Tag: Bus Rapid Transit

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Construction Live-work-play Rapidways Urban Planning vivaNext.com

The Growth Plan

York Region is growing and vivaNext is the plan to bring the next generation of rapid transit to service that growth. Funding has been granted for several projects within the plan, including bus rapid transit [BRT], a subway, a bus maintenance facility and bus terminals. But where does that plan start? In general, it starts with vision, professional expertise, time, money and a commitment to stick to the plan.

But to be more specific, like all really important initiatives, the starting point for a successful transit program is doing in-depth planning to assess the Region’s population trends, long-term growth forecasts, transportation and development patterns, and economic development goals.

The overall need for rapid transit and the specific projects that together make up vivaNext were first identified in the Region’s Transportation Master Plan, then thoroughly evaluated through a series of Environmental Assessments.

Consultations with approval agencies, such as conservation authorities and local heritage committees, as well as the broader community, including employers, ratepayer groups and chambers of commerce, also provided important input.

This multi-year planning process has involved many levels of professional expertise within and affiliated with York Region and our local municipalities, and is proof of our communities’ long-range stewardship to meet our future needs.

Once the planning is complete then the work of building the transit network begins. Work that requires a logical and disciplined approach, to identify which pieces need to be built first, forming the network’s backbone, and which components can come later. Construction also has to be carefully staged, to minimize the disruption to communities, businesses and travelers.

That logical progression has informed how we’re staging the construction of vivaNext, with the added complexity of planning for the greatest amount of connectivity between our network and the larger GTA transit network as it expands.

Our overall priority is to improve the transit network at every step, so that we all can benefit right away from having more transit choices and a welcoming streetscape.

All currently funded segments will be completed by the end of 2018. But that won’t be the end  – with vivaNext’s established success in delivering projects as planned, we hope to obtain new funding to complete the remaining segments of the network, including additional rapidway segments and the extension of the Yonge Subway to Highway 7.

Categories
Construction General Rapidways Stations Uncategorized Urban Planning vivaNext.com

Understanding real-time travel time signs

We’ve all seen them at one time or another, the big orange and black electronic message boards relaying construction information and how long it will take to travel through a construction zone. You may have asked yourself how these signs provide up-to-date travel time and are they accurate? Perhaps you even timed it to test its accuracy.

These signs are Variable Messaging Signs [VMS]. You may have also heard them referred to as construction message boards. You will see them posted at key locations along the vivaNext rapidway corridors currently under construction. The signs operate from a bank of batteries. Energy from the sun, collected by solar panels on the top of the sign, recharges the batteries allowing the construction information and real-time travel information to stay lit.

The real-time travel information works from innovative Bluetooth technology based sensors to calculate travel times through the construction zone. Once a minute, the current average travel time is posted to the VMS. We were the first in North America to track Bluetooth data and convert it into real-time travel time displays to help commuters decide the best way to minimize their travel time through construction.

So how accurate is the real-time travel data on these signs? We keep a close eye on the travel times displayed on the VMS. We continuously monitor and check the accuracy of these signs to ensure the travel times provided are precisely the time it takes to travel through the construction.

The VMS are just one example of the tools and technology we use to keep you informed of rapidway construction. Check out vivanext.com for the latest news and if you haven’t already, sign up for construction updates.

We thank you for your patience during vivaNext rapidway construction. Once the transformation is complete, the rapidways will help connect communities, save people travel time on viva and transform the physical look and feel of the streets to be beautiful refreshed places to visit, shop or work.

 

Categories
Construction General Live-work-play Rapidways Uncategorized Urban Planning vivaNext.com

Finding the balance: maximizing construction while minimizing inconvenience

 

If you’ve ever been involved in a home renovation project then you know it’s far easier to work in a room that is empty or unused, rather than the high traffic rooms, like a kitchen or bathroom. It’s one of the biggest challenges vivaNext faces during the rapidway construction – how to work in a confined, busy space that’s open for business 24/7.

Building a roadway is a process that follows clearly defined steps and uses modern technology, equipment and materials.  In York Region, we are fortunate to have access to some of the best, most experienced construction contractors anywhere, so building the rapidways is – in some ways – a very straightforward project.  Straightforward, that is, until you realize that the rapidways are being built down the middle of some of the Region’s busiest roads.  So during construction, it’s critical to minimize the impact on people using the roadway by keeping travel lanes open during construction whenever possible.  This is where “construction staging” – the process of doing the work in specific phases or steps to manage within the available space and right-of-way [ROW] or easement comes in.

Construction needs to happen in its own separate space; excavators need to swing their buckets, concrete trucks need to make deliveries, and construction trucks need room to back up. For this reason, the first step in rebuilding one of these busy roads is to create some extra room for construction crews to work safely.  The best approach to do this is to take out the median, narrow each of the lanes and shift them over by repainting the lines. This way crews can work in the extra space that’s been freed up, before moving to the next.

Think of our kitchen example – it’s like putting down a new floor – you do one side, and then move your fridge and stove over to the completed side so you can do the other half. Once one section of construction is done, lanes are repainted again to shift them back, and begin work on the other side, working in stages along the entire segment.

To help manage the work areas, the Region also takes temporary and/or permanent easements or ROW’s on properties that are within York Region Rapid Transit’s construction limits. This ensures that when it’s time for a certain stage of construction the area is clear and available, permitting crews access during construction at any time. Easement areas include boulevards, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots fronting the rapidway construction. Rest assured, during construction, the vivaNext teams are committed to minimizing disruption, maintaining driveway access and keeping a sidewalk open at all times.

Sometimes you may even get the feeling that we’ve returned to an area even though it seemed like we were finished. It’s not déjà vu, what you’re actually seeing is our staging technique, where work is done in small, careful steps.

And just as you wouldn’t be able to live without your kitchen while you renovate, we will keep the roads open during construction, relying on staging to minimize the impact of work in order to finish as quickly as possible.  We thank you for your patience and hope you are following along as this amazing transformation unfolds.

Categories
Fun & Games vivaNext.com

It’s April at vivaNext

Riding on transit is always a fun adventure with friends you just don’t know yet.

Check out what makes riding a bus the best way to go.

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Categories
Announcements Community Events

Join us and embrace some winter fun!

Newmarket is celebrating all things cold and snowy with their Winterfest festivities on Saturday, February 2, and we’ll be there!

Join us at Fairy Lake Park where we’ll be enjoying the beauty of winter and looking forward to chatting with you about the Davis Drive rapidway. There may be snow and it may be cold, but we’ll create our own warmth with all the activities planned at the Town of Newmarket’s fun-filled event where everyone is welcome. Be sure to stop by and visit us!

Other outdoor fun includes: pony rides, maple syrup on ice, snow disc golf, snow bowling, mini putt, a chainsaw carving demonstration, skating and horse-drawn wagon rides. Indoors there’s a pancake breakfast at 8am, followed by a variety of activities including, balloon twists, face painting, Valentine crafts, an inflatable jumping castle, and a photography contest.

You may also want to drop by the Ray Twinney Complex on Sunday, because Newmarket Winterfest continues, with a free skate and/or swim.

Winterfest admission is free, but a donation of non-perishable food is appreciated. For more details, see the Town of Newmarket’s Winterfest and Winterfest Photography Contest Application.

Newmarket Winterfest 2013 Schedule:

Saturday, February 2
Indoor at the Newmarket Community Centre & Lions Halls
200 Doug Duncan Drive, Newmarket
8am to 3pm

Outdoor at Fairy Lake Park
Water Street, Newmarket
10am to 3pm

Categories
Announcements Community Events

Stop by our new project office in Vaughan!

vivaNext rapidway construction is just getting started in Vaughan. The first phase of a Highway 7 West rapidway is moving forward between Edgeley/Interchange Way and Bowes Road, and we want to ensure that you have a place to go to ask questions, look at maps and get all the facts about construction.

We’ve opened a new project information office in Vaughan at 7800 Jane Street [northwest corner of Highway 7 and Jane]. We’re sharing the office with staff from the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension [TYSSE] project, so our new office is the place to go to talk about transit in Vaughan.

vivaNext office hours:

Mondays 9am-12pm
Wednesdays 2pm-6pm
Community Liaison Carrie Slattery: 289.716.0091

TYSSE office hours:

Tuesdays 10:30am-12:30pm
Wednesdays 3-5pm
Thursdays 1-3pm
Construction Liaison Theresa Buck: 416.397.8644

So stop by to say hello to us this week, to get the scoop on construction and enjoy some refreshments.

If you’d like to make an appointment outside of office hours, please Carrie Slattery or Theresa Buck at the numbers above. If you can’t come to the office, there are lots of other ways to find out about the project:

Hope to see you soon!

Categories
Construction vivaNext.com

Looking back on 2012…and forward to 2013

Wow – what progress has been made in the past year on our rapidway projects! Just a few years ago we were in the planning and pre-construction stages for each of our projects. It’s remarkable to see the plans taking shape, construction underway and truly visible changes happening.

On Highway 7 East between Bayview and Highway 404, much of the heavy road work and vivastation construction was completed in 2012. We have some paving to do in the spring, along with finishing work on sidewalks and stations. This stretch of Highway 7 shows the layout of dedicated transit lanes and vivastations and how it will all work. Once the finishing work and landscaping is done, we’ll really be able to see the transformation of Highway 7. East of Highway 404 to Warden, the last few months have seen huge changes, including road widening and prep work for the centre-lane vivastations leading to Warden Station – our fully built vivastation that’s been in service since 2011. In 2013, we’re planning to have the finishing work complete so we can put the rapidway to use between Bayview and Highway 404. East of Highway 404, vivastations will be popping up all year, with finishing work underway in 2014.

Davis Drive in Newmarket is starting to show big changes. Utility work continues, hydro poles were moved and replaced earlier this year, and culvert work is underway to the east of the hospital. Near The Tannery, traffic is now driving on the new south side of the Keith Bridge, and pedestrians can run their hands along the new bridge railing – a nod to the history of this area. In 2013, construction will continue, as crews build a new north side of the Keith Bridge, and begin to widen Davis Drive.

In 2012, the design/build contract was awarded for rapidway construction on Highway 7 West in Vaughan, from Edgeley Boulevard to Bowes Road. We’ve already started surveying and testing this section of Highway 7, and in 2013, crews will be relocating utilities and preparing for road widening.

A rapidway is on the way for Yonge Street in Richmond Hill [Highway 7 to 19th/Gamble] and Newmarket [Mulock to Davis] too, and we’ll be awarding the contract for that work in 2013. Then we’ll be surveying and testing these sections of Yonge Street, as we plan and schedule the construction work ahead.

We know it’s important to be able to get where you need to go, and that’s why we keep lanes open as much as possible during peak traffic hours. Occasionally, we need to temporarily detour entrances and sidewalks and relocate transit stops, and in these cases we do everything we can to make sure everyone knows.

We look forward to great transformations on York Region’s key roads in 2013. We hope that your holiday season is merry, and that 2013 brings great things to you and yours.

Click here to see our holiday card!

 

Categories
General

Highway 7 is open for business

As rapidway construction makes great progress along Highway 7, the areas that are under active construction will continue to change.  That means drivers really need to pay attention to temporary lane markings, traffic signals and diversions, especially on a busy thoroughfare like Highway 7.

But one thing that’s remained unchanged is that you can still access all your favourite Highway 7 businesses throughout the construction period.  Whether you’re shopping for holiday entertaining, meeting with friends for a meal, or finding special things to put under the tree, Highway 7 retailers and restaurants are open for regular business throughout vivaNext construction.

From time to time, construction activities will take place in front of business and plaza driveways.  This may mean that access is slightly diverted for limited periods. But at those times our crews ensure that access to each business is kept open, and signs will be posted clearly showing drivers where to go.

As always, the best way to keep informed about where activities are going to be taking place and any temporary lane changes or diversions, is by signing up for our email updates at vivanext.com.

So this festive season, here’s one less thing to worry about: you have our commitment that Highway 7 businesses are open for business as usual, and are looking forward to helping make your holidays bright.

Categories
Fun & Games General Live-work-play Rapidways Uncategorized Urban Planning

VivaNext has Olympic spirit!

vivaNext Olympics

The summer Olympics bring together the best and brightest of athletes around the world in a variety of summer sports, ready to compete. As we cheer on Team Canada in the vivaNext office, we notice some similarities between the dedication that each athlete has to his/her sport and the dedication that we have to our new vivaNext rapid transit system.

Athletes, whether participating in summer or winter Olympics, are forced to endure the elements when it comes to practice. Whether braving through cold to ski or melting in the heat practicing beach volleyball, these athletes continue to give it their all. Likewise, vivaNext has to work with the elements as we go through construction. In the summer months, it’s important that our construction workers stay cool under the hot sun. On days when it rains, construction can be at a stand-still, forcing us to work even harder the next day.

Just like any athlete, we have a team of coaches and supporting staff that are making the vivaNext vision a reality. From the engineering to communications teams to onsite supervisors, our success is a group effort. Although only the athlete may receive a medal, it is often a team effort, with coaches included, to help them reach the podium. Similarly, it is a team effort to ensure that the vivaNext transformation is a success.

And of course, there is something to be said for the speed at which athletes that cycle, row, or run track travel. They are constantly looking to move faster and improve their travel times. Our rapidways will help reduce congestion and provide a reliable rapid transit network along our corridors as well. We’ll reduce travel time by up to 40%, and make reaching your destination easier and more efficient.

At the vivaNext office, we are supporting Canadian athletes through our own office Olympics. Departments are virtually going head-to-head to earn medals for different sports. How are you supporting Team Canada? Is there an athlete that you’re rooting for? Let us know by commenting below!

If you’re interested in learning more about the vivaNext projects, visit us at www.vivanext.com. You can also sign up to receive e-mail construction updates here.

Categories
Construction General

Davis Drive – noticeable change in 2011

Davis Drive in 2011

Davis Drive was a busy place in 2011, with lots of noticeable work done to prepare for rapidway construction. Rapidways will be built from Yonge Street to just past the hospital, and most of our work has been along this section.

Davis Drive will be widened starting in 2012, and we needed to do a few big things first: build retaining walls, widen the Keith Bridge, and relocate utilities.

Widening Davis Drive will mean moving sidewalks and boulevards farther apart. In locations along the south side of Davis Drive where the ground slopes toward the road, retaining walls were needed so that we can move utilities. Five retaining walls are now built using stone blocks or textured concrete, with railings to be added to walls over two feet in height.

A new section of the Keith Bridge was built in 2011, including 106 tonnes of rebar steel reinforcements, and 110 truckloads of poured cement. Even though the final touches are still to come, the historical architectural features are noticeable in the new bridge construction. The Keith Bridge will be fenced this winter, and traffic will move to this bridge section at a later date.

Utilities, such as hydro, gas, sewage, and telecommunication lines, need to be moved to prepare for road widening, and in some cases they needed to be relocated as part of the Keith Bridge or retaining wall construction. Geotechnical testing – examining the condition and consistency of road and boulevard surfaces – has also been underway along Davis Drive so that our engineers know what to plan for when they widen the road.

This winter our contractors are working on 2012 construction schedules and continuing with utility relocation and geotechnical testing. When warmer weather arrives we’ll be ready to begin widening Davis Drive, and you’ll begin to see the overall transformation of Davis Drive into a welcoming urban place.

Happy Holidays everyone – we’ll see you in 2012!