Tag: Viva

Categories
Construction

Changing seasons, shifting lanes

photo: Keith Bridge now - Keith Bridge next

Even if you live in Newmarket, you may not know exactly where the Keith Bridge is. It’s on Davis Drive, just east of the Tannery and the Seniors’ Meeting Place. Pedestrians probably notice when they walk over it, but drivers would barely notice that they’re driving over a bridge. It spans the Holland River, and is named after William Keith [1869-1949], a Newmarket Reeve, an MPP and a Senior Magistrate in the early 1900s.

In 2011, we built a new section of bridge on the south side of Davis Drive, and now we’re about to start rebuilding the north side of the bridge. To allow us to work on the north side, we need to shift traffic to drive on the new south section of bridge.

As eastbound traffic approaches the bridge, the lanes will start to shift starting near the railway tracks. Just west of Bayview Parkway, westbound traffic will be reduced from two lanes to one, and will begin to shift to the south.

This work will last about a year, and will involve all kinds of work, including relocating utilities and bus stops, installing temporary traffic signals, and paving lanes and a temporary sidewalk on the new bridge section. The Tom Taylor Trail has been detoured since construction began on the Keith Bridge, and this detour will continue for most of the construction.

Construction, especially bridge construction, isn’t easy, but it helps if you know what will be happening, and when. If you sign up for construction updates we’ll make sure you know about upcoming work on Davis Drive. You can also visit vivanext.com for detailed project information, and follow us on Twitter. Michelle Dudzik, our Community Liaison, is available to talk about Davis Drive construction and answer any questions you may have: 905.716.7663, michelle.dudzik@york.ca.

[poll id=”36″]

Categories
Urban Planning

Designing a complete street for everyone

the Complete Street

VivaNext is of course a project to bring rapid transit to York Region. But our goals are much broader than simply expanding transit (as important as that is for us): our long-term vision is to help York Region, as it grows, to transform beautifully from its suburban past, into its urbanized future.

When I think about the most livable cities of the world, including here in North America as well as in Europe, one feature that makes them distinctive is the way major streets are designed for everyone, and not just for cars.

This approach is captured by the urban design concept known as “the complete street.” That’s the long-standing philosophy behind European urban design, but it is also becoming very influential in North American urban design. The complete street reflects a belief that streets should anticipate and accommodate the needs of all users – pedestrians, transportation users, cyclists and drivers. It means that streetscapes should be designed to provide a welcoming, functional and safe environment for everyone, no matter how they want to get from A to B.

The complete street concept is consistent with York Region’s vision for its urbanized future, especially along its major corridors and emerging urban centres. So the vivaNext streetscape design principles reflect similar values and priorities.

As our work progresses along the Highway 7 rapidway, it’s becoming easier to see how these design principles are going to transform the look and function of the street and its boulevards, for all users.

To begin with, our streetscape design emphasizes the importance of having an attractive public realm, to encourage people to want to spend time in these newly developed public spaces. By offering wide boulevards, with their attractive paving, good lighting, shade trees, amenities such as comfortable benches and generously planted landscaped areas, pedestrians will know that they are truly welcome.

With York Region’s predicted growth, there will be many more people living, working and commuting all along our major corridors, meaning many more pedestrians will be using the sidewalks and intersections. So our streetscape is designed to make everyone truly feel safe and comfortable – after all, Highway 7 and York Region’s other major corridors will continue to be very busy thoroughfares for other vehicles, even once our rapid transit system is up and running. Pedestrians will feel buffered from adjacent traffic by the wide planters placed between the sidewalk and curb. They will have protected places to wait at intersections, and in the median where there are two-stage crossings. All sidewalks and vivastations will be completely accessible. And cyclists will have safe places to ride, and convenient racks to lock up their bikes.

By creating a complete street, our new streetscapes will be walkable, accessible and welcoming for all, no matter how you prefer to get around York Region.

Categories
General Studies

Having the right team for the job

viva influences come from around the world

As you follow our progress in building the vivaNext rapidways across the Region, a lot of our work will appear to be straightforward construction. But what you likely won’t know is how many other areas of expertise are needed to inform a project like vivaNext – and how many experts with specialized knowledge play key roles on our project team. As you might expect, our preliminary design and design-build teams include specialists in traffic, structural and electrical engineering, landscape architects and urban designers. But our team also includes a range of other experts – many of whom have worked on major projects around the world – in many more specialized fields.

Our vivaNext vision includes a complex systems undertaking, including both new hardware and software. So our team includes systems engineers to design the multiple information systems and other communications components involved in traffic signals, bus detection equipment, ticketing and many other IT elements of our system. To ensure our curved vivastation canopies provide a comfortable shelter from the elements, micro-climate specialists studied how the stations will be affected by wind, rain and snow. And the surprisingly complex questions related to “wayfinding” – the science of helping people find their way and get from A to B easily – have been assigned to wayfinding experts, who advise on all the elements that passengers will touch, see, read, feel or use. Look for more information about these specialties in future blogs.

One area where we’re drawing on very specialized knowledge is in our planning for construction in the vicinity of the Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket. In this area, as is the case across our entire project, our highest priorities are the quality of our work, as well as safety for the public and our workers during construction. Near the hospital, we add in the need to ensure there is as little disruption as possible to patients and medical staff due to our construction activities. Fortunately, our design-build partner has a wealth of experience in actually designing and constructing additions to hospitals, as well as carrying out construction projects near other sensitive locations.

We know that from time to time, construction can be noisy, and wherever we’re working we try to keep the amount of noise, vibration and dust to a minimum. In the hospital zone, our expert advisors are working closely with the hospital’s administration to plan what we’ll be working on, how we’re going to work, and when it will happen. We will also make sure the public is kept well-informed as our work near the hospital progresses, with regular updates and communication.

As we move forward with our work, our team of experts are drawing on their years of experience – literally from around the globe. We’re fortunate to have their knowledge to help anticipate the issues that might arise, to minimize problems, and ultimately get the long-term results we’re committed to achieving for vivaNext.

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
Community Events

Help us celebrate Canada Day across York Region!

Canada Day 2012

There are so many ways to celebrate on this July 1. As Canada celebrates its 145th birthday, Markham will be celebrating its first day as a city, after recently announcing that it will be making the transition from being a town to being a city. We’re happy for Markham, and proud to be part of the urban transformation. To get a glimpse of Markham’s future, see our Highway 7 East rapidway information, read all about the Downtown Markham development area, or travel along Highway 7 East to see the new centre-lane vivastations being built.

We have our own plans for Canada Day – in Newmarket, the vivaNext team will be out celebrating Canada’s birthday at the annual Kanata Day Festival at Fairy Lake (map). Start off your morning with a pancake breakfast at the Newmarket Community Centre & Lions Hall (200 Doug Duncan Drive – map) from 8am until noon. Afterwards, join us at Fairy Lake, where there will also be all sorts of family fun including inflatable bouncers, an extreme bike demonstration, and live entertainment. On Bayview Parkway at George Richardson Park (map), fireworks will begin at dusk.

So what are you doing for Canada Day? Can we count on seeing you out and about in York Region?

Categories
Community Events

Loving Newmarket? Us too!

In 2015, Newmarket’s Davis Drive will be among the first to debut dedicated lanes for viva and a pedestrian-friendly boulevard with greenery, shopping, businesses and cultural activities. We’re excited to say that construction is in full swing to get us from here to there, including shifting hydro poles and other utilities farther from the road, moving gas lines on the north and south sides of Davis Drive and ongoing work on the new Keith Bridge before traffic can start using it later this year.

That’s why we were quite thrilled to have the opportunity to directly interact with residents at our recent Davis Drive open house and share with them the vision for this key area, how construction is progressing and to hear what they had to say about our community. Many expressed joy and excitement about Newmarket and where it is heading. Below are some of our favourite answers to the question: What do YOU love most about Newmarket?

“Newmarket has ‘blossomed’ in recent years. I love that there are so many parks in such a small area. I’m glad to hear about all the plans to revitalize the town to make it even more attractive. We moved here from Thornhill last fall. We find the neighbours, and people in general, to be very friendly. We love Newmarket!”

“The culture; how it has everything you need in terms of big box stores, but also is rich in local business with gems everywhere. The improvement to Davis is most welcome and this is the stretch of Newmarket where history, culture, local businesses, and ‘town life’ need to be maintained”

“Newmarket is a great town filled with lots of friendly people with an optimistic view. Looking at your drawings and projects, things will really get even better. I wish you all the best with this good-looking town. I love living here, and remain interested and eager to see what will happen in the future.”

We feel the same, and would like to thank all those who live and work in Newmarket for their patience and understanding as construction continues and the transformation takes shape. To get the latest construction notices and project newsletters, sign up for updates and feel free to contact your Community Liaison, Michelle Dudzik, with any questions or concerns you may have at 905 886 6767 ext. 1096  or michelle.dudzik@york.ca.

Categories
General Live-work-play

The vivaNext generation

Construction on vivaNext projects is moving full speed ahead. As structures are built and roads are widened, visions of the future are becoming a reality. The promise of the next generation of York Region’s rapid transit is coming to life.

Here at the vivaNext office, we have also welcomed a next generation, with two new summer students joining our communications team. They both have grown up in York Region, one hailing from Newmarket while the other is from Vaughan. Each of them has lived in the Region for over twenty years, so they know how it has changed over time. Both are looking forward to being a part of the team that brings York Region into its next era.

I hope that excitement like this spreads to all generations. I see the vivaNext generation as people of all ages, who use the vivaNext transit system as a way to travel to modern, urban destinations inside and outside of York Region.

For people in Vaughan, the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (or VMC) will be a new downtown. As a hub for transit, business, shopping, and recreation, the VMC will offer a site for all ages to come together and experience York Region. Our summer student, Alanna, mentioned that she is thrilled about the opportunity to have a “downtown experience” closer to home.

John, our summer student from Newmarket, is looking forward to a highly improved Davis Drive for York Region residents. With pedestrian-friendly boulevards and easy access to places to shop, work, and relax, Davis Drive will become a new destination for the next generation of vivaNext travellers.  

Taken together, these individual projects connect into the vivaNext plan for a seamless rapid transit network, making it easy to travel to work, shopping destinations, and recreation.  

Our projects will benefit everyone who lives or works in York Region, and we want to keep in touch with all of you as these projects are underway. We’re making sure residents are in-the-know with our constant social media updates Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our e-mail updates.

The future is bright, and the vivaNext generation of travellers has a lot to be excited about.

[poll id=”31″]

Categories
Community Events Rapidways

Davis Drive Open House Results

Click here to see our open house information on our websiteDid you attend our Davis Drive open house on May 15? The event saw a great turnout, with residents and vivaNext representatives discussing what’s coming next for rapidway construction along Davis Drive.

If you weren’t able to attend the open house, all of the materials that were shared are available on our Past Meetings page, so you can read up on the latest information that you may have missed. You can also sign up for project updates.

Thank you to everybody that came out to learn more about vivaNext construction. It was great to speak with residents about the future of the Davis Drive rapidway. Be sure to check back on the vivaNext website for information about any upcoming open house events. We hope to see you there!

Categories
Community Events Uncategorized

Join us at our Davis Drive open house!

Join us at our Davis Drive open houseAs you may have noticed, construction on Davis Drive is well underway. As construction continues each day, we want to make sure you are in the know about what is happening in your neighbourhood. Please join us at our open house meeting on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 to learn more about the rapidway construction in Newmarket along Davis Drive.  You’ll have the opportunity to read up on maps and information boards, and speak with vivaNext representatives about what is to come for Davis Drive. This is a great chance to learn about how rapidways will benefit Newmarket and you as a resident.

Don’t worry if you can’t make the meeting though. We’ll post all of the materials from the open house on the past meetings page of our website. Also be sure to sign up for project updates, so you can receive up-to-date information on construction.

Join Us!

Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Time: Drop in between 1 and 8pm

Location: Bethel United Church
333 Davis Drive, Newmarket

Categories
Construction Rapidways Stations

Building for the future: here comes the first Highway 7 rapidway station

Installing vivastation canopies along Highway 7If you’ve been driving along Highway 7 East lately, you’ll notice an exciting development taking shape on our Highway 7 rapidway: the installation of the first of 22 vivastations.

And like everything else on the vivaNext project, the station that we’re going to be building in the median at Leslie and Highway 7 is the product of literally years of design, planning and preparation. Here’s a primer on the stations, and how they’ll be installed.

Like their predecessor at Warden Station on Enterprise Boulevard, our vivastations along Highway 7 are going to be beautiful, strong and very functional. The curved viva blue glass that makes up the canopy is surprisingly rugged – this glass is curved, tempered and laminated for strength, which prevents it from breaking into sharp pieces if it is cracked or broken. Reliability was our first priority in sourcing the manufacturer: our glass panels are actually being made by the company that makes nearly half of the world’s windshield glass.

Although the canopy is made up of nearly 100 individual panes of glass, each will be connected to its neighbour by small fasteners, known as “spiders” – so visually, the glass will look like it’s all one piece.

Supporting the glass underneath is a three-piece structure made of Canadian-fabricated steel, constructed just outside of Paris, Ontario. With durability in mind, the steel will be finished with a high-quality automotive-grade paint to minimize long-term maintenance costs.

Before the station components are delivered, a concrete platform is poured and set, and the connections built into the platform are prepared.  Then the canopy’s three steel structural sections are brought in on a wide-load tractor trailer and  installed. It takes about a week to align the sections perfectly and do some other prep, in advance of the glass being delivered and installed.

Each station includes two platforms/canopies – one for eastbound passengers and one for westbound passengers. Our schedule calls for the construction of one station canopy a month, with eastbound and then westbound canopies being built along the Highway 7 East rapidway throughout the rest of this year. There are a number of steps involved in getting the platforms ready before the glass and steel can be delivered; each platform requires about 12 weeks of work including excavations, installing electrical cables and concrete work.

One of the strategic decisions we made in the beginning for the vivaNext program is to build our rapidway segments consecutively, enabling our designers and construction experts to assess the experience of the previous segment and continually fine tune the design and construction methods. Lessons learned from our experience building the Warden Station have helped us find ways to modify the design, to make the canopies easier and more efficient to install. And because minimizing traffic impacts along the Highway 7 corridor is so critically important, our team has focused on finding strategies to install these huge canopies in a very small space with minimal lane closures.

Beyond providing rapid transit users with a comfortable and convenient experience, our vivastations are going to give a defining look and feel to Highway 7, as it becomes increasingly urbanized and developed over the next few years. We think that’s a milestone that’s really worth celebrating.