Tag: vivaNext

Categories
Fun & Games History

happy holidays… all aboard!

We all have our favourite seasonal stories. Some love the old classics, others like the Grinch or Charlie Brown. Here at vivaNext we lean toward stories of transit of course, like The Polar Express for example. Maybe that’s because we identify with the boy in the story, just a little bit. We may not have been waiting for a magical train to the North Pole, but since before the 2005 launch of Viva service, we’ve believed in the possibility of a connected rapid transit network.

Back then, the vision to connect and transform communities wasn’t tangible. It seemed unbelievable that even one street would be transformed, let alone 34 km. But just a few years later we felt the magic of watching a Viva bus pull up to York Region’s very first vivastation at Warden and Enterprise in Markham.

Later, we saw Highway 7 East transform from a highway with gravel shoulders into a walkable destination with tree-lined sidewalks, and new places to live and work.

It wasn’t long before Davis Drive began to take shape in Newmarket, then the Highway 7 West rapidway and subway extension in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

This year, we’ve jumped ahead in our journey, with a new terminal open for service in November, new segments of rapidway open in September and November – and even more rapidway corridors opening soon in Vaughan and Newmarket.

So now, the vision of connecting and transforming communities has come to life. This is the season to believe, so let’s believe in future possibilities. Instead of hoping for a magical Polar Express train to the North Pole, we’ll be moving forward with the Yonge Subway Extension to Highway 7, and a connected network of bus rapid transit across York Region. Thank you for believing, and have a safe and happy holiday!

Categories
General

learning from the best

York Region Rapid Transit Corporation’s President, Mary-Frances Turner, spoke yesterday at the Global Public Transportation Summit in Stockholm, Sweden. Along with speakers from Melbourne, Australia; Paris, France; and Vancouver; she presented about the role of public transport in shaping cities. Her presentation, Art of the Possible: Turning a car-centric municipality into a culture of livability with transit, talks about how in York Region, smart growth and transit policies have been a catalyst to building a strong transit system and vibrant urban centres. How the rapidway projects have provided walkable, livable and desirable communities through smart growth, attractive streetscapes and investment.

The presentation in Stockholm allows us to showcase York Region, and more importantly, it’s an excellent learning opportunity, to see what other cities around the world have done to overcome challenges and shape their communities.

Last month, our Design Chief, Infrastructure and Development, Stephen Hollinger, spoke at the Urban Transit Infrastructure West conference in Vancouver on the topic of alternative financing for transit projects. This is a hot topic lately, and we were happy to share and discuss our experiences with public-private partnerships.

We only travel to a select few national and international conferences. More often, we’re part of panels and round-table discussions held in the GTA, or we’re hosting visitors from other cities around the world. Just recently, a delegation of visitors from Barcelona, Spain went for a tour of our transit service facility in Richmond Hill and the transit hub in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Since we opened our first rapidway segment on Highway 7 East in 2013, we’ve received visitors from several cities across North America, delegates from Europe, and our tours have been part of conventions held locally by public works and transit associations.

Whether it’s learning from the best and brightest in Ontario or around the world, we’re always exploring and discovering the latest in community building and transportation technology, so we can continue to plan the best travel options for those who live, work and travel in York Region.

Categories
Live-work-play suburban to urban transformation

explore and discover

blog photo, showing woman exploring and discovering York Region with a young boy from inside a bus

Sometimes we’re so locked into daily routines we stop noticing what’s new and changing around us. York Region is made up of fast-growing communities. As we go about living, working, and commuting we don’t always see the new park around the corner, the tulips blooming, new buildings under construction, or the blue glass on that new bus station.

Things change gradually. Bit by bit, our communities grow to meet our needs. New greenspace makes the neighbourhood a nice place to spend time. New buildings give us places to live and work, and new bus rapidways, terminals and subways bring new travel options and connection points. Choices and options are what make the places we choose to live that much better and here in York Region we’re seeing those changes continue to improve our way of life.

As our communities grow and people adopt new technology and travel patterns, we drive change together. Bus rapid transit and subway connections are a key part of planning for change and growth. We’ve been steadily building projects in York Region that not only provide rapid transit, but also put new infrastructure in place. These investments in new underground utilities, new bridges, tree-lined sidewalks and accessible traffic signals will prepare for current and future residents and businesses. Transit supports growth and development as communities continue to grow.

With all these changes come new possibilities. So be inspired, explore your community this spring and discover the wonderful places around you.

Categories
General

from our family to yours

from our family to yours

This time of year, it’s all about relationships and family. Valentine’s Day has just passed, and now it’s Family Day weekend. Every family is a network, a group with things in common.

In York Region, there is a family of transit services operated by York Region Transit [YRT]: Local, Express, Viva, and On-Demand. Express and Viva sound alike, but while Express shuttles rush-hour customers to connection points with few stops in-between, Viva provides frequent service along some of our busiest roads, in dedicated bus lanes where possible.

Families are built and maintained with relationships, and yes, we can compare that to transit too. It’s the relationships between York Region Rapid Transit Corporation [YRRTC] and other organizations that move our projects forward.

  • York Region owns YRRTC [our shareholder], and we report to a Board of Directors made up of municipal Mayors and Regional Councillors.
  • Our projects are funded by all levels of government, sometimes private organizations and even other projects. The Province funded 100% of our rapidway projects through Metrolinx. Our maintenance facility in Richmond Hill and the Cornell Bus Terminal are funded by Federal, Provincial, and Regional government. SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal is funded by the Province, York Region, some funds from the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension project [TYSSE], and you guessed it – SmartCentres.

Aside from funding, some of the most valuable relationships we have are the ones we build as we construct our projects. We work closely with contractors and utility companies to ensure each project moves forward, with as little disruptions as possible to the community. Our Community Liaison team works directly with local residents and businesses affected by our construction. We know it’s important to keep everyone aware of what’s happening, and who to email or call if you have a question.

Our family is working to grow York Region’s rapid transit network, so if you’re out this Family Day weekend, be sure to explore the places transit can take you – from tobogganing to ice skating or just checking out some of the local businesses. From our family to yours, we wish you the best of this long weekend.

Categories
Construction General

2018 >> creating a sustainable future

2018 has been a year of progress, working toward completing our funded projects, and continuing to develop plans for new transit projects.

In Vaughan, our Viva rapidway project on Highway 7 West and along Bathurst and Centre Streets is approaching the final stretch. In 2018, we installed canopies at seven vivastations, installed a massive culvert under Highway 7, paved red asphalt between Bathurst and Yonge Street, and continued to expand the bridge over Highway 400.  In 2019, you’ll see rapidway construction in centre lanes, more paving and permanent features, leading up to opening for service in phases.

Yonge Street in Newmarket reached several milestones this year, including new storm sewers and water mains, raised bike lanes, and a traffic shift, allowing crews to perform work on the vivastation platforms in the middle of the road. In Richmond Hill, work included curb installations, base paving, storm sewer and other utility work, and more progress is expected in 2019.

Construction began on Cornell Bus Terminal in Markham near Markham-Stouffville hospital, and construction of a new bus terminal is underway in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. We expect to see significant progress on these terminals in 2019.

The preliminary planning, design and engineering phase of the Yonge Subway Extension was underway in 2018, and will continue in 2019.

There’s more to come, as we work toward funding, for capital construction of the Yonge Subway Extension, and for 75 more kilometres of rapidways across York Region. To keep up with York Region’s growth, we have to continue building our transit network. And to do this, we’re exploring all of York Region’s transportation options to create a sustainable future.

Categories
Funding Future Projects Innovation

with smart investment, there’s more to come

with smart investment, there’s more to come

This year has been all about what’s to come. Along with our bus rapid transit [BRT] and transit terminals projects we have on the go, there is more to be done to ensure York Region has a transportation network that is complete and sustainable:

  • Yonge Subway Extension [YSE] – Preliminary design and engineering is already underway for York Region’s top transit priority. Once full capital funding is committed for this 5-station, 7.4 km extension from Finch to Highway 7, it will be ready to proceed to procurement, full engineering and construction. For more info, visit our YSE project page
  • next phase of BRT – More than 75 km of new dedicated lanes for Viva, along Yonge Street, Highway 7 East and West, Jane Street, Major Mackenzie Drive and Leslie Street. These projects are vital to ensure that York Region has a completely connected system, making the most of the investment already made into BRT. Why Bus Rapid Transit? The capacity fits the projected ridership on most of our routes, it’s relatively economical to build and flexible to expand. For more information about these BRT projects, click here, or look at our interactive map of unfunded rapid transit projects in York Region.
  • building innovation – Helping York Region benefit from the changes to technology and mobility, by researching trends and building partnerships – find our 10-year business plan here.

York Region is a big municipality – with a growing number of residents and businesses. To ensure everyone can travel from A to B without overloading our roads with traffic congestion, we’re putting a fast, reliable transit system in place, on some of our busiest roads. We’re also looking at new ideas in travel and mobility. We’re researching new types of transit vehicles, sustainable solutions and innovative funding partnerships.

Growth can be great when it’s managed well, and for this we need smart investments that bring York Region’s bright future to life!

Categories
Development suburban to urban transformation Urban Planning

developing new opportunities in Markham

developing new opportunities in Markham

Development brings to mind condo towers and big business. It doesn’t necessarily make us think of entertainment, education and recreation. Given some new and upcoming projects, that is what’s in store for Markham.

Markham Movieland, a 400,000 square-foot TV/film studio, was recently announced for Markham. The new studio will feature several soundstages, with one blockbuster-sized 70,000 square-foot soundstage – the largest in North America. The facility is expected to be built by the end of 2020 fulfilling an increasing demand for film facilities and workers. Markham Movieland will be conveniently located along transit routes near 14th Avenue and Kennedy Road, just south of Markham Centre.

Construction also begins this year on the new York University Markham Centre campus, opening to over 4000 students in 2021. The new campus will build on an existing partnership between the City of Markham and York University to boost the innovative and entrepreneurial efforts of local businesses. The University is working with Cineplex to host classes at the Cineplex theatre in Markham Centre – aligning business and education. It will offer joint programs with Seneca College, connections to other Markham businesses [such as IBM], and perhaps most importantly, connections to transit.

Just east of the new York U campus is the Markham Pan Am Centre, a world-class sports facility used recently during the 2015 Pan American and ParaPan American Games. It features an Olympic-size pool, multiple gyms and a fitness facility, training/meeting facilities and staff for hosting large events.

Several condo and business developments are planned for the area in the next 5-10 years, an amazing change considering this part of Markham was empty fields just 10 years ago.

We’ve highlighted Markham, but really this type of mixed-use, transit-oriented development is on the horizon for York Region’s other city centres too. In Vaughan, a new subway and bus rapid transit hub is bringing new condos and businesses to the area, and in Newmarket, more amenities and services are on the way for Davis Drive. Richmond Hill is at York Region’s centre, where several developments are waiting in the wings for the Yonge Subway Extension to begin construction.

Growth, when planned well, brings opportunities. And in York Region, there are many more to come.

Categories
Construction Video

a step forward: discover your Yonge walking tours

a step forward: discover your Yonge walking tours

This summer, vivaNext offered the public a complimentary behind-the-scenes construction tour in Richmond Hill and it was a resounding success! You can view our latest video on the Yonge Street tours.

Participants got a closer look at the progress of the vivaNext rapidway construction project in various locations on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill – between Highway 7 and 19th Avenue/Gamble Road – and highlighted the following:

Local residents who participated in the tour were enthusiastic!

According to participant Marjorie Ball, “gathering a better understanding of the complexity of the project was very helpful. It was well worth the time and a lot of good information came from the staff and personnel on site.”

At the end of the tour, each participant received a $15 lunch voucher to use at participating Yonge Street restaurants and these businesses were more than happy to be involved in this great initiative.

“The question and answer part [of the tour] was fantastic!” said participant George Blundell. “The tour was very interesting and informative and involved a well-rounded selection of employees, including community liaisons, summer students, constructors and engineers. Then getting the lunch voucher was just icing on the cake.”

We want to thank all participants, supporting businesses and our staff for making these tours a success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

For information about ongoing vivaNext projects, be sure to subscribe to email updates, and follow us on Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. Questions or comments? Comment below or email us at contactus@vivanext.com.

Categories
Future Projects

building to be our best

building to be our best

When we grocery shop for family, we include healthy food choices because we know that having them easily accessible helps us make the better choice.

Why do we try that new yoga move, join a softball league, take a class, learn an instrument or change to a new career? We want try new things and make healthy choices because it makes our lives better. And we’re most likely to make those choices when they’re right in front of us, and they seem easy.

Transit is another choice that people make when it’s right in front of them, and seems easy. If there were transit stations right near your home and work, where you knew you could always catch a ride in 15 minutes or less, where you could pay in advance so you didn’t have to fumble with coins, would you be more likely to choose transit? How about if you knew it would zip you past traffic, and you could do something else with your time instead of drive? You could text a friend, get started on work emails, or just look at pretty pictures on Instagram.

We plan for what we want our lives to be and we invest in change. This is why, when we plan communities, we plan them for all types of mobility. Viva provides fast, convenient transit that bypasses traffic in a dedicated rapidway. Also communities are getting larger sidewalks and bike lanes along the new rapidways, so people can move around quickly and safely.

When we build rapidways, there’s usually a jump in the number of customers when a segment first opens, but we know it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years of people watching the transit run like clockwork, years of new development in the area, before real changes happen. Markham is a good example, where rapidways opened in 2013/2014 and since then development has grown steadily along Highway 7 East and in Markham Centre. Soon, York University will have a campus there to add to the vibrant community where people come to learn and play.

York Region is growing in many areas, and this has created a need for more rapid transit segments – especially on Yonge Street from 19th/Gamble to Mulock Drive, and on Highway 7 in western Vaughan and in eastern Markham. We’re planning for the future. To see a map of how [and where] we’re building to be our best, click here.

Categories
Safety

more rapidways = more safety

more rapidways = more safety

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

When you think about transit, do you imagine safer places for walking, driving, and taking transit? We did – that’s why when we designed our rapidway projects, we built in features that would make each roadway more welcoming, and safer for everyone. Some of these safety improvements include:

  • Centre lanes: According to York region’s 2016 statistics, there has been a 20 – 40% reduction in collisions on Davis Drive and Highway 7 East, compared to 2009, before Rapidway construction began. The center lane rapidway design certainly plays a part in this, removing the option for higher risk mid-block left turns. At some intersections, like on Davis Drive, dedicated left turn lanes were added, preventing drivers from having to merge out from behind left-turning traffic in a shared lane.
  • Emergency path: The rapidway lanes are for buses only, but available for ambulance, fire and police vehicles to use in an emergency. According to York Region’s emergency services, having these lanes available may have contributed to reduce travel and response times in the community.
  • Station safety features: Viva customers can feel secure at rapidway stations, thanks to impact-resistance glass at each station, with an interior film that prevents shattering, similar to a windshield. In the case of an emergency at a vivastation, security cameras are monitored 24/7 and an emergency button lets customers speak directly to transit security.
  • Safer corners: Typically, corners of intersections are either a gentle arc to allow higher-speed right turns for vehicles and easier turning for large trucks, or they’re a tighter radius in more pedestrian-heavy zones to ensure drivers see pedestrians, and take corners slowly.
  • Sturdy barriers: New traffic signals offer a safe, two-stage crossing option with a waiting area in the middle protected by concrete barriers [we refer to these as “banana walls,” due to their curved shape].
  • Wider sidewalks: Sidewalks are wider, with concrete planters that offer a physical barrier in case of a traffic accident.

Safety is always top priority for vivaNext projects. It shows in the results – great communities with welcoming, safe roadways and reliable transit. These design features are just part of what we do to build great places to take transit, walk and drive, and there’s more to come.