Categories
Announcements Commissioning Community Events Construction Facilities and terminals General Rapidways Stations Subways Urban Planning

Transit gets epic in Vaughan this Sunday

Get ready for the game-changer. Transit is about to get epic at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC], and you’re invited. On Sunday, December 17, this public launch event is set to change the face of transit forever in York Region.

The public opening of the TTC Line 1 Subway Extension will make history, as the first subway ever in York Region brings transit customers up to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

Today was another great day for integrated transit connections in the York Region and the GTHA – as we celebrated the official opening of the newest bus rapid transit [BRT] rapidway segment and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] Station on Highway 7 West. This new vivastation will be fully connected to the new VMC subway station.

Bus rapid transit meets subway for the first time!

you’ll be moved!

The new rapidway section runs west of Jane Street to Edgeley Boulevard, with dedicated centre lanes that will whisk riders to the VMC with faster and more consistent travel times. Including the previously completed section, the rapidway will run the full 3.6 kilometres from Bowes Road to Edgeley, the bus-only lanes clearly marked for drivers with red asphalt.

Coming in 2018, SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal will complete the transit powerhouse at VMC, as YRT buses begin providing services from this stunning new bus terminal.

an extraordinary station

Along with the rapidway comes an extraordinary vivastation for a new downtown destination – the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre rapidway station. The design supersized our traditional vivastation arched glass canopies, inspired by historic and modern European transportation architecture. The open, airy, domed glass canopy shelters the road and station.

the future is now

It’s only 43 minutes via subway to downtown from the VMC, but there’s no need to go anywhere. If you’re at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, you’ve already arrived!

Welcome to the brilliant future of transit-oriented development, right here, right now in York Region. The VMC shows what it’s all been about: rapid transit connections that fuel livable, walkable, desirable communities, spur jobs and economic growth, creating places where we all want to live, work and play.

 

Categories
Commissioning Construction Facilities and terminals Rapidways Stations Subways Technical

collaboration now and for the future

Building our Vaughan Metropolitan Centre rapidway station required close collaboration with the TTC, since it’s so near to their new subway station – literally on top of it, in fact! The collaboration began at the design stage, and continued between our two construction teams as we brought the plans to life.

staging for success

With the new rapidway station being built in layers, and in the middle of the road, staging was crucial for both the vivaNext team and TTC. Staging means carrying out work in phases, such as shifting traffic lanes from side to side to give crews room to work safely. Another example was how we stayed clear of the TTC work crews while they finished the subway box, before we started on the concrete and rebar that went on top.

teamwork

Coordinating with the TTC, vivaNext crews shifted the traffic to one side while we built the road on the other side, and they worked on that side of the underground subway structure. Then, when we flipped the traffic back to widen the other side, the TTC also switched sides. A detailed planning process ensured we both did what we needed to do, in the right order and the shortest possible time, without tripping over each other.

Building the escalators and elevators from the TTC station to the BRT station also took detailed planning and coordination. Rules and specifications determine how closely crews can work to adjoining crews. The subway and rapidway stations share a very small area. If you’ve ever done a renovation, this was like having one group building the stairs, and another building the walls and hanging the wallpaper.

the collaboration continues

Most of that coordination is done now, with the vivastation area fully under our contractor’s control. We’ll continue to work closely with the TTC as we get to the final stages of signoff for the station equipment. On opening day, December 17, there may be some finishing touches still required, but we will open for service!

The collaboration continues even after the work is done, since the goal of the new station is to create seamless connections between Viva rapid transit and the TTC. We’re looking forward to a long, happy future of working together to get you where you want to be.

Categories
Commissioning Construction Design Facilities and terminals Innovation Rapidways Stations Technical

the crowning touch

Ready for the crowning touch? The new SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal comes with a mesmerizing pièce de résistance – a sweeping, curved wooden roof, as beautiful as it is functional.

Reminiscent of West Coast style, the horseshoe-shaped roof shelters the outdoor bus stations in beautiful elegance. A fluidity breathes life into the design, curving in a slight v-shape from the outside in, and rising up at the wingtips and the saddle. You can almost feel the motion, very fitting for a bus terminal with YRT/Viva services branching out across York Region.

an intricate jigsaw puzzle

The simple elegance of the roof belies the complexity of its creation. The wood pieces need to look curved, but they are flat. Custom-cut to the architect’s design, they fit together with the steel substructure, which was also designed in custom pieces.

It’s like a very complicated jigsaw puzzle. Every section is numbered and assembled with exact precision. When the flat pieces fit together, they create the appearance of a curved roof. High-strength glued-laminated timber beams support the roof, running vertically and also lengthwise.

Not only does the wood look stunning, it was a cost-effective choice and is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified to York Region standards. When it’s finished, it will be stain-coated with intumescent fire-retardant material.

 a showstopper for a new downtown

The result is an eye-catching landmark – a roof that draws the eye and a terminal where you can pass the time in style. After all, SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal is not your run-of-the-mill bus station. As part of the vibrant, new downtown flourishing at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, this bus station needs to look the part.

Set to open in 2018, the Terminal will complete the transit powerhouse at the VMC: subway, rapidway and YRT/Viva terminal, working together to move you, faster and easier than ever before.

Categories
Commissioning Construction Facilities and terminals General Rapidways Safety Stations Technical

the concrete choice

If you’ve ever renovated your home, you know about the endless options for flooring: tile, wood, carpet, stone. Once you select your material, you have to make more choices about colour, finish, how it should be arranged, even the kind and colour of grout. So many decisions! Of course, as with all design questions, your choices are shaped first and foremost by the space and its function: wet or dry? Formal or casual? How much wear will it get?

the floor dilemma

Our design teams faced similar quandaries when working out the details for the rapidway platform floor of the new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station [Viva bus rapid transit].

All of our other open air vivastations have tiled platform floors, so the obvious choice would be to use that in the new VMC Station. But this station faced an additional level of complexity, being built above the subway extension.

The top of the subway station extends to just under the vivastation foundation, providing limited depth to work with. Installing the tiles with concrete underneath as required would use up space needed for essential power and communications cables. A concrete floor became the ideal alternative.

durable by nature

Concrete flooring for the platform works better in the space we have, and the durability means less maintenance is required, saving money down the road. The VMC Station floor will be getting a lot of use in a relatively small space. We know concrete will perform.

But, we also want great aesthetics. Fortunately, concrete is also versatile.

Outside the station along the sidewalks of Highway 7 are paver stones laid in a distinctive pattern. Inside the station, we’re re-creating that look with concrete. First, we built the concrete molds to match the sidewalk, then poured each section with matching colours of concrete.

functions like concrete, looks like tile

Because the platform floor continues beyond the shelter of the vivastation canopy, we needed to ensure it’s not slippery. Before the concrete set, every concrete slab was given a hand-applied swirl finish to provide a measure of slip-resistance. We have also done decorative work on each section to create the appearance of tile.

Just like you’d want for your own home, the final result will meet design goals in every way: strong, durable, easy-to-maintain, and functional. And nice to look at, too.

 

Categories
Uncategorized

BRT >> subway, all under one beautiful roof

A great advantage of building a transit system with a master plan, as we are with vivaNext, is that consistent design concepts can be applied across the network. Creating a “vivaNext” look and feel for all our projects is important, whether we’re talking about a vivastation on our rapidways, a unique transit structure like Bayview Towers on Highway 7 East rapidway, or a massive building like the YRT/Viva Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility in Richmond Hill.

the vivaNext look

We don’t take a cookie-cutter approach. Each design is unique, with its own functional requirements and architectural concept. But they share a number of vivaNext brand elements, including airy open spaces; simple but elegant lines; combinations of glass, metal and wood; and most important of all: convenient, welcoming spaces.

Keeping with that approach, we’ve designed the passenger amenities at the new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre rapidway station on Highway 7 to feel like part of the vivaNext and YRT/Viva families with features everyone recognizes.

a landmark VMC vivastation

The new station is an extraordinary vivastation for a new downtown destination. The very large, open station sits astride the double rapidway with the bus platforms sheltered by a high, curving roof. The buses are able to drive-through the station for a smooth bus-boarding experience, but waiting could be a bit chilly in cold weather. Passengers have the option to stay warm in glass waiting enclosures on both the north and south platforms, which will feel very familiar to yrt/viva passengers.

The enclosures are larger but otherwise quite similar to the other vivastations, with glass ceilings and walls, comfortable seating, lighting, maps and an emergency call button. They’ll be heated during the winter, with sliding and swing doors to minimize drafts.

seconds from the subway

Getting up and down from the VMC rapidway station to the subway below will be easy, via the escalators and stairs located in both enclosures. Each platform will also have its own elevator.

And, just like at our vivastations, electronic ticket machines, variable message signs (VMS) for current route times, wayfinding signs and CCTVs will be installed outside the enclosures, with additional VMS and Presto machines located down the escalators near the entrance to the subway.

Outside the enclosures, the platforms will feel different from our vivastations, since they’re mostly covered by the roof.  But you’ll know you’re in user-friendly viva territory by the familiar arrangement of crosswalks, ramps and planters filled with lush greenery.

opening Dec 17

It took years to plan this station, and we’re excitedly counting the days to opening on December 17. We can’t wait for you to experience this extraordinary landmark of a vivastation!

Categories
Announcements economic & financial General Live-work-play Safety Studies Urban Planning

home, safe, home in York Region

If you want to live in a safe place, come to York Region. York Region is one of the safer places in Canada to call home, according to Maclean’s magazine list of Canada’s most dangerous places to live.

low crime rates

The Region is well down the list at #201, making it the 30th safest area to live in.

The rankings come from a crime severity index, calculated by the type and frequency of crime: violence, drugs, theft/property and youth crime. York Region falls below the national average on every front, often far below.

See the rankings

strong communities by design

Low crime is just one of the many reasons our region is a great place to live, along with the Region’s thriving economy, impressive job growth and strong sense of community. In the future, we hope our Region will also be known for the strength of its rapid transit network.

At vivaNext, we’re fortifying the future of our communities with rapidways. Having a transit network in place is the ticket for transit-oriented development — smart growth designed with the new urbanism in mind. The vision is one of compact, walkable communities served by transit, where people want to live.

We know we need to be ready for our Region’s future population – we’re expected to reach 1.79 million residents by 2041, up from today’s 1.2 million. But we also want to preserve the essence of our communities that made them desirable in the first place.

streets for everyone

VivaNext rapidways come with streets for everyone: pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and transit riders. Attractive streetscapes and landscaping enhance the allure. The rapid transit projects foster mixed-use land development, increasing population density while reducing urban sprawl. These are the kind of communities that go the distance, designed to be strong, caring and safe for the long-haul.

 

Categories
Commissioning Construction Design Facilities and terminals General Stations Technical

a vent shaft becomes a thing of beauty

Building transit infrastructure comes with some mandatory requirements, and not all of them are pretty, at least not to start. Take a vent shaft, an absolute necessity for the subway to vent air and for fire safety. One of these vent shafts had to be located right in the middle of our new SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal.

design becomes experience

Who says vent shafts have to be ugly? At vivaNext, we know that the design of a place becomes the experience. SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal is a new breed of bus terminal – beautiful, airy and open, not at all like the stereotypical bus terminal of yesteryear.

In the middle of this, the eyesore of a square, unattractive vent shaft simply would not do. Since the vent shaft was already the centrepoint, we transformed it into the centerpiece, designing it as an artistic element of the bus station.

catching the light

The vent shaft will still be there, masked by a far more elegant exterior. Flat, stainless steel metal panels punched through with a flower pattern were fastened together to create a curved shape, almost diamond-like in appearance.

In the sunshine, it will catch the light. At night, it will be lit up from the inside. Through it all, the air from the subway will vent, serving its purpose, and proving that, yes, vent shafts can be beautiful.

Categories
Commissioning Facilities and terminals Rapidways Stations Technical

taming the wind

One of the design considerations behind the new rapidway station at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre are the heavy traffic volumes on that stretch of Highway 7. It’s a busy area, and with all the exciting new development coming to the VMC, it’s only getting busier.

As we’ve talked about here, making people feel safe and secure while they wait in the vivastation in the middle of Highway 7 is one of our top priorities. But beyond providing a physically safe waiting place, we also want to provide a comfortable experience for transit users. So the new vivastation offers lots of options, whether people want to wait inside the glass enclosures, on the platform under the high roof, or on the outside platforms.

fresh air, no wind!

For those who prefer being out in the fresh air while they await their YRT/Viva bus, there will be planters of greenery and trees to enjoy, but with all that traffic whizzing by, some might have found it a bit blustery. That’s why we’ve installed special windscreens, on the north platform where the traffic comes closest.

windscreens as art

The seven windscreens are located just to the west of the station on the road-side edge of the north platform. At first glance, they appear to be art.  We certainly designed them to be attractive in their own right, although they are also capable of mounting outdoor art displays.  Curved like the sails on a boat, they’re framed in glass, with posts made of aluminum.

a peaceful wait

Although they look so decorative, they’re actually designed to be functional, and to make waiting on the outside platform a more peaceful experience.

So when you get a chance to visit the north YRT/Viva platform at the VMC, go stand near the windscreens, and see for yourself how we’ve been able to make standing outside a nicer experience, even in a breezy place like the middle of Highway 7.

 

Categories
Commissioning Construction Facilities and terminals Rapidways Safety Stations Technical

safety in waiting

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems like viva use a variety of design features to make travel faster, but the primary feature is dedicated transit lanes that allow buses to bypass regular traffic. BRT systems around the world take different approaches as to where those lanes go. Some use separate lanes beside the roadway. Here in York Region, the vivaNext system uses median rapidways that run down the centre of the road.

median benefits

A major benefit of median rapidways is how they minimize conflicts with driveways and business access. However, this design requires passengers to wait for their buses in the middle of high-volume thoroughfares – such as Highway 7 West at the new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre rapidway station. Utmost consideration was given to design strategies that ensure the safety of passengers while they wait for their buses.

crash-load strength

The VMC Station’s most crucial safety protection are the white concrete barrier walls which run the length of the station on both sides, separating the waiting area from traffic lanes. With the wall’s white architectural concrete finish, curves that echo those on the station roof and tapering design that flows into the planters and ramps near the crosswalk, this wall is a key aesthetic feature of the new station. But don’t be fooled by its good looks: this wall is a brute.

It’s designed to withstand crash loads, the potential forces involved in a traffic collision. Crash-proof walls have to meet strict criteria on factors such as design, materials and construction. These specifications are set by Ontario Provincial Standards, and before we received approval to begin construction, every element of the design was scrutinized to ensure it met or exceeded those requirements.

standard scrutiny

Design standards dictate things like the height and thickness of the wall, how much rebar – steel reinforcements – is incorporated, how much it will weigh, and how the wall will be fixed to the base. Standards apply to the type of materials used for the concrete wall, the aggregate used to mix the concrete, the steel used in the rebar, even the coatings on the steel. Likewise, standards dictate the construction itself, ranging from how the concrete is cured to how edges are finished.

Although safety comes first, we made sure it looks good, too.

So now you know all the thought that went into protecting you while you wait for your YRT/Viva bus, we hope you admire the design of the station, relax, and enjoy this impressive new addition to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

Categories
Announcements Awards Commissioning Facilities and terminals General Press Rapidways Stations Subways Urban Planning

be ready… 30 days to subway

The countdown is on, and we can hardly wait! The first subway in York Region will arrive in just 30 days. The TTC Line 1 subway extension is a game-changer for transit in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC], York Region, and beyond.

Changes of this magnitude are fueled by the power of collaboration and funding partnerships. Today, vivaNext participated in a media event to kick off the countdown in earnest, along with the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto and the TTC.

Read the news release

mega-connections at VMC

The TTC Line 1 extension isn’t the only connection coming your way. Everything’s changing, and that makes for better, faster transit service.

  • The Highway 7 West rapidway between Edgeley Boulevard and Jane Street, including Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station in the centre of Highway 7, will open for service.
  • SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal will begin hosting YRT/Viva soon after.

Imagine, hopping on Line 1 at VMC Station and arriving downtown in just 45 minutes. Or from the subway, connecting directly to our Highway 7 West rapidway, or walking two minutes to the SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal, where YRT/Viva routes branch out across York Region. Soon you won’t have to imagine!

Today’s event was a warm-up for the big celebration on December 17, and you’re invited to share the celebration. Check vivaNext.com/VMCopening for links to detailed information.

award-winning design

In other news, our rapidway in Vaughan is already getting noticed, for the quality of the design and also for the collaboration behind the scenes that makes it all come together.

Earlier this week, we were honoured to receive an Award of Merit from the Vaughan Urban Design Awards for the first phase of our Highway 7 West rapidway. The awards celebrate excellence in architecture, urban design, landscape architecture and environmental stewardship.

The rapidway, running from Jane Street to Bowes Road, was unanimously praised by the jury as “A great example of collaboration and investment between multiple levels of government to demonstrate significance on a city-wide scale.”

The jury also called the rapidway “a catalyst to knit communities together”, noting that the project “presents public transit as a ‘cool and hip’ mode of transportation” and “makes the everyday experience of transit a beautiful one.”

We hope you agree. Riding transit can be a beautiful experience.