Crowds pack Boulevard Saint Laurent during a street festival. Photo courtesy of Djof.
Project for Public Spaces (PPS), an internationally-recognized non-profit organization that helps communities get the most out of their streets, both as transportation links for all modes of commuters and as vital places for people to enjoy, recently compiled its list of “9 Great Streets Around The World”.
Affectionately known as “The Main”, Montreal’s Boulevard Saint Laurent tops PPS’s list for a number of reasons including its Access & Linkages, Comfort & Image, Uses & Activities, and Sociability.
With vivaNext, this kind of placemaking will also take place along York Region’s busiest corridors as people come to live, work, shop and play in close proximity to great transit service. In addition to great access, vivaNext will bring attractive boulevards, planted medians and an enhanced pedestrian experience including continuous, wide sidewalks.
We wouldn’t be at all surprised if Highway 7, Yonge Street and Davis Drive top the PPS list of great streets in years to come!
A BRT isn’t just any old bus system. It’s a highly complex system that quickly transports thousands of people reliably every day. The best systems, cough…vivaNext…cough have dedicated bus only lanes to avoid traffic congestion and maintain a fast level of service. While no transit system is perfect, BRTs are some of the most effective systems around. They’re lower cost than rail, have a high capacity, offer riders speed and reliability and have the flexibility to be redirected where needed.
A view of what a Rapidway will look like
You may not know this but York Region is one of only a dozen communities in Canada that has what is called “Bus Rapid Transit”, fondly referred to as BRT in the transit industry. In fact, York Region’s BRT stands shoulder to shoulder with communities like Calgary, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver.
When we were laying the groundwork for vivaNext, we naturally took a good look at the BRTs throughout Canada. One of the most extensive transit systems in the country is located in our nation’s capital. While Ottawa has been getting plenty of bad press due to a recently resolved transit strike, Ottawa’s bus system is truly a marvel. Ottawa faces challenges related to urban sprawl – to compensate the city has built a 30 km dedicated bus-only lane that winds its way throughout the city and adjacent communities.
According to an analysis done by the Canadian Urban Transit Association, Ottawa’s BRT system can carry up to 10,000 passengers and 185 buses per hour in each direction.
Vancouver is also doing some truly remarkable work. Vancouver’s BRT system was first introduced in 1996 in advance of a planned rail transit system. In response to the population growth, the Province of British Coloumbiaannouncedthey will invest $1.2 billion in 9 Rapidbus BC routes by 2020.
What is clear when you look at both cities is that BRT is an essential part of any transit system. Municipal bus service, BRT, LRT, subway and trains – they all play an important role in an overall transit network to supply adequate, cost-effective service that’s fast and convenient.
What great cities have you visited that had wonderful transit systems?
