Tag: rapid transit

Categories
Rapidways Urban Planning

Hello Markham…here comes your rapid transit

Rendering of the future Highway 7 rapidway
Rendering of the future Highway 7 rapidway

We’ve all seen examples of where a transportation system has caused a town to grow. Historically, many Ontario towns grew because they became a stop along a railway line. This was true for Markham in the late 1800s, when the Toronto and Nipissing Railway Company began stopping at stations in Markham and Unionville. Another cause for Markham’s growth was the post-Second World War baby boom and migration to the suburbs, and the building of Highway 404 in the mid-1970s. With the influx of high-tech industries, among other changes, Markham has seen an astonishing 25% population increase between 2001 and 2006, ranking Markham as one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada.

Transportation plays a key role in growth and development, and Markham needs a system to help move the current and future population from place to place. VivaNext is building a rapid transit system along Highway 7 to give people a better transit infrastructure that will accommodate the current population and allow for future growth. As well as move people efficiently, rapidways encourage the development of transit-oriented and pedestrian friendly places to live, work and play. As you can see in the photo above, Markham’s rapidways will widen Highway 7 by two lanes and include two centre lanes dedicated to Viva vehicles and flanked by attractive architectural features and landscaped boulevards.

We’ve already started preparing for construction along Highway 7 in Markham by relocating hydro poles and other utilities to allow for road widening. If you’re interested in receiving construction bulletins and invitations to public meetings, be sure to sign up for updates.

When the snow melts you’ll see road construction begin along Highway 7, and we hope you’ll see past the short-term inconveniences and construction to the more welcoming, improved Highway 7 in Markham.

Categories
General Rapidways

It’s winter, but we’re not hibernating

Photo of Utility Relocation
Crew members prepare to move a hydro pole

We’re not pouring concrete in these cold temperatures, but we are still working away on building the rapidways and subway extension. We have different segments underway across York Region, all at different stages. This gives us the chance to do a lot of the prep work that’s needed, so that when spring arrives we’re ready to do the work that can only be done in warmer temperatures.

The rapidway along Yonge Street in Richmond Hill is at an early stage, but we’ve been out surveying the land along the corridor so that our planners and crews can have the exact data they need for the project. The Highway 7 rapidway east of Yonge Street is further along, so we’re now moving utilities further back from the road to make room for widening the roadway. In Markham, the new Warden Station will be the very first to be fully constructed. And, like other things manufactured for the first time, we’re doing reviews to see if any fine-tuning is needed before training the drivers and opening the station. In Newmarket, the demolition work along Davis Drive is almost completed, including recycling 85% of building and landscape materials. Work is also underway on the gas main near the Tannery and Seniors’ Meeting Place.

Work on the Spadina Subway extension is progressing throughout the winter as well. The first pair of Tunnel Boring Machines being manufactured in Toronto will soon be ready to be moved from the factory to the tunnel site, and the second pair of Tunnel Boring Machines is close behind.

All of this winter work moves the projects along so that when the green grass appears in spring all our projects are ready to keep going. We’ll just shed our heavy coats from the cold winter season.

Categories
Urban Planning

Coming to your region soon: getting around the GTHA without a car

Viva Rider

Some of us can still remember when a drive across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) took you through a mixture of urban and rural scenery. Hard to believe now, isn’t it? Much of our region is now one interconnected, pretty much seamless urban expanse, from Hamilton all the way to Oshawa and beyond. And people’s travel patterns reflect this regional reality; many residents travel all over the GTHA for work, entertainment, shopping and recreation. We are truly citizens of a great region, not just of one town or city.

Unfortunately, getting around the GTHA by transit is anything but seamless. With nine separate transit services operated by various local and regional municipalities, connecting from service to service might require multiple transfers and waits at each municipal boundary. For some commuters, the hassle of transferring might make it easier to drive, even with all the congestion on our roads. Given all the environmental reasons for reducing car trips, that’s really a shame – but until there’s a better option, we know lots of people will stick to their cars.

The good news is that a more coordinated rapid transit network is on its way, and our vivaNext plan is going to play a large part.

Looking at the map created by Metrolinx you can see how the future system will be a truly regional transit network. With multiple connection points linking various new services, this new network is going to make it easier and faster for commuters to take rapid transit – whether that means a subway, bus rapid transit, or light rail transit – from one end of the GTHA to the other.

And Metrolinx is currently evaluating a whole range of other rapid transit options, including extending the Yonge Subway up to the Richmond Hill Centre. So as these other projects are funded, the regional network will become even bigger and better.

At the same time as the physical connections are being increased, Metrolinx has also been implementing their new Presto card, which allows you to use one fare card on most GTHA transit systems.

We’re really excited about being part of this huge plan to extend continuous rapid transit all across the GTHA. We know that once this network is built, leaving your car at home and taking rapid transit will finally be a convenient, comfortable and fast option, no matter where you want to go.

Categories
Live-work-play Rapidways Urban Planning

Why “TOD” is great news for all of us

A rendering of transit-oriented development in Markham
A rendering of transit-oriented development at the future Markham Centre

Recently, I wrote about transit and the role it has in shaping communities, in particular, the development that tends to spring up along transit routes and around stations. This time, I want to talk more about what we mean by “transit-oriented-development” ( TOD for short), and why this kind of development will be good news for people in York Region—whether or not they are transit users themselves.

Most people get around York Region by car – possibly because they want to – but also because some people find it challenging to do all the things they need to do in a day by transit. That’s not surprising in a region like this one; in communities where development has been shaped by a long-standing car culture, destinations are more likely to be spread out, with greater distances between live-work-play destinations. Even the design of buildings may be shaped by car usage, with large parking lots separating buildings from roads.

The idea behind TOD is that people using transit are also likely to be pedestrians at some point during their journey – either at the beginning, or the end (or both). Studies have shown that people are willing to walk about 5 minutes to or from transit, which is somewhere between 400 and 600 metres. So TOD uses the approach of creating a complete community within walking distance of transit – including workplaces, homes, shopping, recreation and services. The thinking is that if new developments are designed to be conveniently compact and appealing to pedestrians, people are more likely to leave their car at home for at least one of their trips. Obviously, the good news is that more people taking transit means fewer cars on the road, less pollution, and less gridlock.

So York Region planners have linked the plans for the vivaNext rapidways to land use policies that will result in more TOD along Viva routes and near vivastations. These policies will likely mean that much of the new development built around vivastations will be compact and mixed-use, providing housing, employment, retail, dining, services and recreation, all within a walkable distance of transit. Developments will also include more welcoming public spaces, attractive landscaping, and other amenities so that people enjoy being out and about.

How will this affect you? In a pre-TOD scenario, a typical day could start with a drive to work, then a drive to a restaurant for dinner, ending with a drive to a movie or concert before driving back home. With more TOD, you would have the choice of taking transit to work, then walking around the corner from the office to dinner, then strolling across the street for a show before grabbing a coffee and getting home again by transit. Same day, two different ways of getting around.

The point is that transit and TOD don’t have to change the way people live in York Region, but it will give us all more choices – in what we do, where we do it, and how we get there. We think that’s good news for everyone.

Categories
Going Green Rapidways Urban Planning

Colouring Viva blue – and green

70-cars-before-and-after

The vivaNext rapidways being built across York Region are good news for the environment.  More people taking transit means less pollution. One Viva vehicle can replace up to 70 cars on the road – that represents a huge reduction in carbon emissions. With fewer cars on the road, gridlock, fuel use and air pollution caused by idling cars are all reduced.

There is also a direct connection between how our communities are developed, and the impact we have on our environment. Sprawling communities mean that people tend to travel farther between work, home and play. The more spread out a community is, the harder it is to provide efficient public transit. So, people become increasingly dependent on cars, and the developments that get built are more likely to be car-oriented. The more that happens, the less convenient it is for people to take transit. Eventually, entire communities become dependent on cars, and are less likely to use transit, cycle or walk to get around. More cars mean more gridlock, more pollution and more carbon emissions.

On the other hand, communities that are developed around great transit are more likely to include compact, pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods.  Mixed-use developments and shorter distances between work-live-play destinations make it easier to get around and make transit a more appealing and convenient choice for a greater number of people.

The result: more people out and about, enjoying their energetic and dynamic local neighbourhood, and walking in the fresh air to ride in a comfortable, low-emission Viva vehicle.

And for people who continue to drive, their trips will be shorter due to the compact, mixed-use developments that have sprung up around transit – so once again, car usage will be reduced, resulting in less pollution and fuel consumption.

All of this is good news for the environment, for our health, and for our lifestyle.

Categories
Live-work-play Rapidways Urban Planning

How transit shapes development

blog_10_07_16_b

You’ve probably noticed that in several of my earlier posts, I have referred to the connection between transit and development. And you may have thought to yourself: “How can transit, which helps people get around, have anything to do with the kind of buildings that get built, and where they go?” Good question!

Historically, people have tended to settle and build at points along popular travel routes. And as places get built up, they attract more people, and more building. There is, and always has been, a linkage between the location of travel routes and the location of development. Here’s one interesting local example: archeologists working on the vivaNext project have focused their work on areas where creeks and the roadway intersect. Why? There is a greater chance of finding artifacts in such locations, because in the past, people travelling along those creeks would have stopped nearby for rest, for shelter, or to settle.

Another example in more recent Canadian history is that of the railways. When the railways were built across the country, little towns shortly began popping up all along the route. Many communities were built, or became as large as they did, because of the railways.

These examples demonstrate the strong relationship between transit and development. As a form of urban travel, transit creates natural stopping points along its routes. The more people there are using the transit system, the more activity there is at these points. Rapid transit–a form of transit that moves a high volume of people-creates stopping points with the potential to be visited by large numbers of people; this in turn spurs development.

Land use planners know this, which is why transit is a core component of York Region’s plan for managing future growth. Much of the new growth coming to York Region will take place in the areas closest to and along the transit routes. The transit routes have thus been planned in tandem with larger efforts to shape where growth will happen, tapping into the human pattern of wanting to build near travel routes.

We are already seeing proof that the pattern is once again playing out as expected, with many new developments being planned along the future vivaNext rapidways. Next time, I’ll talk more about the kind of development that you can expect to see along the rapidways.

Categories
Live-work-play Rapidways Urban Planning

Public transit = more housing choices

housingcollage_10_07_12-copy

Here’s some new math you may not have seen before: vivaNext = more housing choices. How can that be? Let’s start by talking about housing options, and why they matter.

The expression, “one-size-fits-all,” applies to many things, but when it comes to housing preferences, we all have our own ideas about how we want to live. A traditional suburban house might be the perfect dream home for one person, but might be too big or too – well, suburban – for another. A stylish condo with a sleek balcony within walking-distance of entertainment and shopping is just what some people are looking for, but wouldn’t suit everyone.

No matter what our personal preferences might be, one of the values that most of us share is that we’d like to be able to choose where we live. Unfortunately, if a range of housing options is not available, it can be difficult for people to find suitable homes in a particular neighbourhood or community. And that’s a shame, because being able to stay in a neighbourhood you like, near friends and family, close to familiar services and supports – near your roots – means a lot to many people.

By bringing rapid transit to York Region, vivaNext will support the development of a wider range of housing options, so that every member of a family, whether they’re parents with young children, young adults moving out for the first time, or older people wanting to downsize, can live near the neighbourhood of their choice.

As a key component of the transit-oriented development being planned along the rapidways, new housing will be built, especially near the new centres that will be created in Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and Vaughan. Almost all of the housing in these centres will be multi-unit, higher density apartments and condominiums. Elsewhere, other established neighbourhoods will be kept predominantly single family housing.

With so much of the new growth and housing planned in centres and along the rapidways, there will be less pressure on other areas to become more densely built up, allowing them to stay much the same. The ultimate goal is to preserve the balance around the region, offering more choice and more flexibility for people – no matter what stage of life they may be at, or their housing preferences.

Having more housing options means every member of your family can choose to stay in the community they love, even as their needs change over time. We’re pretty excited to think that vivaNext will help achieve such an important goal.

Categories
Community Events Fun & Games

Canada Day

This Thursday, July 1st, come out and celebrate Canada’s 143rd birthday with the York Region community and the vivaNext team. Canada Day provides an opportunity to get together with friends, family and neighbours, and celebrate the culture, achievements and communities of our great nation. That’s why we hope to see you at the Town of Richmond Hill Canada Day Home Show or at Newmarket’s Kanata Summer Festival.  York Region has a lot of be proud of, and a lot to look forward to in the future (including a rapid transit system that will help manage growth and improve transit travel times!).

Support local community groups and businesses at the Canada Day Home Show, and bring the entire family along for a pancake breakfast, live entertainment and a bike demonstration at the Kanata Summer Festival. Visit the vivaNext booths at both events to ask your questions, share your comments, and get up-to-date with the latest developments in the vivaNext plan.

Two great events and one special day – Happy Canada Day from the vivaNext team!

Canada Day Event Schedules:

Town of Richmond Hill Canada Day Home Show

Where: Sports Complex, Richmond Green Park
1300 Elgin Mills Road East, Richmond Hill
When: July 1, 10am – 5pm

Kanata Summer Festival

Where: Fairy Lake Park
Water Street, Newmarket
When: July 1, 11am – 4:30pm

Categories
Live-work-play Urban Planning

Seeing into the future with York Region’s Official Plan

futurebuilds

What’s the best way to see what the future will look like for York Region? A crystal ball? Cards? Tea-leaves?

In all seriousness, when it comes to reading the future for our community, I suggest you look at York Region’s Official Plan. This document, which is a critical planning tool, has a number of functions: it’s a public document used to describe and promote our vision for the future, but it is also a legal document used to support and defend key decisions related to public infrastructure, development and growth.

Based on a 25 year planning timeframe but updated every five years, York Region’s Official Plan sets out several key themes which will guide planning decisions, and will help make growth work for us.

One of the main themes throughout the plan is the desire to concentrate growth and development in key areas through the region. This will be done through the further development of a series of centres and corridors, meaning new downtowns in Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and Vaughan. The idea is that by building more intensively in these areas, there will be less pressure for growth in the existing communities.

These new multi-use centres will be connected by transportation “corridors” that will make it easier for people to get around the region. And obviously, the best way to travel will be on the vivaNext rapidways, which will run along the corridors and connect the centres.

As they develop, the centres will become focal points for exciting new destinations, offering more choices in entertainment, dining, shopping, and other kinds of attractions. They will also provide higher density housing in condominiums and apartments, for people who like the idea of living at the centre of the action. These new downtowns will be designed with people in mind: they will include attractive, public open spaces where people feel welcomed, and be designed in ways that encourage walking, cycling and transit use.

The Official Plan recognizes that while many people may like the idea of heading to one of the newly urbanized centres to dine out, to shop, or to go to work, they may also want to have a home in a quiet residential neighbourhood. So the Official Plan directs that those kinds of communities will be protected from the kind of intensification that will be used in the centres, so people can continue to enjoy the lifestyles they already have.

And because people in York Region value the greenspaces that make up such an important part of this area, a full 69% of the Region’s landmass will be protected as either Greenbelt or Oak Ridges Moraine.

The Official Plan goes into a lot of detail on these main themes, as well as a range of others, and is well worth reading to give you a sense of how your Region is going to manage growth into the future, and how it is going to evolve.

I like to think that with this well-thought-out plan, people in York Region will truly be able to have it all: our familiar communities will be protected, but we’ll get the benefits of city-building; and we’ll have a great rapid transit system to move us easily between all sorts of exciting new destinations. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this future vision, and what it will mean for you and your family!

Categories
Community Events

Are you ready for some summer fun?

The vivaNext team at last year's Aurora Street Festival
The vivaNext team at last year's Aurora Street Festival

The 15th Annual Aurora Chamber Street Festival is taking place this Sunday, June 6, from 11am to 5pm – and the vivaNext team will be there!

A great way to kick off the summer season, the festival features family-friendly fun and entertainment for kids of all ages – and admission is free! With unique street performances, including acrobatics, fire-eating, comedy, juggling and magic, as well as live music, a vintage car show, and delicious food, the Aurora Street Festival offers a great way to spend the day and enjoy the York Region community.

With over 500 vendors along Yonge Street, be sure to look out for the vivaNext booth. Better yet, stop by and grab a free bag of popcorn, ask your questions, and find out more about vivaNext projects.

We’ll be at the festival, rain or shine – so the only question is, are you ready for some summer fun?

15th Aurora Chamber Street Festival

Date & Time: June 6, 11am – 5pm

Location: Yonge Street, Aurora (between Wellington Street (North) and Murray Drive (South)

Admission: Free!