Category: suburban to urban transformation

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Awards Communications Design Innovation Rapidways suburban to urban transformation Transit

And the award goes to…

vivaNext awards

Last year was unprecedented and came with challenges for everyone, everywhere. There were achievements too though, and those are worth more than a mention. Working with our partners, at YRRTC we delivered 17 kilometres of rapid transit in 2020, completing the first phase of the Viva bus rapidway network that includes 33.7 kilometres of dedicated rapidways along York Region’s busiest corridors. These projects are more than just transit – they are complete street rebuilds above and below the ground. As of the end of 2020, the rapidways, combined with some transit facilities and a bus terminal, have brought $2.7 billion in assets that will benefit communities in York Region for generations to come.

Over the past years, YRRTC has been recognized and received awards for innovative design and technology elements of the Viva bus rapid transit projects. Many factors contribute to the success of our projects – engineering, urban design, architecture, construction, partnerships and collaboration – but there’s one element that isn’t always mentioned: Communications. Our communications initiatives support each project and keep stakeholders and the community informed in new and creative ways.

YRRTC is honoured to have recently been recognized for our digital communications, with multiple awards from AVA Digital Awards including:

We’re also pleased to have received honourable mentions under the following categories:

The AVA Digital Awards is an international competition that recognizes excellence by creative professionals responsible for the planning, concept, direction, design and production of digital communication. Work ranges from digital campaigns to audio and video production to website development to social media engagement to mobile marketing. The Award is judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), whose judges have a reputation for accuracy, fairness and credibility.

We’re proud to deliver creative excellence in support of these complex infrastructure projects!

Categories
Live-work-play suburban to urban transformation

explore and discover

blog photo, showing woman exploring and discovering York Region with a young boy from inside a bus

Sometimes we’re so locked into daily routines we stop noticing what’s new and changing around us. York Region is made up of fast-growing communities. As we go about living, working, and commuting we don’t always see the new park around the corner, the tulips blooming, new buildings under construction, or the blue glass on that new bus station.

Things change gradually. Bit by bit, our communities grow to meet our needs. New greenspace makes the neighbourhood a nice place to spend time. New buildings give us places to live and work, and new bus rapidways, terminals and subways bring new travel options and connection points. Choices and options are what make the places we choose to live that much better and here in York Region we’re seeing those changes continue to improve our way of life.

As our communities grow and people adopt new technology and travel patterns, we drive change together. Bus rapid transit and subway connections are a key part of planning for change and growth. We’ve been steadily building projects in York Region that not only provide rapid transit, but also put new infrastructure in place. These investments in new underground utilities, new bridges, tree-lined sidewalks and accessible traffic signals will prepare for current and future residents and businesses. Transit supports growth and development as communities continue to grow.

With all these changes come new possibilities. So be inspired, explore your community this spring and discover the wonderful places around you.

Categories
Bridge Expansion Construction Rapidways suburban to urban transformation Uncategorized

positive progress and multiple milestones reached >> year in review for Bathurst & Centre and Highway 7 West in Vaughan

watch our latest video to see some of the milestones from 2018

It was a year of sometimes messy construction on the Bathurst & Centre and Highway 7 West projects in Vaughan in 2018 – but a lot of positive progress was made and multiple milestones were reached! As you take a look at our year-in-review video, keep in mind, the vivaNext rapidway project is scheduled to open for service in these areas at the end of this year.

For construction updates and information about ongoing vivaNext projects, be sure to subscribe to email updates, and follow us on Twitter. Questions or comments? Comment below or email us at contactus@vivanext.com.

 

Categories
Development suburban to urban transformation Urban Planning

developing new opportunities in Markham

developing new opportunities in Markham

Development brings to mind condo towers and big business. It doesn’t necessarily make us think of entertainment, education and recreation. Given some new and upcoming projects, that is what’s in store for Markham.

Markham Movieland, a 400,000 square-foot TV/film studio, was recently announced for Markham. The new studio will feature several soundstages, with one blockbuster-sized 70,000 square-foot soundstage – the largest in North America. The facility is expected to be built by the end of 2020 fulfilling an increasing demand for film facilities and workers. Markham Movieland will be conveniently located along transit routes near 14th Avenue and Kennedy Road, just south of Markham Centre.

Construction also begins this year on the new York University Markham Centre campus, opening to over 4000 students in 2021. The new campus will build on an existing partnership between the City of Markham and York University to boost the innovative and entrepreneurial efforts of local businesses. The University is working with Cineplex to host classes at the Cineplex theatre in Markham Centre – aligning business and education. It will offer joint programs with Seneca College, connections to other Markham businesses [such as IBM], and perhaps most importantly, connections to transit.

Just east of the new York U campus is the Markham Pan Am Centre, a world-class sports facility used recently during the 2015 Pan American and ParaPan American Games. It features an Olympic-size pool, multiple gyms and a fitness facility, training/meeting facilities and staff for hosting large events.

Several condo and business developments are planned for the area in the next 5-10 years, an amazing change considering this part of Markham was empty fields just 10 years ago.

We’ve highlighted Markham, but really this type of mixed-use, transit-oriented development is on the horizon for York Region’s other city centres too. In Vaughan, a new subway and bus rapid transit hub is bringing new condos and businesses to the area, and in Newmarket, more amenities and services are on the way for Davis Drive. Richmond Hill is at York Region’s centre, where several developments are waiting in the wings for the Yonge Subway Extension to begin construction.

Growth, when planned well, brings opportunities. And in York Region, there are many more to come.

Categories
Construction economic & financial economic benefits Going Green Live-work-play Rapidways suburban to urban transformation Transit Uncategorized Urban Planning

at Bathurst & Centre, the goal is more than just a rapidway

With the summer months now behind us, the rapidway project in the Bathurst & Centre community continues to make great progress, with all five vivastations under construction, utility upgrades complete, sidewalks and boulevards well underway, and base and final paving making great headway.

With the rapidway scheduled to open for service by the end of 2019, it’s a good time to remember what the goal of the project is: to design and deliver rapid transit projects that attract, move and connect people to York Region’s urban centres.

This goal translates into what’s called a “triple-bottom-line” contribution to our community – specifically social, environmental and economic benefits. They include:

  • Urban transformation. Emerging along the length of our rapid transit network, traditional suburban development is transforming into more compact urban neighbourhoods that include retail, entertainment, dining, places of worship, residential and offices. As the population of York Region grows and increases in density, we are building transit to service this population.
  • Connections. The new sections of rapidway will consist of 5 new vivastations along Bathurst and Centre, connecting people from Thornhill to Concord, Woodbridge and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and the subway to Toronto. It will also connect people to the rest of York Region via the Richmond Hill Centre Terminal at Yonge Street and Highway 7, and the future Yonge Subway Extension.
  • New businesses. As new developments provide new housing choices, the area attracts new employers – businesses that want to be located near transit in order to draw on a well-educated workforce.
  • Less driving, more moving. As York Region welcomes this new transit and cycling infrastructure and an increasing population, the result is more transit riders and reduced dependency on cars. Less time spent behind the wheel of a car can have great benefits to long-term health because people walk, run or cycle more – for exercise and to get from place to place.
  • Cleaner air. Every busload has the potential to replace 70 cars, and fewer cars on the road means reduced carbon emissions.
  • Building transit where the people are. The most popular transit routes go where people want to get on and off. People want to get to where the action is, so routes are planned where shopping, services, jobs, and higher-density housing is already along the way. The Bathurst and Centre neighbourhood is a perfect example of this as the community has a multitude of shops and amenities, multi-story condo buildings and residential streets – and busy Viva routes already service the community.

In York Region, a number of urban centres like Bathurst & Centre are evolving into mixed-use communities. At vivaNext, we’re supporting that change by building a fast, convenient rapid transit system. As part of the Centres and Corridors initiative, York Region has a vision and best practices for new mixed-use development to make sure that it gets built in areas which are supported by higher levels of transit.

For information about ongoing vivaNext projects, be sure to subscribe to email updates, and follow us on Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. Questions or comments? Comment below or email us at contactus@vivanext.com.