Tag: Urban Planning

Categories
Announcements Rapidways Stations Urban Planning

the future of transit has arrived!

The launch of the first section of the rapidway along Highway 7 from Bayview Avenue to Highway 404 is this Sunday, August 18.

Riders can now board viva in the centre lane rapidway.  Vivastations are directly accessible from crosswalks at signalled intersections.  Pedestrian signals come with an audible tone and visual countdown.  During the first week of new service the YRT\Viva teams will be on the street to assist customers and answer any questions to help familiarize everyone with the new system.

Not only is this section of Highway 7 now more efficient for pedestrians, cyclists, riders and drivers, but the landscape has been transformed with new trees and other greenery. We welcome the wide pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined boulevards and sleek, modern, vivastations. The new vivastations will be open at Chalmers, Valleymede, West Beaver Creek, Leslie, and East Beaver Creek. Vivastations at Bayview will open in early September. An additional 3.9 kilometres of rapidway along Highway 7 from Highway 404 to Warden Avenue will open in 2014.

New dedicated centre lanes for viva vehicles will allow riders to enjoy faster and more consistent travel times.  Also drivers need to be aware of the changes to the street as they make turns onto Highway 7, red asphalt indicates a bus only lane.  Emergency vehicles are permitted to access the rapidways should they need to, but they will have their flashing lights on for safety.

The stations include arched glass canopies inspired by transportation architecture from historic and modern European examples. The 27-metre glass canopy offers protection from the elements, including a nine-metre enclosed and heated waiting area. The stations include all the existing viva technologies we love, including off-board fare collection, GPS navigation, real-time information, Presto, new card readers and traffic signal priority. Safety and accessibility features include textured surfaces near platform edges, level boarding from the platform to the bus, a public address system for updating riders and an emergency call button.

The York Viva BRT project received $1.4 billion from the province, and is an example of The Big Move in action – Metrolinx’s 25-year plan to implement a common vision for transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

The transformation of this urban corridor will help support growth, and reduce congestion to help make York Region a more inviting place to live, work, shop and play.

Come take a ride on the new rapidway and check it out! Tweet and let us know what you think!

 

Categories
Construction Rapidways Stations

ITS – balancing the needs of all travellers

It’s stating the obvious to say that our roadways are getting slower because they’re carrying too much traffic – that’s the basic definition of gridlock, and it’s an increasing problem everywhere across the GTA.  But what can be done about it?  VivaNext is one part of the solution – if people have the choice of taking a reliable and convenient rapid transit system, there will be fewer cars on the road, and everyone will be able to get around more quickly.

But even with vivaNext, there’s still going to be a lot of traffic out there, and York Region doesn’t have room for more or bigger roads.  So what else can be done to help traffic move better?  This is where ITS comes in.

Although some people may think ITS is connected to “Information Technology”, in the vivaNext world ITS stands for “Intelligent Transportation Systems”. ITS is an international transportation-engineering discipline that is concerned with trying to improve the efficiency of travel, whether it involves the travelling public, commercial vehicles, or transit.  The basic assumptions behind ITS are that delays cost money, and more efficient travel saves money. This new technology is an absolutely critical, although low-visibility, component of the vivaNext program.

ITS is used to ensure that all parts of a traffic corridor’s infrastructure – the physical roadway’s design, lane markings and signs, traffic signal design and timing, and the brains that connect all these pieces – are designed as one coordinated system.  In a transit project ITS has an additional layer which is concerned with how the transit system is integrated into that larger system.

ITS is also about giving people accurate information so they can make better choices about travel, whether that means building roadside signage to alert drivers to upcoming congestion and suggest alternative routes, or giving transit riders real-time information about next bus arrivals.

Overall, ITS is about finding the perfect balance so that all the users of a roadway find it works better; making a roadway faster for one group of users cannot come at the expense of all the other users.  ITS starts with an understanding of who is using the roadway now and who will be using it in the future, and then develops strategies to make it more efficient for everyone.

Along Highway 7, we know that drivers and transit are the main users currently, but that’s going to change as development intensifies. The future Highway 7 will be significantly more urbanized, with more people living and working along the corridor.  That means there will be more pedestrians and cyclists whose travel needs need to be considered, in addition to car and truck traffic.  Helping transit vehicles stay on schedule is also a priority, since rapid transit can’t be rapid if it’s stuck in traffic.

These ITS strategies will balance everyone’s needs, to help everyone get to where they’re going as fast as possible!

 

Categories
Construction Live-work-play Rapidways Stations Urban Planning

countdown

As we get closer and closer to the time when the Highway 7 rapidway will be ready for service, our teams are working hard to finish all sorts of little details.  With much of the construction complete, we’re now focused on the final stages of completion and testing, and then getting ready for handover, when the system is officially turned over to York Region and YRT, the system owners and operators.

Handover means just what it says – it’s the moment in time when a system is handed over to the owner for care and custody.  From that time going forward, a system – which until then has been the responsibility of the Contractor/Design Builder – becomes the private property of the owner, and anyone needing access to do any additional work needs to get the permission from the owner for access.

Because the formal handover is such a significant development, especially on a major infrastructure project like the vivaNext rapidway, it’s important to ensure everything is in perfect working order.  The various steps involved in commissioning, which is the testing period that takes place before handover, vary depending on what is being handed over.  For example, with the fare equipment, we make sure the ticket vending machine [TVM] prints properly.  With the traffic signals, once they’re programmed the permanent signals are turned on and each phase is tested individually, and all the push buttons are tested to make sure they work.

Streetlights are inspected to ensure all the wiring is according to the drawings; that the bases are level, and the power connections are all correct.  The teams go out at night to actually turn on the lights, to ensure all the lamps come on and nothing is flickering.  Lighting is an important safety feature for both pedestrians and vehicles.

Viva driver testing is completed to make sure drivers know how to use the rapidway, its signals, and the stations.

Every single detail is inspected through a visual walk-down and a list of the things that still need to be finished or perfected is created with items graded from most serious to least serious.

Once handover takes place, legal ownership and responsibility is transferred to the owner, and the Contractor/Design Builder’s warranty period begins, just the way it happens when a homebuyer takes possession of a new house.

Handover in this case means some elements of the rapidway, like the rapidway, stations, boulevards and planters, are transferred to the Region.  Others, like the sidewalks and streetlights are transferred to the local municipality to maintain.

Ultimately, everyone who has a stake in vivaNext wants to see it work as designed, to provide a reliable, efficient rapid transit system and beautiful streetscape.  Because, at the end of the day, the ultimate owners are the people who are depending on it to work well: the public of York Region and we all want this to be a system to be proud of.

 

Categories
Construction Live-work-play Rapidways Stations Uncategorized Urban Planning

testing, testing, testing

As you will know from driving along Highway 7, our rapidway construction is really coming along, and this summer a segment will be going into operation.  We still have a bit more work ahead of us before service operation can begin, including some work which will be obvious such as final paving, striping and landscaping.  But in addition to that work, we’re just getting underway on a less-obvious but highly important part of the job, which is to ensure that all parts of the rapidway project are ready for active service.

This stage – known in the construction world as commissioning – is critically important, and planning for it on the Highway 7 rapidway has already been in progress for many months.

So what does commissioning involve, and how do we do it?

First of all, the technical definition of commissioning is that it is the process of assuring that all systems and components of a system are designed, installed and tested according to the operational requirements that have been established.

In the case of vivaNext, the most visible components of the project include the new roadways, passenger stations and amenities, and streetscape elements such as lighting, sidewalks and landscaping.  Ongoing inspections are being done as construction progresses to ensure that these are being built to certain specifications, before they are handed over for use.  Commissioning is a more detailed focus on the key systems and components that together make up the overall communications network.

These components include the fare collection equipment that will be installed at all stations; the station information systems such as the variable message signs, clocks and Public Address systems; passenger security elements such as closed circuit TV systems and emergency call buttons; and the traffic signals at intersections.  It also includes the sophisticated Transit Vehicle Detection system, which will provide information to the traffic signals when rapid transit vehicles are approaching intersections, as well as the overall communications system and fibre optic network that links all of these components.

Obviously these components are very complex, and a huge amount of effort goes into designing and building this equipment to the highest standards in the first place to make sure it will work as intended.  But we also build in a lengthy process of testing to make sure all the pieces are talking to each other in the way they’re designed to.

Testing starts at the factory, where the fabricator verifies that the equipment works as it is intended, and then each component is tested again once it’s installed.  Once all the components are installed and each one is confirmed to be working as designed, a series of additional tests are carried out to confirm that the entire system is integrated properly and working together.

The final step involves testing the reliability and function of the entire system, including simulating actual operation using buses and staff acting as passengers, which gives the people who will be involved in the future operation, maintenance and service of the rapidway an opportunity to become familiar with the new equipment and facilities.

This entire process takes several months, and is done at each individual station and intersection as its equipment is installed.  So you can see that there’s still a lot of work behind the scenes to get to the day we’re all looking forward to – when the first viva vehicle pulls into the rapidway for the first time on Highway 7 in August.

 

Categories
Construction General Live-work-play Rapidways Stations Urban Planning

what’s a rapidway?

The word rapidway is new to most people, but pretty soon it’s going to be a very familiar concept for people in York Region.  We’ve had lots of interest from people wondering how exactly the rapidway on Highway 7 is going to work once it’s in service this year, and whether it will result in any changes for drivers, transit users and pedestrians.  So to get you started, here’s a primer on some rapidway basics.  Then for more detailed information, check out this blog over the upcoming days and weeks, for lots more information about what’s being built and how it’s going to benefit all of us.

  1. Who can actually drive in the rapidway?

    2. The rapidway will only be used by vivavehicles.  YRT buses will continue to run in mixed traffic as they do now, and will continue to use their existing curbside stops.  The exception is emergency vehicles; fire, ambulance, police, who may use the rapidways to help them through traffic.

    Under no circumstances will cars or other vehicles ever use the rapidway.  We’ll have signs at the beginning of the rapidway in each direction, making it very clear that non-viva vehicles must not enter.

  2. How will I know how to stay off the rapidway?

    3. We’ve made it easy to see where the rapidway begins, by paving the whole rapidway with distinctive bright red asphalt (see my blog in the next couple of weeks on red asphalt). It will be very obvious where the edges of the rapidway begin and end. To make it even more obvious, a rumble strip has been installed along the edges of the rapidway. Driving over the rumble strip will produce a loud noise if a driver begins to edge into the rapidway by mistake.

  3. How will I make a turn across the rapidway

    4. We’ve designed several features that will make it very clear where and when drivers can turn across the rapidway. (look for my blog in the next couple of weeks for more description of the new intersections and traffic signals). Left turns will only be allowed at intersections, which will have well-marked turning lines painted on them. The rapidways will have their own dedicated transit signals for viva drivers, which will be clearly marked and separate from the left turn signals for all other drivers. Lastly, there will be a protected left turn phase, meaning that drivers turning left (or making u-turns) will get a separate green arrow on its own phase, before through-traffic is allowed to move.

  4. How will pedestrians get to the vivastations?

    5. Every station is located adjacent to a signalized intersection, with a clearly marked crosswalk to make it easy to cross to the station in the median. Because Highway 7 with the rapidway lanes in the middle is now wider than it used to be, some pedestrians may want to cross the road in two stages, going to the median on the first stage, and then crossing to the other side on the second stage.

So that’s the most basic primer on how the rapidway will work, but I know people have many more questions. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to post an ongoing series of blogs on all the features of the new Highway 7 rapidway. But in the meantime, we want to know what you’d like more information on. Help us out by filling in your priority topics in this simple survey:

    [poll id=”43″]
Categories
Construction General Rapidways Urban Planning

let’s talk construction

There’s an old joke that there are two seasons in Canada – winter and construction. Like the weather, road construction in York Region can’t be avoided; it must be endured.  But we all know that once the projects are done, we can enjoy our refreshed streets and the opening of the improved viva service in its own rapidway.

There’s no doubt that road construction would be completed a lot faster if we could just block off the necessary sections and do the full width and length all at once. Understanding people still need to get around; we do our best to work around traffic.  This means work progresses more slowly; in addition to needing Mother Nature on our side, we have to use smaller equipment and work in smaller sections. This may result in every stage taking longer. For example, paving requires only a few hours, but new pavement can’t be travelled on right away.  We schedule our paving work carefully to try to avoid paving during the most congested times of the day.

And sometimes you may wonder why we’ve returned to an area even though it seemed like we were finished. In fact, what you’re seeing is that we are coming back to complete work which has to be done in a certain order or in layers. Everything has a sequence and a process to finish the job.

To minimize overall duration and immediate impacts to motorists, residents and businesses, crews sometimes work 24/7 – weather permitting. This enables work to be completed in an area or on a piece of the construction that has a higher impact so that crews can then move on to the next section.

The good news to remember is once the final paving is finished, the biggest disruption of construction will soon be coming to an end. Once construction of the vivaNext rapidway project is complete in that area, we can all enjoy our new streets and boulevards and the anticipated opening of the new viva rapidway service.

We appreciate your patience throughout construction. We’ll make sure you know exactly where and when any lane closures are going to take place, to help you minimize any inconvenience. Look for our emails giving you the latest updates on where we’ll be working, and how long our work will take. Click here to sign up for construction notices, and to get the latest on the paving on Highway 7.

Sometimes, making it through traffic is only a matter of being prepared for the congestion.  Here are some wise words and a few recommended tips to help keep your cool and pass the time.  And as always, we thank you for your patience.

 

Categories
Construction General Live-work-play Rapidways Urban Planning

Getting the GTHA Moving

Everyone is hearing a lot these days about the need for more transit in the GTHA, and how increasing traffic congestion is hurting our economy.  The Toronto Board of Trade puts a $6 billion a year price tag on the cost of congestion. But beyond the headlines, many people don’t really understand exactly how traffic congestion and the lack of transit hurts the economy, and why this issue matters to every one of us in this region – and even to the rest of the province and country.

To help connect the dots, I recommend a recent panel discussion held on TVO’s The Agenda, which covered the issue clearly and logically.  This discussion provides an excellent overview of the issue, in a non-partisan, objective way.  Click here to view the episode.

What I found most interesting about this discussion was how it was explained that the lack of transit hurts everyone, whether or not they’re transit users now, or even want to be transit users.  Even people living in small communities that aren’t experiencing traffic congestion  in fact are economically affected by it. The negative impacts of congestion  in the GTHA, given how important this region is to the economy of the entire country, truly do affect the entire country.  One large business that chooses to open up in the USA rather than in the GTHA due to concerns about congestion hurts all taxpayers in the pocketbook eventually.

Enjoy watching the show and let me know what you think.

Categories
General Rapidways Stations Subways Uncategorized Urban Planning

Exploring Vaughan with vivaNext

With the early stages of rapid transit developments underway along Highway 7 West in Vaughan, now is the perfect time to reflect on everything this great city has to offer. Already an attractive destination for residents, businesses and visitors, Vaughan is a perfect location to integrate Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) rapidways and cultivate a thriving transit system.

Vaughan is comprised of six communities including Maple, Woodbridge, Kleinburg, Concord, Thornhill and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC]. With a growth rate of 80.2%, it was the fastest growing municipality in Canada from 1996-2006, and this diverse city shows no signs of slowing down.  The nation’s largest amusement park, Canada’s Wonderland, averages approximately 3.5 million visitors per season and the Kortright Centre for Conservation hosts around 135,000 visitors annually.

Vaughan is also home to many social, historical and cultural hotspots that maintain its reputation as a vibrant place to live, work, shop and eat. Residents and visitors can browse over 200 retail stores at Vaughan Mills, the 15th largest mall in Canada, or view an extensive collection of paintings by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven and their contemporaries at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg. Before hopping on a viva bus home, stop by Reptilia Zoo and visit “The King” – the largest venomous Cobra snake at any zoo in Canada, or tour the Thoreau MacDonald House – home of the Group of Seven painter J.E.H MacDonald from 1914 to 1974. Other various parks, theatres, recreation centres and educational institutions leave no shortage of things to do and explore.

The future rapidway vivastation at VMC will make travelling to and from your favourite places in Vaughan easier and more efficient. In the VMC, mixed-use transit-oriented development is proposed along a tree-lined main street, including businesses, residences, entertainment and cultural facilities, as well as pedestrian shopping areas. With connections to both the new TTC subway station and an inter-regional bus terminal, VMC will be one of the most ambitious development projects in the area’s history. It will be a convenient transportation hub unique to the city, and yet another main attraction that Vaughan can call its own.

Check out some more fast facts about Vaughan below:

  • Non-official languages include:
    Italian – 15.2% | Russian – 6.7% | Spanish – 2.7% | Tagalog (Filipino) – 1.9% | Punjabi – 1.8%
  • Twin city: Lanciano, Italy (2002)
  • Folklore associates the name “Maple” with the numerous Maple trees once found along Keele St.
  • The name “Woodbridge” derived from a wooden bridge that crossed the Humber River as an entry point into the town
  • A direct German translation of “Kleinburg” is small town

Follow the progress of the Highway 7 West rapidway in Vaughan by signing up for construction updates.

Think you know Vaughan? Test your knowledge with our interactive quiz! Play now.

Categories
Construction General Rapidways Uncategorized Urban Planning

Your Community Liaisons

You might recognize Nimisha Raja, Carrie Slattery or Michelle Dudzik, our community liaisons from Markham, Newmarket and Vaughan/Richmond Hill respectively, from our website or the construction bulletins you’ve signed up for or you may have met them at a vivaNext event.

But, we also have a new face joining forces with our three existing liaisons –  Tamas Hertel, the Community Liaison Specialist on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill and Newmarket. Over the past four months he has been quite busy.  Tamas has been making contact with businesses and residents along Yonge Street as preparation for future rapidway construction.

They are all readily available to answer any questions or assist you with everything related to the vivaNext project. You name it, whether you’re a property owner, business operator, tenant, special interest group, or any other interested stakeholder in York Region along the viva rapidway corridors, they are happy to hear from you.

All four of our Community Liaisons spend a lot of time out in the community, making presentations and answering questions about construction schedules and the projects in general. And with project information centres open in both Newmarket and Vaughan, you have more opportunity to stop by and meet your Liaison – check for the hours here.

We hope that our website, Facebook page, or construction bulletins continue to help you find answers to your questions. But if you would rather speak to someone, or you’re wondering about your specific property, Nimisha, Michelle, Carrie or Tamas are available and happy to talk to you.

Markham:
Nimisha Raja
Community Liaison Specialist
Telephone: 905-886-6767 Ext. 1023
1-877-464-9675
Cell phone: 416-712-8938
Email: nimisha.raja@york.ca

Newmarket:
Michelle Dudzik
Community Liaison Specialist
Telephone: 905-886-6767 Ext. 1096
1-877-464-9675
Cell phone: 905-716-7663
Email: michelle.dudzik@york.ca

Vaughan:
Carrie Slattery
Tel: 905.886.6767 Ext. 1129
1-877-464-9675
Cell: 289.716.0091
Email: carrie.slattery@york.ca

Yonge Street, Richmond Hill and Newmarket:
Tamas Hertel
Tel: 905.886.6767 Ext. 71357
1-877-464-9675
Cell: 905.505.1430
Email: tamas.hertel@york.ca

Categories
Construction General Rapidways Uncategorized Urban Planning

See the Keith Bridge transformation

If any of you have been out and about along Davis Drive, around the Tannery then you probably noticed construction taking place on the north side of the Keith Bridge.  The old bridge was completely demolished to make way for a new one.  Construction has been done in two phases – the south side first and the north side second.

The demolition of the north side was caught on tape. It has been made into a short time lapse video so that you can watch the whole thing. As you will see in the video, bridge demolition takes careful planning and organization.  Take a look. We may be biased but we think it’s a tad mesmerizing as the cranes do their “dance”.

When complete in 2014, the Keith Bridge will be an architecturally designed, historically-motivated focal point along Davis Drive. It will reflect Newmarket’s rich heritage and growing community, making it an even better place to live, work, shop and play.

Click here to check out the time lapse video.