Tag: Vaughan

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 Going Green Live-work-play Rapidways Stations Urban Planning vivaNext.com

Working together to achieve transit success

You have heard us talk a lot about growth at vivaNext.  Managing growing communities and planning for the future are always top of mind. As the region that comprises nine local municipalities and is home to 1,084,000 residents, 29,000 businesses and 495,000 employees, York Region is the fastest growing region in the Greater Toronto Area. We are always striving to identify key opportunities to improve upon and expand rapid transit plans to support the Region’s increasing population.

The successful execution of the vivaNext rapid transit plans rely on collaboration. While collaboration seems like a long word that has enough syllables to leave you tongue-tied, to me the definition is simple – working together as a team. At vivaNext we strive to work hand in hand with all our stakeholders and neighbours. With open dialogue and information exchange we do our best to listen and address comments and concerns.

Our rapidways are being built along the Region’s busiest corridors where urban development is taking shape. Check out a few municipal videos showcasing local growth.

VivaNext is proud to be bringing York Region an exceptional transit system that will connect it to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

Categories
Construction General

Snow day at vivaNext

Snow day at vivaNext

A glance outside our windows tells us it’s a snow day in York Region. Our construction sites are blanketed in snow, but even though we’re inside, we have plenty to do.

Our contractors are hard at work rescheduling construction that was planned for today. Like a game of dominoes, each change affects another. If the work planned for today needs to be completed before we start the next task, then we’ll be busy reassigning crews and making sure that the upcoming construction falls back in line with the overall project schedule.

VivaNext staff who aren’t outside on construction sites support the construction behind the scenes with planning, design and communications. Before construction begins on a project, we plan how the project will look and function, and we also refine the design of everything from the location of each vivastation to the types of trees we’ll plant. Sometimes there’s coordination to be done with local municipalities or private companies, so we work with everyone to ensure the project goes smoothly once construction gets started.

All of our projects are at different stages of development, and so we have staff working on different parts of each project. The Highway 7 East rapidway is in its final year of construction, whereas Davis Drive in Newmarket is about to start road widening this summer. Highway 7 West is just getting started with construction in Vaughan, and the Yonge Street rapidway is beginning with surveys and utility work. The Spadina Subway Extension from Downsview Station to Highway 7 in Vaughan continues, with tunneling beginning soon in Vaughan.

We’re also busy planning open houses for a few of our projects this spring and once dates are confirmed, we’ll be letting everyone know. If you have time on this snowy weekend, take a moment to sign up for email updates to find out about open houses, and construction underway in your area.

 

Categories
Announcements Community Events

Stop by our new project office in Vaughan!

vivaNext rapidway construction is just getting started in Vaughan. The first phase of a Highway 7 West rapidway is moving forward between Edgeley/Interchange Way and Bowes Road, and we want to ensure that you have a place to go to ask questions, look at maps and get all the facts about construction.

We’ve opened a new project information office in Vaughan at 7800 Jane Street [northwest corner of Highway 7 and Jane]. We’re sharing the office with staff from the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension [TYSSE] project, so our new office is the place to go to talk about transit in Vaughan.

vivaNext office hours:

Mondays 9am-12pm
Wednesdays 2pm-6pm
Community Liaison Carrie Slattery: 289.716.0091

TYSSE office hours:

Tuesdays 10:30am-12:30pm
Wednesdays 3-5pm
Thursdays 1-3pm
Construction Liaison Theresa Buck: 416.397.8644

So stop by to say hello to us this week, to get the scoop on construction and enjoy some refreshments.

If you’d like to make an appointment outside of office hours, please Carrie Slattery or Theresa Buck at the numbers above. If you can’t come to the office, there are lots of other ways to find out about the project:

Hope to see you soon!

Categories
Construction vivaNext.com

Looking back on 2012…and forward to 2013

Wow – what progress has been made in the past year on our rapidway projects! Just a few years ago we were in the planning and pre-construction stages for each of our projects. It’s remarkable to see the plans taking shape, construction underway and truly visible changes happening.

On Highway 7 East between Bayview and Highway 404, much of the heavy road work and vivastation construction was completed in 2012. We have some paving to do in the spring, along with finishing work on sidewalks and stations. This stretch of Highway 7 shows the layout of dedicated transit lanes and vivastations and how it will all work. Once the finishing work and landscaping is done, we’ll really be able to see the transformation of Highway 7. East of Highway 404 to Warden, the last few months have seen huge changes, including road widening and prep work for the centre-lane vivastations leading to Warden Station – our fully built vivastation that’s been in service since 2011. In 2013, we’re planning to have the finishing work complete so we can put the rapidway to use between Bayview and Highway 404. East of Highway 404, vivastations will be popping up all year, with finishing work underway in 2014.

Davis Drive in Newmarket is starting to show big changes. Utility work continues, hydro poles were moved and replaced earlier this year, and culvert work is underway to the east of the hospital. Near The Tannery, traffic is now driving on the new south side of the Keith Bridge, and pedestrians can run their hands along the new bridge railing – a nod to the history of this area. In 2013, construction will continue, as crews build a new north side of the Keith Bridge, and begin to widen Davis Drive.

In 2012, the design/build contract was awarded for rapidway construction on Highway 7 West in Vaughan, from Edgeley Boulevard to Bowes Road. We’ve already started surveying and testing this section of Highway 7, and in 2013, crews will be relocating utilities and preparing for road widening.

A rapidway is on the way for Yonge Street in Richmond Hill [Highway 7 to 19th/Gamble] and Newmarket [Mulock to Davis] too, and we’ll be awarding the contract for that work in 2013. Then we’ll be surveying and testing these sections of Yonge Street, as we plan and schedule the construction work ahead.

We know it’s important to be able to get where you need to go, and that’s why we keep lanes open as much as possible during peak traffic hours. Occasionally, we need to temporarily detour entrances and sidewalks and relocate transit stops, and in these cases we do everything we can to make sure everyone knows.

We look forward to great transformations on York Region’s key roads in 2013. We hope that your holiday season is merry, and that 2013 brings great things to you and yours.

Click here to see our holiday card!

 

Categories
Fun & Games

It’s a vivaSummer!

vivaSummer

We all have our favourite places, and summer is the perfect time to explore them with friends and family while enjoying fantastic weather. Once vivaNext projects are complete we’ll have more green space, and plenty of new ‘favourite places’ for you to choose from.

YRT\Viva offers a great Trip Planner at http://tripplanner.yrt.ca that can help you plan your routes from point A to B, wherever you may be heading this summer. Comfortable, air-conditioned viva vehicles can be a great alternative to driving in summer heat, and with 119 vivastations, they’re sure to take you where you need to go.

York Region has lots of green spaces and local parks where you can spend summer outdoors experiencing nature and warm weather. Here are a few natural and green places not to be missed in Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Aurora and Vaughan:

In Markham, spend a day by the water at Toogood Pond. With picnic sites and paths to stroll, this is an ideal site to spend a summer weekend afternoon. If you’re looking to bike or walk a scenic route, head up to Newmarket and take the Tom Taylor Trail. The Richmond Green Sports Centre and Park in Richmond Hill offers the best of both worlds – outdoor soccer fields to stay active and picnic areas to sit and relax. In Aurora, be sure to visit Lambert Willson Park, which has access to beach volleyball, the Aurora Family Leisure Complex and multiple nature trails. Finally, if you’re in Vaughan, the Boyd Conservation Area along the Humber River Valley offers wonderful activities and and is a popular GTA picnic destination.

No matter where your ‘favourite place’ may be, we hope you’ll take transit to get there, and we hope you have a happy summer.  Be sure to drink lots of water and stay sun-safe on those extra hot days. And have fun!

[poll id=”32″]

Categories
Surveys Urban Planning

When is a highway not a highway?

Inside Artist’s illustration of a transformed Highway 7

Here’s a question for you – when you hear the word highway, what comes to mind? Like most, you probably think of a lot of traffic moving at high speed along a roadway that is designed purely to get you from one place to another as quickly as possible. There may be the occasional stop along the way, but highway stops tend to be more functional than appealing destinations in and of themselves. A highway is for vehicles, large and small – but typically, not a great place for people.

A highway probably doesn’t bring to mind a welcoming, human-scaled streetscape, where people feel comfortable strolling along wide, beautifully-landscaped sidewalks and boulevards. Most highways don’t offer attractive shopping destinations, with store-fronts and restaurants near the sidewalk.

So why the question? Highway 7 is evolving and we want your thoughts and ideas about changing its name to something that better reflects its future.

Highway 7 is one of the most important roads in York Region and is the connector between urban areas in three of our municipalities. It stretches from Highway 50 in the west, across Vaughan and Richmond Hill to east of Donald Cousens Parkway in Markham. And certainly, in the past Highway 7 was all those things associated with the word “highway” – it carried a lot of traffic, and wasn’t designed to be a comfortable, attractive destination for pedestrians or local residents.

But change is coming quickly to Highway 7, and in the not-too-distant future there will be many sections of Highway 7 where people will want to shop, dine and relax. It’s all part of a larger plan – York Region is planning a system of regional centres and corridors, which follow the Province of Ontario’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The vivaNext plan for rapidways and great transit connections along Highway 7 is also a big part of the change, with construction already underway for wide, welcoming boulevards and beautiful transit stations.

So, York Region is looking for suggestions for re-naming Highway 7. Considering the future transformation of Highway 7, what do you think it should be called?

It’s not a contest, so there are no rules – they’re just looking for your ideas. You can make your suggestions to York Region via Twitter (www.twitter.com/YorkRegionGovt), Facebook (www.facebook.com/YorkRegion), or you can post an idea here and we’ll forward it.

It’ll be interesting to see the name ideas people have for one of our most important streets.  Tell us what you think!

Categories
Subways

Launch of a connected region

Photo of Holey, the tunnel boring machine for the Spadina subway extension

Friday was a momentous day for anyone who dreams of when it will be easier to get around the GTA. On Friday, we took the first concrete step towards a true regional transit system. This was the day when “Holey”, the massive tunnel boring machine, was officially launched to build a subway connection between Toronto and York Region. On Friday the clock started ticking to the day in 2015, when, without needing to transfer, we’ll be able to buy one ticket, sit in comfort, and travel in and around the GTA to anywhere the subway goes. A momentous day, indeed.

I’m talking of course about the official start of tunnelling for the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension. This new service, when it’s finished in late 2015, will extend the Spadina Subway by 8.5 kilometres from Downsview Station, via six new stations, to a new terminus at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre development area on Highway 7. Vaughan’s new subway station will also link to the Viva rapidways along Highway 7, up Yonge Street and across Davis Drive in Newmarket.

It’s impossible to overstate the important role subway extensions play in connecting GTA regions, and how this first of two north-south subway extensions will change the way people take transit in the GTA. Until now, each municipality or Region has had its own separate rapid transit system, divided by geographic boundaries. In an area like the GTA, where so many people live in one municipality and work in another, having one connected rapid transit system will make life more convenient, more predictable, and much, much easier.

So Friday’s launch was a very big deal.

The subway, which is going to cost about $2.6 billion, is being paid for by the federal government, the provincial government through Metrolinx, The Regional Municipality of York, and the City of Toronto. A joint Toronto-York project team is collaborating to complete the project, and the engineering logistics of how the subway will actually connect to the Viva rapidways in Vaughan is a whole story unto itself, which I’ll write about soon.

We know from research that people love the idea of being able to commute by public transit, if they’re offered a fast, convenient and reliable alternative to driving. So extending subway lines will make a lot of people very happy.

“Holey” will soon be joined by her tunnel boring machine partner “Moley” to tunnel northwest from the Sheppard West launch site toward the Finch West site at Keele. Their twin cousins “Yorkie” and “Torkie”, will soon begin tunnelling southeast from their Steeles West launch site toward York University. We’ll be cheering them on, and judging by the excitement of the onlookers and circling helicopters at Friday’s launch, we know people all across the GTA will be cheering too.

Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension project: www.spadina.ttc.ca 
Subways in York Region: www.vivanext.com/subways 
The Missing Link – business case describing why a Yonge Subway extension should be considered a top priority: http://bit.ly/lFtNaC

Categories
Subways

Spadina Subway: it’s about connections

Map of the extension to the Spadina Subway extension. Inset: future design of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

Is it possible to live or work in northwest Toronto, western York Region or east side of Peel, and not know about the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension? Although you might know that a subway extension is planned, you might not know the details about this huge subway development project.

The extension to the University-Spadina TTC subway line from the current Downsview Station north to Highway 7 in Vaughan will be big news to anyone living or working along its route. A connection from Downsview Station to the Wilson Yard TTC storage and maintenance facility has already been built, and four Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) have been manufactured in Canada for this project. Each TBM took several months to build, and three weeks – 21 truckloads of parts – to deliver to its launch location. This spring the parts of the four TBMs will be lowered into their launch shafts at Sheppard West Station and Steeles West Station, and assembled in launch position. In the first of several tunnel drives, the TBMs at Sheppard West will bore northward to Finch West Station, and the TBMs at Steeles West will bore southward to York University Station. Each machine will bore at a rate of about 15 metres per day, and they’re multi-talented machines, excavating in front and placing tunnel reinforcements behind them. When they reach their destinations they’ll be removed from the ground and relocated to new launch locations for the next tunnel drive. The tunnelling is expected to take about two years, with the entire project, including stations, scheduled to be complete and in service by late 2015.

Highway 407 Station and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre will be the first subway stations in York Region. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre will be built at Millway Avenue along the Highway 7 West rapidways, and will feature retail space, a domed roof with skylights positioned to reflect light to platform level, and pedestrian and transit-oriented development.

We talk about rapidways all the time, but really we’re developing a rapid transit network – a system to move people within our region and connect us to neighbouring transit networks. Subway extensions create a vital connection in the GTHA transit network, and will bring new life to communities near subway stations, as people gather in these areas to live, work, shop and play.

If you’re interested in more details about subway extensions, be sure to visit some of these links:

Categories
General Rapidways

A hum of activity

Photo of hydrovac preparing for utility relocation
Hydrovac crew bores a hole in the ground

There has been a hum of activity on Highway 7 lately. To be specific, the hum of a hydrovac – a large truck-mounted vacuum used to bore holes in the ground. We’re widening some of York Region’s roads to add dedicated rapidway lanes, but to do that we need to locate utility cables and pipes in the ground, and then use a variety of trucks and tools to move all of the utilities further back from the roads.

In terms of utilities, all roads are not the same. Which utilities are in place, where they are placed, and who is responsible for them varies for each section of each road. Electrical power lines and telecommunication wires are often located aboveground on poles, but sometimes they’re buried underground. Gas lines, and sewer and water main pipes are also underground, but not necessarily located together.

In many cases, the utilities need to be moved in a certain order to spots designated by York Region’s Transportation Services Department, Corridor Approvals and Records Branch with input from the construction company. This branch ensures utilities are installed in appropriate locations and keeps record of utility locations. Each organization moves their own utilities and, while doing so, uses the opportunity to check over the equipment or upgrade it.

Municipal government is usually responsible for sewer and water main pipes, but a team effort is important in cases where they cross municipal boundaries. For example, the intersection of Highway 7 and Yonge Street includes land within the Town of Markham, the Town of Richmond Hill, and the City of Vaughan. Gas, electricity and telecommunication companies also vary depending on the location. At vivaNext we work with all of these stakeholders to accommodate schedules and procedures, ensuring we reach our goal of relocating utilities in time for the next scheduled construction activity.