freedom – vivaNext

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

Ah, the freedom of summer. Warm weather opens up our options – we’re more likely to play, travel, and/or work outside. Whether you walk, bike, take transit or drive, how you get from A to B is your choice.

We all value the freedom to choose, and that’s why it’s important to keep building infrastructure that expands our travel options. In York Region, many people are choosing to live in places where they have more options. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Markham Centre, downtown Richmond Hill and Newmarket – what all of our urban centres have in common is that there are lots of choices in where to go, and how to get there.

When you’re out and about this summer, consider travelling in a new way – hop on Viva or YRT, get there on foot, or ride a bike. Many of York Region’s attractions are easy to get to, and transit is a great option. If you travel along one of our completed rapidways, we hope you’ll see how adding more travel choices with attractive streets and landscaping benefits all of us and creates spaces and places we can all enjoy.

the freedom of July

July means freedom to kids and youth who are out of school, and spending time outside walking, biking and taking transit. It’s a time filled with the promise of new adventures and fun on the horizon.

We’re all for adventures, but with so much activity on York Region’s streets, we hope everyone will keep safety in mind too. If you’re out for a walk or bike ride, be sure to stay outside of construction areas – even ones that appear inactive. Cross at sidewalks, and be aware of vehicles nearby. If you’re driving, give pedestrians and cyclists some extra space and lower your speed in construction areas.

Most of our projects are on or near the road, so we’re very safety conscious when setting up construction sites.

When setting up work sites, our contractors abide by legislation, safety guidelines and local bylaws, including: the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Occupational Health and Safety Act [1990], Ontario Traffic Council [Book 7], and bylaws of York Region and local towns and cities.

Safety of the site and the construction workers is very important on any project. By keeping the community informed of work and maintaining good directional signs, the teams work together to make sure everyone gets home to their families.

We hope everyone finds a little adventure and a taste of freedom this summer – stay safe!