Category: Video

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Construction Video

a step forward: discover your Yonge walking tours

a step forward: discover your Yonge walking tours

This summer, vivaNext offered the public a complimentary behind-the-scenes construction tour in Richmond Hill and it was a resounding success! You can view our latest video on the Yonge Street tours.

Participants got a closer look at the progress of the vivaNext rapidway construction project in various locations on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill – between Highway 7 and 19th Avenue/Gamble Road – and highlighted the following:

Local residents who participated in the tour were enthusiastic!

According to participant Marjorie Ball, “gathering a better understanding of the complexity of the project was very helpful. It was well worth the time and a lot of good information came from the staff and personnel on site.”

At the end of the tour, each participant received a $15 lunch voucher to use at participating Yonge Street restaurants and these businesses were more than happy to be involved in this great initiative.

“The question and answer part [of the tour] was fantastic!” said participant George Blundell. “The tour was very interesting and informative and involved a well-rounded selection of employees, including community liaisons, summer students, constructors and engineers. Then getting the lunch voucher was just icing on the cake.”

We want to thank all participants, supporting businesses and our staff for making these tours a success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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.

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Construction Rapidways Safety Signs and barrels Traffic signals Uncategorized Video

the value of patience – and safety

We know construction can be messy and disruptive at times, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we work hard to transform the corridor to a complete street with wide pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, shade-giving trees, bike lanes and rapid transit.

check out our latest video with its brief but important safety messages

Because safety during rapidway construction is crucial, everyone must do their part. The important messages are: always cross at the designated crosswalk, pay attention to posted signs in and around construction zones, and obey the posted speed limit.

the reasons for bus rapid transit

Once construction of the rapidway is complete and the vivastations are open for service, Viva commute times will improve. Not only that, Viva buses can take advantage of priority traffic signals to help them stay on schedule.

Bus rapid transit also provides a viable option to get around as the population increases over the decades to come. It’s all part of a rapid transit network that connects the Region’s urban centres.

Your patience is appreciated!

For 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.

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Construction Safety Signs and barrels Uncategorized Video

let’s slow down and drive carefully, together

Blogpost by: Monica DeLuca

Summer’s here! And while summer means travelling with no worries of sliding on ice or wiping snow off the car windshield, it is also prime rapidway construction season. And while drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders are travelling around York Region, construction crews are out on the corridors daily working to upgrade utilities, widen the road to make way for the rapidway, construct vivastations and all the while ensuring that safety is a top priority.

To help keep everyone as safe as possible, it’s important to obey the posted speed limit in construction zones.

roadways under construction

During construction, lane closures are frequent and in the process of road widening and curb removal, uneven gravel surfaces are prominent. As a result, the roads are impacted and since driving conditions are not as smooth as anticipated; speed limits are reduced to prevent hazardous situations such as motor collisions.

workers are vulnerable

Making a conscious effort to slow down and abide by the posted speed limit contributes to the safety of those on the road including, pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and construction crews who are often working in close proximity to the roadside.

be aware of machinery

While driving, it’s important to take note of construction machinery which is typically larger than other vehicles on the road. Be attentive to the different types of equipment as well as to changes and reduction in traffic lanes

We understand how exciting these summer months can be and how tempting it is to rush home after a long day, yet your safety is one of our top priorities, and at vivaNext we work hard to keep our community protected.

Safety is a shared responsibility. So the next time you’re driving near a construction site, slow down,  and be aware of the reduced speed limits in your area.

For 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.

 

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Rapidways Stations Uncategorized Video

watch the building of the Bathurst-Highway 7 vivastation

The iconic vivastations are starting to appear, as rapidway construction progresses in Bathurst and Centre.

The building of the first station in the area began in 2017 with excavation and construction of the platform on the Bathurst Connector Road, just east of Bathurst Street. Once the rapidway opens for service at the end of 2019, this station will be called, “Bathurst-Highway 7 Station”.

watch our latest video to see this station being built

To see how this station came together, take a look at our latest video, which takes you through some of the major steps involved in building a vivastation, including pouring 8 trucks’ worth of concrete, the careful delivery and installation of the canopies and assembling the beautiful, curved, blue-tinted glass.

why we’re doing this

Once construction of the rapidway is complete and the vivastations are open for service by the end of 2019, bus rapid transit commute times will improve. And with Viva buses travelling in their own dedicated rapidway lanes, it helps to alleviate car congestion.

Not only that, Viva buses can take advantage of priority traffic signals to help them stay on schedule, and variable message signs on station platforms tell transit riders when their next bus is coming.

Bus rapid transit also provides a viable option to get around as the populations increases over the decades to come.

To check out the vivastations and rapidways in action, they are already service in York Region on Highway 7 East in Markham, Highway 7 West between Bowes Road and Edgeley Boulevard in Vaughan and Davis Drive in Newmarket.

For 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.

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Rapidways Video

journey of the Highway 7 rapidway

2013 marked the dawn of a new and exciting era for the City of Vaughan. With construction beginning, the next several years of sometimes messy construction signaled the unfolding of a new bus rapid transit system on Highway 7.

The transformation took several years to complete, but now all the speed and convenience is yours at the VMC, where the Highway 7 West bus rapidway connects seamlessly to the TTC Line 1 subway.

Click the image above to learn more.

Categories
Commissioning Rapidways Subways Video

changes are coming to Vaughan!

changes are coming to Vaughan!

As of December 17, there will be new ways to get around in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC]. The TTC Line 1 extension will open, Viva will start using the brand new vivastation and rapidway on Highway 7 west of Jane, and YRT buses will begin servicing the new SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal.

How will it all connect? Check out our latest video, showing a cross-section of how subway meets bus rapid transit in the VMC.

The countdown is on and it’s an exciting time for Vaughan and the Greater Toronto Area. With so many new developments, new ways to get around and more destinations to explore, it’s a good thing it’s all connected.

Be sure to sign up for email updates, follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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History Innovation Rapidways Urban Planning Video

history of transportation along Yonge Street

Click the image to view our YouTube video on the history of transportation along Yonge Street. 

Yonge Street was first initiated by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1796. Although the road – as we know it today – was commissioned as a military road, local historians indicate that the route was travelled centuries before by First Nations people.

In the early years, individuals who utilized Yonge Street were often reliant on their own strength to travel the route, often portaging, walking or snowshoeing with their belongings to their destination. As oxen and horses became more accessible, historians express that travellers started to rely on these animals as a way to transport them to their final destination.

Research suggests that with the influx of travellers, so did the need for transportation options. Established in 1849, H. B. Williams’ Omnibus Bus Lines provided the first known public transit alternative [horse-drawn carriages] within York/Toronto. Within a decade, however, the first street railway system—with radial services to outlying towns—was established on the same route and became a more popular option.

History has shown us that at the beginning of World War I, horses were becoming a less favourable choice for commerce. Around this time, motorized vehicles brought about unprecedented economic improvements for retailers and consumers alike.

With the onset of motorized vehicles, historians illustrate that Canadians wanted to improve both the quality and safety of their local roads. To improve their mode of transportation, locals started laying planks of wood—similar to a boardwalk—to create a more even surface to travel on.

More than 200 years later, the demand for safe, efficient and reliable public transit remains strong along the significant arterial route that is Yonge Street. Today, Viva travels Yonge Street in mixed traffic, but in the future it will have its own dedicated transit lane to further improve service along the import corridor.

Keep an eye out for the second video that will explain further the history of transportation along Yonge Street.

To subscribe for construction updates, visit vivaNext.com/subscribe.

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Video

2016 >> all together now!

YouTube video: 2016 year in review

Some of the best songs start with just a few notes – maybe the base in a band or the baritones in a choir. Then more and more parts are added, and by the middle of the song everyone is singing or playing different parts, all in harmony. For York Region’s rapid transit system, 2016 was the “middle of the song.”

The prototype station opened in 2011 in Markham, followed by a 10-kilometre rapidway opening in 2013 and 2014 on Highway 7 East. In Richmond Hill, a LEED Silver-certified transit service facility opened in 2015. The Davis Drive rapidway in Newmarket opened for service in 2015, with some final work completed last summer.

Along with finishing Davis Drive, 2016 projects included important utility and prep work along Yonge Street in Newmarket and in Richmond Hill – temporary traffic signals, median work and retaining walls, new hydro poles, water main and gas main replacements. Similar work is being done for the rapidway on Bathurst and Centre Streets in Vaughan, and along Highway 7 west of Highway 400 to Helen Street/Wigwoss Drive.

Highway 7 in Vaughan was a symphony of activity in 2016, with construction wrapping up east of Jane Street to Bowes Road, and work moving ahead quickly on the large rapidway station west of Jane Street that will connect directly to the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension.

Bus terminals are planned in Vaughan and in Markham, and in 2016 those projects worked through the “backstage” steps of design and procurement.

A high note in 2016 was the announcement from the Province of Ontario of $55 million in funding to advance the design and engineering for the Yonge Subway Extension [YSE]. The YSE is York Region’s top transit priority, and we’re committed to working with Metrolinx, TTC and the City of Toronto to move this project forward.

In our plans, 2016 was the year we knew most of our projects would be happening, all at the same time, and it was busy! 2017 will be full of accomplishments too, and there are even more rapid transit projects planned for the future. So we plan to keep working on every detail or “note” to make sure our song – a connected transit system – makes it to the finale!

 

Categories
Communications Construction Live-work-play Rapidways Uncategorized Video

so many different activities this year in Vaughan!

Vaughan 2016 year in review

So much has happened this year along Bathurst and Centre and on Highway 7 West. Just take a look!

In this video, you can check out some of this year’s behind-the-scenes activity – like trees being transplanted to parks, and pre-construction work – as well as the very visible work you saw, like water main and gas main construction.

It was a big year for rapidway work as well, with boulevard and planting on Highway 7, red asphalt in the rapidway and the big vivastation canopy going up in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre area.

New utilities, wide pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, shade-giving trees – and smooth rapidway are all part of the vivaNext projects, creating new infrastructure that will serve generations to come, and leave a lasting legacy for the Highway 7 West and Bathurst & Centre communities in Vaughan.

As the year comes to an end, it is great to reflect on our accomplishments. We look forward to more progress in 2017.

For more information on ongoing work be sure to sign up for email updates, and follow us on Twitter. Questions or comments? Comment below or email us at contactus@vivanext.com.

Categories
Construction General Rapidways Utilities Video

a year on Yonge

a year on Yonge

‘Tis the season when we sit back and reflect on the year which has passed and prepare for the year ahead.

2016 was a big year for utility work on Yonge Street in both Newmarket and Richmond Hill. Gas and telecommunications installations were completed in Newmarket and water main and gas work made significant progress in Richmond Hill.

Through all of the construction barrels, mud, noise and mess on Yonge Street, we took pictures every step of the way and put together a video which captures the progress of rapidway construction in both Newmarket and Richmond Hill.

It is amazing to look back and remember all that can be achieved in just one short year. We look forward to another productive year in 2017!