vivaNext rapid transit expansion. But what does rapid transit have to do with managing growth, and why should you care? Let’s talk about this.
With growth, many more people will come to York Region, all wanting homes, jobs, and pleasant places to shop and relax. That means more new business and residential development, and more people needing to move around. Saying no to growth isn’t an option, but there are choices in what new development gets built, and where it happens. This is where growth can be good – or result in change that isn’t so good.
In the past, there was lots of room for new development, and it could spread out. Because it was spread out, people often drove everywhere – to go shopping, to get to work, to do the things that mattered. That was fine when our roads weren’t so crowded, and you could get around easily.
Over the years, two things have happened that changed the way we plan for new developments. One thing is an understanding that available land is limited. Limits have been placed on developments in the fragile greenbelt around the GTA that also surrounds York Region, protecting those lands for future generations. The second thing is that getting around the spread-out developments of the past is taking much longer, now that there are so many more cars on the road.
Part of the answer lies in careful planning for new growth. York Region’s Official Plan sets out clear rules for where new growth will go, and what will be allowed. Our existing neighbourhoods will stay much the way they are, but new developments will be more compact and pedestrian-friendly – especially along the main corridors. The other part of the answer lies in making sure that all new development can be easily reached by rapid transit, so people won’t need to rely on cars to get where they want to go.
With this plan, you’ll get to enjoy all the things you love about living here, plus you’ll have even more places to go and things to do…all connected by a leading-edge rapid transit system that will make getting around easier than ever before.
That’s the plan, and vivaNext is a key part of it. So – tell us – what are the things YOU want to keep the same – and what new things do you wish were here?
Tags: city planning, GTA, Managing Growth, New Development, Ontario, rapid transit, Urban Planning, vivaNext, York Region, York Region's Official Plan
Posted in General, Live-work-play | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Richmond Hill Main Street
As Richmond Hill’s 162,704 residents already know, they live in a great city. This was recently confirmed in an independent 120-page report, entitled City Magnets, released by the Conference Board of Canada.
The report, which analyzed what attracts skilled workers and mobile populations to Canadian cities, ranked 41 different societal indicators including health, economy, environment, education, innovation and housing.
Richmond Hill was statistically identified as a great place to live, work and play because of its solid economic performance, diverse and well-educated workforce, low crime rates and attractive quality of life.
When completed, vivaNext – York Region’s plan for the next generation of rapid transit – will make Richmond Hill an even better place to live. In addition to making it faster and easier to travel to, from and within the Region, vivaNext will inspire urban transformation as new residents come to live, work, shop and play in close proximity to great transit service.
In total, only six Canadian cities received a grade ‘A’ in the report. Along with Richmond Hill, they include Ottawa, Waterloo, Calgary, St. John’s and Vancouver.
Richmond Hill, congratulations!
Tags: Canada, City Magnets, Conference Board of Canada, connections, GTA, Live-work-play, Ontario, Richmond Hill, societal indicators, transit, Urban Planning, urban transformation, vivaNext, York Region
Posted in Announcements, General, Live-work-play | No Comments »
Friday, January 29th, 2010
VivaNext is all about putting the rapid into rapid transit. When completed, it will provide you with faster and easier rapid transit connections, so you have more time to enjoy whatever awaits you at your final destination.
On January 18, 2010, YRT\Viva launched an important first step towards improving rapid transit connections in York Region with the introduction of RideNow. RideNow, which utilizes GPS technology to track the location of transit vehicles in real time, enables riders to determine exactly when their YRT\Viva ride will arrive at their stop. This means no more running…waiting…or frustration. Just smooth transit connections.
YRT\Viva riders can access RideNow’s real-time information in any one of three ways:
1) Online – Visit www.yrt.ca, click on RideNow and enter or select a four-digit stop number to view the next arrival times
2) Email – Enter a four-digit bus stop number in the subject line and send to ridenow@york.ca. A response email will be sent back indicating the next arrival times.
3) Phone – Call 1 866 MOVE-YRT and enter a four-digit bus stop number when prompted to hear the next arrival times.
Tags: bus, bus stop, connections, GPS technology, real-time information, RideNow, transit, viva, Viva vehicle, vivaNext, York Region, YRT\Viva
Posted in Announcements, General | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
Aid workers provide medical attention in Haiti. Photo courtesy of IFRC/Eric Quintero.
Here at vivaNext, we often talk about how our rapid transit projects will help to ensure that York Region residents continue to enjoy the quality of life that attracted them here in the first place. As we watch the devastating news about the recent earthquake in Haiti, we are reminded of just how fortunate we are to call York Region home.
Like so many other Canadians, those of us who work in the vivaNext offices have set a donation goal to help charities aiding relief efforts in Haiti. We were especially encouraged to learn that the federal government of Canada has pledged to match all Canadians’ donations up to $50 million. Although the past year has been a financially challenging one for many, we encourage all York Region residents to do whatever they can to help as well, if in a position to do so.
Did you know that Canada’s current Governor General, Michaelle Jean, is originally from Haiti?
If you are a Canadian with family in Haiti, the following contact information may be helpful to you:
Foreign Affairs Emergency Operations Centre
Ottawa, ON
1-800-387-3124 or 613-943-1055
sos@international.gc.ca
Tags: Canada, disaster relief, donations, earthquake, federal government, foreign affairs emergency operations centre, governor general, Haiti, Michaelle Jean, Ontario, rapid transit, vivaNext, York Region
Posted in General, vivaNext.com | No Comments »
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is one of the world’s largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistical, economic and social data. In a publication launched in November 2009 entitled “OECD Territorial Reviews: Toronto, Canada”, several of the GTA’s transportation challenges are collectively identified as a key policy issue. They include traffic congestion problems (70% of commuters use cars), poorly integrated regional transit services, and relatively underdeveloped public transport infrastructure.
To address this key policy issue, one of the publication’s key recommendations is to “tackle transportation challenges by creating incentives for reducing car use, access to additional revenue sources, [and] longer term funding commitments by federal government for investment”.
Here in York Region, we are doing our part to tackle these transportation challenges with such vivaNext initiatives as the rapidways, subways and proposed LRTs. In addition to making it faster and easier to get in and out of the GTA, they will make it up to 40% faster to travel along our Region’s busiest corridors. We believe that such incentives will significantly reduce car use, lead to economic revitalization, help the environment, and maintain the quality of life our residents have come to enjoy.
Tags: city planning, congestion, economic revitalization, environmentally friendly, GTA, OECD, Ontario, Policy issues, rapid transit, Rapidway, Regional transit services, subway, Toronto, transport infrastructure, Urban Planning, vivaNext, York Region
Posted in General, Going Green, LRT, Rapidways, Subways, Urban Planning | No Comments »
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Getting in shape is a popular New Year's resolution. Photo courtesy of Jennoit.
Each January, certain New Year’s resolutions consistently make the Top Ten most popular lists. They include:
1. Spending more time with family & friends
2. Getting fit
3. Losing weight
4. Enjoying life more
5. Saving money
6. Helping the environment
7. Reducing stress
8. Helping others
9. Being more punctual
10. Reading more
In future, vivaNext rapid transit projects will make it easy for you to keep all of these New Year’s resolutions. How so? Rapid transit is faster, easier, less expensive and more environmentally friendly than driving. As a result, it can reduce your stress levels, allow you to arrive at your destination on time, and give you more time to work out, do the things you enjoy, be with the people you love, and of course, help you save money and the environment.
We think that’s a lot of added value for the cost of a YRT\Viva fare. Speaking of which, did you know that YRT\Viva fares will remain unchanged throughout 2010?!
Tell us about your New Year’s resolutions. Did they include any of the above Top Ten?
Tags: BRT, Bus Rapid Transit, connections, Enjoy life, environmentally friendly, Family time, Fast, Fun, Get Fit, Green Choice, Lose Weight, New Year, rapid transit, Rapidway, Reduce Stress, Resolution, Save Money, viva, vivaNext, York Region
Posted in General, Going Green, Rapidways | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
With a new year just around the corner, we wanted to celebrate by reflecting back on some significant milestones for vivaNext in 2009.
In early spring, the Province of Ontario committed $1.4 billion for the construction of dedicated rapidways along Davis Drive, Highway 7 and Yonge Street for Viva vehicles.
The following month, the Ministry of the Environment unconditionally approved the Environmental Project Report for the proposed Yonge subway extension.
Around this time, our new website was also launched along with this blog and other social media initiatives to help keep you informed of all the latest vivaNext developments.
By the fall, preliminary rapidway construction activities were underway in Newmarket and Markham, and a contract for conceptual design work regarding the Yonge subway extension was awarded. In addition, preliminary station designs were also unveiled for several of the Spadina subway extension stations at a series of public open houses, and the project took an important step forward with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Wilson Subway Yard.
Then, just before the holiday season, a ceremony was held on the site of the planned rapidway alongside Enterprise Drive in Markham (which is part of the Highway 7 rapidway project) to commemorate the start of construction of the first 37 km of rapidways.
From every side of York Region, this past year has been filled with milestones for the vivaNext projects. We look forward to bringing you many more in 2010.
Happy New Year from vivaNext!
Tags: 2009, BRT, Bus Rapid Transit, city planning, construction start, Davis Drive, Enterprise Drive, Environmental Project Report, environmentally friendly, groundbreaking ceremony, Highway 7, Markham, Metrolinx, milesones, Newmarket, Ontario, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Rapidway, Richmond Hill, social media, Spadina extension, subway, Vaughan, viva, vivaNext, Wilson Subway Yard, Wilson Yard, Yonge St., York Region
Posted in Announcements, General, Urban Planning, vivaNext.com | No Comments »
Friday, November 27th, 2009
If you’re like most York Region residents, your holiday shopping list is long and involves trips to multiple retail locations.
Leaving your car at home and taking transit instead is the best way to avoid traffic jams and parking problems. It’s also a lot less expensive since you don’t have to pay for things like gas, valets, tickets, and even towing.
With a YRT\Viva ticket, you can travel on any YRT or Viva vehicle in any direction for a two-hour period with just one fare. How convenient and inexpensive is that?! Simply remember to hang onto your ticket or transfer as proof-of-payment so you can hop on and hop off vehicles.
As great as transit already is for holiday shopping, it will get even better with vivaNext. The subway extensions, rapidways, and proposed light rail transit lines will make it even faster and easier to get around York Region’s busiest corridors and beyond.
In fact, we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a certain somebody in a red and white suit using our transit system to do his holiday shopping in future!
Tags: BRT, Bus Rapid Transit, congestion, connections, Highway 7, holiday shopping, Markham, Newmarket, Rapidway, Richmond Hill, subway extension, Vaughan, Vaughan Mills, viva, vivaNext, York Region, YRT
Posted in General | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
Our goal is to ensure that you can quickly and easily find answers to all your vivaNext questions on our comprehensive and constantly updated website. However, we also recognize that there may be times when you need to speak directly to someone about a specific related matter.
That’s why we have a vivaNext Community Liaison, Andrea Witty. Whether you’re a property owner, business operator, tenant, or any other community member directly affected by vivaNext construction, Andrea is readily available to assist you with any question regarding rapidway planning and construction.
Here’s how to reach her:
Andrea Witty
Community Liaison
Telephone: 905-886-6767 Ext. 1022
1-877-464-9675
Cellphone: 416-554-1890
Email: andrea.witty@york.ca
Throughout vivaNext construction, you will also find Andrea out in the community providing York Region residents and businesses with ongoing project information.
If you met Andrea, what would you ask her?
Tags: Andrea Witty, BRT, Bus Rapid Transit, business operator, Community Liaison, connections, Highway 7, Markham, Newmarket, property owner, Rapidway, tenant, Vaughan, viva, vivaNext, website, York Region
Posted in General, Rapidways | No Comments »
Friday, September 18th, 2009
Passengers wait to board Viva. A new study shows that ridership will greatly increase in the coming decades.
Transit ridership is expected to nearly double in Canada over the next 30 years as the population rises to 42 million, with most of those people living in urban centres.
This is according to a report released recently by the Canadian Urban Transit Association, which represents public transit agencies across the country.
The report, titled Vision 2040, suggests all levels of government must work together to put transit at the centre of community planning and design. This will help create communities that reduce dependency on cars.
“Today, national transit ridership and investment are both at all-time highs,” states the report. “Transit is widely recognized as an important part of the solution to national challenges including economic prosperity, climate change, public health, safety and security.”
When factoring population growth, ridership will increase from 1.76 billion trips in 2007 to 3.28 billion trips in 2040.
To deal with this increase, CUTA says large cities and major metropolitan areas such as York Region and Toronto, must focus on integrating transit services and expanding rapid transit.
It sounds like vivaNext is on the right track with subway extensions that will be the backbone of a seamless transit system. The subway extensions and dedicated lanes will improve travel times throughout the Viva network and help to shape successful urban revitalization.
Read the final report.
Watch the video and see how transit will play a role in the future: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Transit Vision 2040 Video”.
What do you think of this vision? What do you see as the role of transit in the future?
Tags: BRT, Canadian Urban Transit Association, city planning, rapid transit, Rapidway, ridership, subway extension, Toronto, transit-only lanes, Urban Planning, Vision 2040, viva, vivaNext, York Region
Posted in General, Studies, Urban Planning | 2 Comments »