Category: Construction

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Construction Rapidways

from messy to marvelous – davis drive year in review

Video: from messy to marvelous - davis drive year in review

It’s an exciting time as the transformation of Davis Drive has made significant progress and is starting to be seen along the corridor.

A lot of progress above ground was made this year and a number of milestones were achieved, all of which clears the way for 2015 and the last year of construction. We thank you for bearing with us through the mess and as we work hard to finish as quickly as possible.

Standing at Yonge and Davis, you can look down Davis Drive and see the installation of boulevards and planters. As you travel to your destination you’ll notice the decorative planters along with interlocking paving stones and concrete sidewalks in areas from Yonge Street to Longford/Parkside Drive.

Construction of the vivastation at Parkside/Longford and Davis is making great progress. The steel structure for the vivastation is in place and the glass for the canopies will be arriving soon.

Construction of two more vivastations at Main and Southlake Hospital are also underway.

The structure of the Keith Bridge has been rebuilt and the Tom Taylor Trail has been restored to its original location under Keith Bridge; which is located just past the GO train station.

VivaNext will be moving to the next phase of rapidway construction where station platforms, canopies and eventually rapid transit bus lanes will be built in the centre of the road. As a result, there will be permanent changes to how motorists use intersections, traffic lanes and access businesses along Davis. New traffic signals have been installed at Yonge, George and Barbara. Drivers can now make dedicated left-turns and U-turns where U-turn permitted signs are posted. From our experience on Highway 7, these new movements help the traffic flow smoother. For more information on these important changes please visit vivanext.com

We captured a number of these accomplishments on video and condensed them into a short clip for your viewing pleasure. The investment in modernizing our roads and revitalizing Newmarket’s infrastructure will go a long way to making sure Davis Drive is built on a solid foundation that will serve the growing needs of Newmarket for many decades to come. We look forward to the rapidway opening in 2015 and bringing Viva service to Davis Drive.

Categories
Construction Rapidways

seeing the transformation unfold on highway 7 west

click here to see the video of 2014 Vaughan rapidway construction

we’ve been busy this year

Construction is well underway for the first phase of vivaNext rapidways in the City of Vaughan, and the transformation can be seen along Highway 7 West. Check out our latest video for an up-close look at the milestones we’ve accomplished this year. Although construction will continue throughout the winter months from Edgeley Boulevard to Bowes Road, here’s an update on the progress made in 2014:

  • Traffic has been shifted east of Jane Street to its final configuration, so that work in the centre of the road [including platforms and canopies] can begin in 2015.
  • As part of the 8-metre expansion of the Canadian National Railway [CN] MacMillan Bridge, we poured over 800 tonnes of concrete to create new columns and bridge pier caps.
  • Underground infrastructure revitalization continues – utility, telecommunications and storm sewer relocation is approximately 80% completed.
  • Road widening is completed and base-layer paving is 90% finished between Jane Street and the CN Bridge. Paving activities will continue in 2015.
  • In order to preserve the existing Black Creek and Hillside Culverts, retaining walls were built. In total, five retaining walls have been completed along the corridor with a few more set to get started in 2015.
  • Important traffic and pedestrian changes can be seen at several intersections. Motorists are benefiting from new turning movements and pedestrians now have two-stage crossings.

We know construction can be messy and disruptive at times, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue the transformation. For up-to-date information on construction progress and activities, visit http://www.vivanext.com/hwy7progress.

 

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Construction

newmarket’s union hotel has a new home

newmarket’s union hotel has a new home

Rapidways are on the way to Davis Drive and to make room, the Union Hotel on the northeast corner of Davis Drive and Main Street has been moved to its new location at the back of the original property. It took careful precision and planning to move this old building to its permanent foundation and now it’s finally settled in. We captured the preservation of this important piece of history on video. Check out the full behind-the-scenes video to see how it was done.

Built in 1881, the Union Hotel is one of Newmarket’s many distinctive heritage buildings. Designed by local architect John Ough, it still has many of its original features, including mouldings, staircases and woodwork. Although it’s known as the “Union Hotel,” past owners include James Burke, who manufactured soda water here, Patrick Hodgins Sr., who used it as a store and residence, and more recently Robert Armstrong with a real estate business.

Relocating the Union Hotel ensures the gateway to Newmarket’s downtown heritage area is preserved.

 

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Construction

intersections are changing: u-turns and 2-stage crosswalks

intersections are changing: u-turns and 2-stage crosswalks

On Highway 7 West and Davis Drive in Newmarket, important changes are on the way for how drivers and pedestrians use intersections and travel along the road. Each rapidway project is at a different stage, and along the Highway 7 East rapidway in Markham and Richmond Hill, these road and intersection changes have been in effect for about two years.

Aside from rapidways for fast, convenient transit, projects include wider sidewalks and attractive landscaping. Each project helps to connect York Region, and manage future growth for generations to come. Once construction is underway in the centre of the road on Highway 7 West and Davis Drive, here are some of the changes that you need to watch for, and follow the signs:

Dedicated left-turns

  • Dedicated left-turn lanes at rapidway intersections
  • Dedicated left-turn signals – motorists can only turn left when the left-turn arrow is illuminated

Right-turn access, via intersections with u-turn signs

  • To access to mid-block destinations on the opposite side of the road, motorists will make u-turns at intersections.
  • Rapidway intersections with u-turn signs will allow drivers to make a u-turn from the left turn lane, once the left-turn arrow is illuminated.
  • Global studies of traffic control have shown this to be a safer way to turn left on a multi-lane road.

Shared lanes for right-turn and through traffic

  • Curb-side lanes will be shared by right-turning and straight-through traffic.

Two-stage pedestrian crossings

  • Intersections will be wider with the new rapidway lanes.
  • Pedestrians may cross intersections in two stages if unable to cross in the first signal.
  • A waiting area will be in the middle of the crosswalk, where pedestrians can press the “walk” button and wait for the next signal.
  • Pedestrians will need to press the “walk” button for the “walk” signal to be displayed.

 

Categories
Construction

working together on transportation improvements in newmarket

working together on transportation improvements in newmarket

To help alleviate traffic congestion and provide convenient transit alternatives in Newmarket, vivaNext, York Region and the Town of Newmarket are investing in infrastructure and improving public transit in Newmarket.

While it may appear construction is taking place everywhere in Newmarket, a comprehensive coordination strategy was developed by York Region, vivaNext and the Town of Newmarket to better balance the need for necessary infrastructure improvements with the needs of our residents, visitors and commuters and to help manage travel demand in Newmarket, while minimizing the disruption to the community.

To support future growth and travel demand and to help reduce traffic congestion in Newmarket, road improvements are necessary and long overdue. A number of construction projects performed by York Region, Town of Newmarket and vivaNext are underway that will reshape and re-vitalize Newmarket. These road construction projects are a sound investment in Newmarket’s future.

To maximize as much work as possible during a short construction season, the majority of construction projects are done in the warmer months. Construction can be frustrating and we thank you for your patience as we work together to improve our roads and transit system so that Newmarket continues to be one the best place to live in Canada.

Information on the construction projects taking place within Newmarket are available at www.york.ca, www.vivanext.com, www.town.newmarket.on.ca.

 

Categories
Construction Rapidways

who, what, where, why, when and how …..the 6ws of davis construction

click here for the video Davis Drive: building more than transit

With Davis Drive rapidway construction well underway, signs of the transformation can be seen along Davis from Yonge Street to Roxborough Road. It takes a lot to build a centre-lane bus rapidway and completely rebuild Davis from the ground up. This challenging project has layers upon layers of complexity and a lot of work underground had to take place first. Check out our latest video about how all these layers add up to a project that’s building more than transit.

A lot of questions can come from a project of this nature, and here at vivaNext we’re always happy to answer them. We thought it might be helpful to break down this complicated project into smaller pieces [like a story with chapters, if you will] to provide a clearer view of how we’re transforming Davis.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be using Twitter and Facebook to provide a unique behind-the-scenes perspective of the magnitude of work that’s been done under and above ground, the progress we’ve made, what’s to come and of course the end result! We will even toss in a few intriguing facts about Davis Drive and the Town of Newmarket that you may not have known.

What’s a story without pictures? As part of the story, we’ll provide visuals and use pictures to help showcase what’s going on in particular photos. We hope you agree with the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

If you have a question you would like answered as part of our photo series, please contact us through contactus@vivanext.com, send us a tweet or a Facebook message.

We hope you enjoy the story and that at the end of the last chapter, you see that the investment in modernizing our corridor, adding a rapid transit service and revitalizing the infrastructure, will go a long way to making sure Davis is built on a solid foundation that will serve the growing needs of Newmarket for many years to come

 

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Construction

this is just the beginning

this is just the beginning

Over the next three years, the vivaNext system is really going to transform the look and feel of York Region’s Centres and Corridors, with new rapidways opening for service. And these new transit options are only the beginning of an expanding vivaNext network that’s being built for York Region commuters.

Here’s the rundown on what’s planned, and how your transit choices are going to be widened over the next few years as vivaNext continues to expand.

Rapidway projects are being built in the order that will create the most connectivity for the greatest number of people and get you past the worst traffic congestion. Check out the map to see how the phases are rolling out, and follow our colour-coding of projects:

The segments on Highway 7 East that are coloured green or orange are either in service or about to be. Construction is well underway along the yellow and purple segments on Davis Drive in Newmarket, and Highway 7 West in Vaughan. Davis Drive is scheduled to be in service by the end of 2015, and only a year later, Vaughan will have its first rapidway to meet up with the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension.

The design-build contract has been awarded for the pink segments on Yonge Street and designs are being finalized as crews begin preliminary work. In Newmarket, work requiring Yonge Street lane closures has been postponed until next year.

But that’s not all – look at the blue segments on the map. These segments are also all designed and funding is committed, with planning well underway for construction to start in 2015. The projects marked in blue include two rapidway segments on Highway 7 West, which will extend on either side of the VMC rapidway. When it’s complete in 2018 this whole section will run over 15 km from Pine Valley to Yonge Street. Another blue segment will extend the Highway 7 East rapidway in Markham from the existing Warden Station on Enterprise Boulevard, to Unionville GO Station.

Other projects that will eventually create a full network across the Region and connecting to other transit systems are grey on the map. Since we don’t have funding secured for all of them yet, we can’t confirm the actual timing.

Of these unfunded segments, two are the top priority. The first priority is the Yonge North Subway Extension, which will provide a critical link for passengers transferring between the vivaNext system and the TTC. Without this connection, vivaNext is missing a critical link that will really make our system a key part of the larger Greater Toronto transit network.

Another future route proposed is a rapidway along Major Mackenzie Drive, which would provide a major transit artery for all the growth taking place in that area. The Major Mackenzie rapidway would provide passengers with connections to the TYSSE, GO lines in both the east and west, and the Viva Highway 7 rapidway in both the east and west.

Imagine how this wonderful rapid transit network would make your life easier? We are working hard to bring it to life, so that everyone in York Region will have the choice to leave their car at home and hop on board Viva for a fast, reliable and comfortable ride, no matter where they want to go.

Categories
Construction Rapidways

colour coding the rapidway

colour coding the rapidway

As we’ve posted previously, Bus Rapid Transit [BRT] is an increasingly popular rapid transit technology around the world. One of the ways to make BRT truly rapid, as we’re doing here in York Region, is to provide vehicles with separate lanes so they can move easily through congested areas. And one way to make those lanes distinct without having an actual grade separation is to make them a different colour. This is why the vivaNext rapidways are bright red.

Colouring asphalt anything other than basic black isn’t as easy as you might think. Here’s what we’ve done to get our rapidways red.

Painting asphalt isn’t an option [if only it was this easy]. Although it’s something we all take for granted, creating a long-lasting, durable asphalt mix for the conditions along a busy roadway like Highway 7 is actually a highly specialized science. The surface on roadways that carry a lot of heavy traffic, especially traffic that is constantly turning and braking or accelerating at intersections, needs to be exceptionally strong to prevent cracking, rutting and shifting. Canadian climate conditions, including extreme temperature changes, hot sun, frost, and salting over the winter, all impose significant challenges. Creating an asphalt mix to take these conditions without requiring frequent maintenance is something that specialized pavement designers work hard to achieve, with the technology constantly evolving.

So adding in the requirement to make it a distinct colour definitely adds to the complexity.

Using red pavers or bricks would not provide a sufficiently durable driving surface long term, and would be extremely costly to install and maintain.  One approach that is used when the colour is needed in very limited areas, such as crosswalks or bike lanes, is a material called “street print.” But this material, which is actually a special top layer that’s heated right into the asphalt once it has been imprinted with a brick or paver pattern, would be too complicated to use along the full length of the rapidways [although we are using it for our crosswalks], and again would not be durable enough.

So the best approach is to tint the black asphalt, which we’re accomplishing in a couple of ways. Asphalt is composed of a mixture of sand, stones and asphalt cement binding it together. By adding reddish stones rather than grey ones, we can give an underlying red tint to the asphalt, especially as it wears.

The more complex adjustment is to add a special red pigment. The challenge with the pigment is to be careful in how much we add:  too little and the colour doesn’t come through, but too much and the overall durability of the asphalt could be compromised. The pavement design team has worked long and hard through a highly technical process to get the balance just right.

We’re delighted with their final results, which gives us what we need: a clearly defined rapidway that stands out from the regular traffic lanes, with a long-lasting and durable surface, at an affordable price. Drivers need to remember as they make turns from side streets along Highway 7 to follow the white skip lines and not turn onto those red rapidways!  Although beautiful, they are red for safety too!

 

Categories
Construction Rapidways

using colour and shape to create welcoming pedestrian spaces

using colour and shape to create welcoming pedestrian spaces

If you’ve walked along the new rapidway on Highway 7, you’ll have seen the vivaNext pavers we’ve installed on the boulevards. We know from the feedback we’ve received that people love the new look.

Most sidewalks in York Region, like pretty much everywhere else, are made of concrete, and the most important consideration is functionality: they need to be safe, accessible, durable and easy to maintain. But beyond those goals, we also want our new boulevards – which are wider than the Region’s regular sidewalks – to reinforce the “complete street” concept – the guiding philosophy for our vivaNext streetscape design. With all the development coming to the Region’s centres and corridors, in the future there will be more pedestrians, whether they live, work, or commute along our rapidway routes. So we’ve made sure that our boulevard design is going to be visually appealing as well as functional.

The boulevard is made up of the pedestrian zone and the furnishing zone. The pedestrian zone is typically a 2m-wide sidewalk which is fully paved with light-toned coloured pavers near intersections, and paved with concrete in the mid-block areas. The sidewalk is a continuous system even across driveways to alert motorists that pedestrians have priority.

The furnishing zone is located next to the pedestrian zone. The furnishing zone is an area where pedestrian amenities and planters are located. It is paved in light coloured unit pavers which reinforce the identity of the vivaNext system.

We’re using a combination of coloured pavers which not only look great but also add to wayfinding for pedestrians. The main field pavers are a light-coloured cool gray with contrasting coloured accent bands, which will increase in frequency as pedestrians approach the main intersections. The east-west accent bands are a red; the north-south accent bands are a dark charcoal gray.

Immediately adjacent to the roadway and running along beside the pedestrian zone is a 610mm-wide “transition zone,” which provides an important comfort buffer from bicycle and vehicular traffic. In the winter months, it also provides an area for snow storage and protects the plantings nearby from salt spray. This zone will be paved in special “eco-pavers,” which allow water to seep through to the storm sewer system.

A charcoal gray coloured textured warning strip will alert visually impaired pedestrians that they are approaching an intersection or driveway. At midblock where the pedestrian zone is paved in concrete, the warning strip will be grooved concrete. Both approaches will provide a tactile clue for visually impaired pedestrians of potential conflicts.

We’ve given special attention to the boulevards near intersections to ensure they reinforce pedestrian priority and add to placemaking. These areas have been designed to function as urban plazas with unit paving and accent pavers. Soft landscaping will define the corners of the intersections and function as gateways to the adjacent areas.

 

Categories
Construction Rapidways Stations

getting to where you want to go

The continuation of dedicated rapidway along Highway 7 East – from Bayview to Town Centre Boulevard – has resulted in some important changes to the way drivers get to their destinations, and how the traffic signals work.  Some of these changes have already become familiar to drivers on the west leg of the rapidway and during the construction phase of the east end, but it’s worth going over them again –

    1.Watch for your signal. 

    There are several different signal phases now operating along Highway 7, and drivers need to be extra alert to pay attention.  The left turn arrow, transit arrow and through traffic signals all work together to keep traffic moving safely.  Pay careful attention to the signal for your lane and the movement you want to make. Watch for pedestrians in the middle if you are making left hand turns or U-turns.

    2. Left turns only during the left turn arrow.

    With the rapidway down the middle of the roadway, drivers cannot make left turns mid-block.  Left turns are only allowed from the left turn lane at intersections, on a dedicated left-turn green arrow.  White lines clearly show the left lane turn.  No left turns are allowed on the through green light phase, or the transit green arrow.  Special detectors in the pavement will help the light know how many cars are waiting to turn left, but depending on the length of the queue you may need to wait more than one cycle to make your turn.  If there are no cars detected at a specific time, there will not be a left-turn arrow in that cycle.

    3. U-turns are allowed during the left turn arrow.

    If you want to get to a destination on the other side of the road, you can make a u-turn at the intersection when the left turn arrow is lit.  It is important to make sure you turn into the main traffic lanes going in the other direction rather than into the rapidway.  To make it obvious, rapidways are tinted red and have special bus-only markings on them.  U-turns, like left-turns, cannot be made on a through green light, or when the transit arrow is green.

    4. Transit green arrows are for buses only.

    The vehicles using the rapidway have their own signal, which is located directly in front of the rapidway.  This signal is only for buses, and depending on the circumstances, it may or may not coincide with the through green light for traffic.   The transit signal has a special hood over it so it can only be seen by transit drivers.  But whether or not a transit vehicle begins to move through an intersection, other drivers must wait for their own green light before proceeding.

    5. Be careful making right turns, watch for signs.

    There some changes to right turns on Highway 7 from side-streets.  At some intersections, right turns are no longer allowed; drivers need to watch carefully for signage on the traffic lights.  Drivers turning right need to be especially alert watching for bikes using the new bike lanes and bike boxes, and when making right turns past YRT buses stopped at curb-side stops.

Highway 7 is a busy street and safety for everyone using it is a top priority.  All these changes work together to get everyone where they want to go safely and in good time.   Stay tuned for the new section opening this August!