On Monday, April 22, over 1 billion people in 192 countries around the world took action in their communities to tackle environmental challenges and vivaNext staffers were among them. We celebrated the 43rd annual Earth Day by sporting viva blue and going out to the future site of the Leslie Street and Highway 7 vivastation where we planted an Ohio Buckeye tree, the first of many trees and shrubs to be planted along the rapidway corridors being constructed in York Region.
But that was just the beginning, among the environmental benefits of the vivaNext project will be the improvements to the streetscape along York Region’s key corridors. A key part of those improvements will be carefully planned landscaping, including street trees planted at regular intervals for beauty and shade.
We’ve also used a little science and technology to ensure these trees survive in such a tough urban environment. Large trees need a lot of soil around their roots. In a boulevard, there’s only so much room for soil, so trees generally don’t have the underground space they need to grow strong roots and take in nutrients. On Highway 7, vivaNext is using an ingenious solution called “soil cell technology.” This refers to the cutting-edge approach of constructing a rigid form underground that can be filled with soil and then covered up by sidewalks or even roads. Plantings along the new viva rapidways will include a variety of trees, shrubs and grasses to create the green environment we all appreciate.
We certainly feel a strong connection with the values of Earth Day here at vivaNext; our rapid transit service is a key part of achieving smart growth goals and creating better connected, more livable communities in York Region. On Earth Day, and every day, we work hard to design and build a rapid transit service that offers a green travel alternative, makes it easier for you to get around, and helps to shape growth in an environmentally friendly way.
Check out our video and tell us if you participated in any Earth Day activities or submit your own video!