Posts Tagged ‘viva’
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 »
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, December 18th, 2009
Pick colourful candies out of the jar to decorate your very own gingerbread house.
There are all kinds of great ways to celebrate the holiday season. Spending time with family and friends…making snow angels…eating way too much food…drinking hot cocoa…hitting the slopes…and one of our favourites here at vivaNext…decorating gingerbread houses.
That’s why, this holiday season, we’ve created a fun little gingerbread house for you to decorate and share online. It includes a jar full of colourful candy, all sorts of hidden treats, some merry holiday music, an animated snowman, and of course, a warm reminder that there’s no place like home sweet home for the holidays. And with vivaNext, no faster or easier way to get there.
We hope you have as much fun decorating it, as we had creating it. No doubt your finished gingerbread house will look good enough to eat.
Happy holidays from vivaNext!
Tags: animated snowman, candy, congestion, connections, family activity, gingerbread house, holiday music, holidays, hot cocoa, snow angels, viva, vivaNext, winter fun, York Region
Posted in Fun & Games, vivaNext.com | No Comments »
Monday, December 14th, 2009
Today, an on-site ceremony was held on Enterprise Drive in Markham to commemorate the start of 70 kilometres of vivaNext rapidway construction in York Region.
VivaNext – York Region’s plan for the next generation of rapid transit – includes a network of several rapidways across the Region. They are the east-west Highway 7 rapidway from Highway 50 in Vaughan to Reesor Road in Markham, the north-south Yonge Street rapidway from the Richmond Hill Centre Terminal in Richmond Hill to Green Lane in Newmarket, and the east-west Davis Drive rapidway from Yonge Street to the Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket.
The rapidways will take Viva vehicles out of mixed traffic and into their own dedicated lanes, where they will safely speed past congestion, no matter what time of day.
The 800 metres of rapidways being built on Enterprise Drive, between Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road, are part of the Highway 7 rapidway project.
“This construction phase is truly significant, as it marks the beginning of a new stage of rapid transit in York Region,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. “Together with the Government of Ontario, we are building a modern transit system to ensure we keep pace with the planned growth in York Region and preserve the quality of life our residents have come to expect.”
Rapidway construction on Enterprise Drive, which will be completed by the end of 2010, will involve the installation of concrete platform foundations, curbs, and the placement of station canopies. No road closures will be required; only short-term temporary lane closures.
“This is great news for the people of York Region and the GTA,” said Markham-Unionville MPP Michael Chan. “The project signals the start of a faster, more convenient rapid transit network that will enable people to get around more easily, improve the ability of our businesses to grow and succeed and help improve the environment.”
As construction of the rapidways gets underway, we encourage you to add vivanext.com to your list of favourite websites for quick and easy access to the latest information and construction updates. While there, you can also sign up to receive our quarterly e-newsletter in your Inbox, along with customized email updates about vivaNext projects of particular interest to you.
Tags: BRT, Bus Rapid Transit, Chairman Bill Fisch, congestion, connections, construction, Davis Drive, dedicated lanes, Enterprise Drive, Highway 7, Markham, Metrolinx, mixed-use development, Ontario, Rapidway, Richmond Hill, transit-only lanes, viva, vivaNext, Yonge St., York Region
Posted in Announcements, Press, Rapidways | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Crowds pack Boulevard Saint Laurent during a street festival. Photo courtesy of Djof.
Project for Public Spaces (PPS), an internationally-recognized non-profit organization that helps communities get the most out of their streets, both as transportation links for all modes of commuters and as vital places for people to enjoy, recently compiled its list of “9 Great Streets Around The World”.
Affectionately known as “The Main”, Montreal’s Boulevard Saint Laurent tops PPS’s list for a number of reasons including its Access & Linkages, Comfort & Image, Uses & Activities, and Sociability.
With vivaNext, this kind of placemaking will also take place along York Region’s busiest corridors as people come to live, work, shop and play in close proximity to great transit service. In addition to great access, vivaNext will bring attractive boulevards, planted medians and an enhanced pedestrian experience including continuous, wide sidewalks.
We wouldn’t be at all surprised if Highway 7, Yonge Street and Davis Drive top the PPS list of great streets in years to come!
Tags: 9 Great Streets, attractive boulevards, Boul. Saint Laurent, Bus Rapid Transit, city planning, connections, Davis Drive, Highway 7, mixed-use development, Montreal, placemaking, planted medians, Project for Public Spaces, Rapidway, subway extension, The Main, viva, vivaNext, Yonge St., York Region
Posted in Live-work-play, Urban Planning | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
From left: Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson, Ontario Transportation Jim Bradley, Toronto Mayor David Miller, Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone begin work on the Spadina subway extension Friday.
This past Friday, November 27, 2009, a groundbreaking ceremony of a link that will connect the future Spadina subway extension mainline to the existing Wilson Subway Yard and expand yard storage facilities was held.
Government dignitaries in attendance at the Wilson Yard connection site included the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Canada’s Minister of Finance; the Honourable Jim Bradley, Ontario Transportation Minister; His Worship David Miller, Mayor of Toronto; Her Worship Linda Jackson, Mayor of Vaughan; and Toronto Transit Commission chair Adam Giambrone.
“This is another significant step forward that will help meet the Greater Toronto Area’s future network needs,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. “As York Region continues to grow and mature, it is imperative to have the proper infrastructure and resources in place for both residents and businesses today and in the future.”
Extending from the Downsview Station in Toronto to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station in Vaughan, the Spadina subway extension will cover a total of 8.6 kilometres and include six stations. Every day, almost as many people travel north to York Region from Toronto as vice versa — including many of the 50,000 students and staff who study and work at York University.
The completion date for the Spadina subway extension is 2015. The $2.6 billion funding required for the project has been secured from all levels of government including $697 million from the Government of Canada, $870 million from the Province of Ontario, $352 million from York Region and $526 million from the City of Toronto.
Tags: Adam Giambrone, Bill Fisch, connections, David Miller, groundbreaking, Highway 7, Jim Bradley, Jim Flaherty, Linda Jackson, mixed-use development, Ontario, Spadina extension, subway, subway extension, Vaughan, Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, viva, vivaNext, Wilson Yard, York Region, York University
Posted in Announcements, Press, Stations, Subways | 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 »
