emergency vehicles

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

When you think about transit, do you imagine safer places for walking, driving, and taking transit? We did – that’s why when we designed our rapidway projects, we built in features that would make each roadway more welcoming, and safer for everyone. Some of these safety improvements include:

Centre lanes: According to York region’s 2016 statistics, there has been a 20 – 40% reduction in collisions on Davis Drive and Highway 7 East, compared to 2009, before Rapidway construction began. The center lane rapidway design certainly plays a part in this, removing the option for higher risk mid-block left turns. At some intersections, like on Davis Drive, dedicated left turn lanes were added, preventing drivers from having to merge out from behind left-turning traffic in a shared lane.
Emergency path: The rapidway lanes are for buses only, but available for ambulance, fire and police vehicles to use in an emergency. According to York Region’s emergency services, having these lanes available may have contributed to reduce travel and response times in the community.
Station safety features: Viva customers can feel secure at rapidway stations, thanks to impact-resistance glass at each station, with an interior film that prevents shattering, similar to a windshield. In the case of an emergency at a vivastation, security cameras are monitored 24/7 and an emergency button lets customers speak directly to transit security.
Safer corners: Typically, corners of intersections are either a gentle arc to allow higher-speed right turns for vehicles and easier turning for large trucks, or they’re a tighter radius in more pedestrian-heavy zones to ensure drivers see pedestrians, and take corners slowly.
Sturdy barriers: New traffic signals offer a safe, two-stage crossing option with a waiting area in the middle protected by concrete barriers [we refer to these as “banana walls,” due to their curved shape].
Wider sidewalks: Sidewalks are wider, with concrete planters that offer a physical barrier in case of a traffic accident.

Safety is always top priority for vivaNext projects. It shows in the results – great communities with welcoming, safe roadways and reliable transit. These design features are just part of what we do to build great places to take transit, walk and drive, and there’s more to come.

rapidways >> who goes there?

We have rapidways open on Highway 7 East, and on Davis Drive, and most people who live and work near these new rapid transit routes know who has access to the rapidways – buses! In fact, the rapidways are paved in red and painted with “bus only” to prevent others from accidentally entering the lanes.

There are a few others who are allowed to drive in the rapidway lanes. Ambulances, fire engines and police cruisers are permitted in an emergency to get past traffic quickly and safely. This is an added benefit that the rapidways bring to each community – saving valuable time when it’s truly needed.

Vehicles such as snow plows and street cleaners maintain the rapidways as needed. Maintenance and security staff from YRT/Viva operations and their contractor, TOK Transit, also access the rapidway stations and their marked vehicles may be seen at the far end of a station platform. This part of the platform is ramped on one side for their use – but this ramp should never be used by regular traffic to cross the rapidway.

Pedestrians and cyclists have access to any vivastation via the traffic signals and crosswalk, but should never jaywalk or cycle across or along rapidway lanes. To do this is risky because it’s unexpected and distracting to both Viva operators and drivers in regular traffic. And although we fully support active and alternative modes of travel, you also can’t travel the rapidway lanes in a scooter or wheelchair, skateboard, motorcycle, hoverboard, segway, golf cart, unicycle… or any other interesting mode of transportation we haven’t thought of yet!

You may wonder why Viva buses use the rapidways, but YRT buses don’t. The reason is that YRT buses either need to turn on and off the road frequently to gather customers, or their purpose is different – e.g., more stops, turning into shopping plazas, etc. Viva and YRT routes are evaluated by YRT/Viva’s Service Planning branch on a regular basis, and service changes are made to routes and schedules as needed.

A street that includes a rapidway is a complete street, with space for doing everything in a safe and efficient way. Hope you get out and enjoy our streets this spring!