Tag: York Region

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General Innovation Uncategorized

more choices, more benefits #moretocome

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

Ah, the freedom of summer. Warm weather opens up our options – we’re more likely to play, travel, and/or work outside. Whether you walk, bike, take transit or drive, how you get from A to B is your choice.

We all value the freedom to choose, and that’s why it’s important to keep building infrastructure that expands our travel options. In York Region, many people are choosing to live in places where they have more options. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Markham Centre, downtown Richmond Hill and Newmarket – what all of our urban centres have in common is that there are lots of choices in where to go, and how to get there.

When you’re out and about this summer, consider travelling in a new way – hop on Viva or YRT, get there on foot, or ride a bike. Many of York Region’s attractions are easy to get to, and transit is a great option. If you travel along one of our completed rapidways, we hope you’ll see how adding more travel choices with attractive streets and landscaping benefits all of us and creates spaces and places we can all enjoy.

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.

Categories
Innovation Studies

imagine more choices

imagine more choices

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

Imagine going to a restaurant and opening the menu only to find a couple of items available to order.  While you know all the options are good, you sometimes wish there were more choices. Now take this situation and apply it to transit.

Now more than ever, commuters have a variety of options when it comes to choosing how to get from A to B.  New options include ridesharing platforms – for example Uber and Lyft.  Commuters tend to gravitate toward these because everything can be done on a smartphone – from ordering a ride, to payments, tips and ratings.

A common misconception is that ridesharing services are going to compete with and eventually replace public transit and make it obsolete.  This could not be further from the truth. According to a 2017 study done by Masabi, it was reported that:

  • 35% of respondents are now combining ridesharing with public transit to reach a destination on at least an occasional basis
  • 7% are combining ridesharing with public transit at least once a week
  • 95.5% of weekly rideshare riders use public transit, pointing to a future that could include less car ownership and more use of both public and private shared transportation

Commuters who pair ridesharing with public transit see an innovative and greener future where everyone benefits from more choices. Travellers are creating a demand for Mobility as a Service [MaaS], where trips are planned together across all modes and systems. With all of the advanced technology available today, the future of transportation is already evolving to be faster and easier.

To make sure you’re getting all the up-to-date information, subscribe for updates at vivanext.com!

Categories
Rapidways Subways

more to come

#MoreToCome

The warmer weather is bringing thoughts of new growth, and change. York Region has seen a lot of change in recent years. Along with our growing population, and increasing number of businesses and jobs, changes to our streets and infrastructure have brought about new choices.

Some of our funded rapidway projects are already constructed and open for service, bringing new options in how to travel, to Highway 7 East in Markham and Richmond Hill, Davis Drive in Newmarket, and Highway 7 West in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. In Vaughan, connections to subway make transit even more of an option to travel across the GTA.

Transit is transforming our city centres, and there are even more projects on the horizon:

  • The Yonge Subway Extension – York Region’s number one transit priority – has preliminary design and engineering underway and is ready to move to full engineering and construction once full capital funding is committed. For more information about this 5-station, 7.4 km extension from Finch to Highway 7, visit vivanext.com/project_YongeSubway
  • The next phase of bus rapid transit includes over 75 km of new dedicated lanes for Viva, along Yonge Street, Highway 7 East and West, Jane Street, Major Mackenzie Drive and Leslie Street. Most of the Environmental Assessments are complete for these projects, and we’re ready to move to preliminary engineering, design and construction once they receive capital funding. For a map of the unfunded rapid transit projects in York Region, click here.

With investments in transit and infrastructure, York Region’s continued growth will be “smart growth.” The new options this brings will paint a bright future, of new opportunities, experiences and destinations for residents and visitors alike!

 

Categories
Innovation Urban Planning

municipalities of the future

municipalities of the future

Earlier this month we were excited to be part of the Municipalities of the Future Symposium, hosted in Vaughan by York University. President of York Region Rapid Transit Corp. [YRRTC], Mary-Frances Turner, gave the keynote presentation, talking about trends and future innovation.

megatrends

Mary-Frances’ presentation highlighted a video by HP that talked about keeping up in this ever-changing world, by planning around these “megatrends”:

  • Rapid urbanization – larger cities, more cities
  • Changing demographics – aging population and lower birthrate, shrinking workforce
  • Hyper global and hyper local – everything connected to the internet, but customization is key
  • Accelerated innovation – market for new ideas and innovative business models, businesses reinventing themselves

future innovation >> smart growth

Looking at the state of the GTA, and global examples of transportation innovation, Mary-Frances talked about the need for “smart growth” in our cities and towns. In York Region, we expect to see a 49% rise in population and a 50% increase in jobs by 2041, but traffic congestion has been the number one concern of residents for the past 13 years.

What is smart growth? It’s compact, higher density development, maximizing the amount of places to live, work and be entertained, within walking distance of transit – where mobility and connections are seamless, regardless of municipal boundaries.

Smart growth includes better access to transportation – including transit, and future innovative technology. In the GTA, we’ve already created better access to health services, education and businesses with transit:

  • Dedicated bus lanes – rapidways – at the doorstep of Southlake Hospital in Newmarket and Markham-Stouffville Hospital in Markham.
  • Direct connection to subway in Vaughan, which stops at York University.
  • Viva rapidway stations near Seneca College’s Markham Campus and the future York University campus in Markham Centre.
  • Easy access for Viva riders and pedestrians to businesses along Davis Drive in Newmarket, and Highway 7 East and West in Markham and Vaughan.

There’s much left to do, including more transit, and more transportation options. Whether it’s bus rapidways, subway extensions, car sharing or drone taxis, there is a world of options out there. At YRRTC, we’re committed to being ready, by working with others to ensure guiding policies result in a successful future, by remaining open to changes in technology and the demands of new demographics, and by thinking outside the norm.

Categories
Urban Planning

having your own wheels, in your pocket

having your own wheels, in your pocket

For most of us old enough to have our drivers’ license, our approach to transportation has taken a pretty linear path. First, we got driven around by our parents. Then, we got a bit of independence when we could bike to our friends’. The bike in turn was ditched on that much-anticipated and magical day when we could get our own “wheels.” Throughout, as a fallback, there was always the bus. For most of us, how we got around reflected where we lived and what our budget was. But what wasn’t an option, was the thought that at any given time there could be multiple good choices for how we could get around. Or even, that there might be something more convenient or desirable than owning our own car.

All that is changing, and fast.

As this compelling report from consulting firm Deloitte describes, mobility – i.e., how we get around, is quickly becoming something people are approaching as consumers, like any other service or goods they shop for. People want choice, they want flexibility, and they want convenience. And they want it now.

Mobility as a service – MaaS for short – is poised to change how we get around, in the same way that Netflix forever changed how we access entertainment. Remember that not-so-long-ago day, when watching a movie meant lining up at the movie theatre to buy a paper ticket? Now, to catch the latest, you still might want to go out to the theatre, or you might want to call it up on your smart TV at home. Or maybe you want to watch on your phone while you’re enjoying a latte at the coffee shop. Instantaneous options, to suit your mood, at a given moment. Oh, and you don’t need to pay for that movie with cash, since that’s all handled by your TV or phone’s app automatically. It’s all seamless, and easy to use, and we just take it for granted now.

Take that degree of transformation and apply it to how you get around. That’s how mobility is about to be changed.

Say you need to get from A to B. You go to your app, punch in where you are now and where you’re going, and it tells you all your options. Bike sharing, public transit, ride hailing, car sharing, etc. You’ll be told what combination will get you there soonest, and how much each component will cost. You pay on your phone. It’s all coordinated behind the scenes, but seamless for you.

Sounds like some kind of sci-fi? Not at all. Some cities, including in Europe and Japan, are way ahead and already have these apps in place, coordinating the services offered by a whole range of public and private sector mobility providers. Canadian cities aren’t all that far behind. And with some transformation, our public transit services will play a key role as they do in those other cities; many, including at York Region Rapid Transit, are already focusing on mobility options. This means lots of creative ways of working together to make mobility seamless and more efficient for consumers. The day is coming when you can have your own “wheels,” without owning a car.

 

Categories
Live-work-play

rapid transit means quality of life

rapid transit means quality of life

When you think of rapid transit, you probably think of commuting – getting to school or work on time, without having to rely on a car. It’s true that transit helps people get to work – and that having more people on transit means fewer cars on the roads. But a fast, convenient transit system means more than getting to work.

It means getting home on time to meet friends for dinner, take the kids to swimming lessons or just to enjoy family time. Knowing when the next bus [or subway] will arrive is key. And being able to predict when you’ll get there is important to you, and everyone you’re connecting with.

Whether you take transit because it’s fast and easy, or because you can text your friends on the bus, quality of life is what it’s all about. This Family Day weekend, we wish you all the best, as you connect with friends and family.

 

Categories
Construction

we’re preparing for spring [despite what groundhogs may say…]

we’re preparing for spring [despite what the groundhog may say…]

The groundhogs seem to be of differing opinions about when spring is coming. Of the big three – Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam and Punxsutawney Phil – one says winter is over, and two predict six more weeks.

We’re ready for spring to come at vivaNext, with lots of plans afoot to continue the transformation of York Region’s busiest roads to rapidways.

When spring has sprung and the ground has thawed, our crews will be ready to carry out their detailed construction plans.

We carry out construction in all seasons, but there are some things that need warmer temperatures, like road widening, paving and of course, planting! Planters will be installed along Yonge Street in Newmarket this spring. At our newly open Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station, the planters are ready and waiting for a green touch, soon to be filled with greenery.

We’re paving the way to spring with information, preparing newsletters on our projects, and keeping our Board and local stakeholders updated. Subscribe to sign up for email updates today.

At this time of year, we’re looking forward to ramping up our work. It’s not long now, and whether the groundhogs are right or wrong, we’re ready for spring.

Categories
Construction Rapidways Stations Utilities

viva la winter!

Brr, it’s cold out there, or unseasonably warm, depending on the day. You never know what’s in store. Regardless of the weather, our construction crews continue to expand the Viva rapidway system to improve connections in York Region. The winter season lends itself to certain types of work, especially the kind that happens above ground.

shiny, new canopies

Forget the January blahs! It’s been exciting times on the Bathurst & Centre corridor this past month. The first two vivastation canopies were installed at Bathurst/Hwy 7 Station located on the Bathurst connector road, one for each side of the station. There’s nothing like seeing that crane lift the canopy into place!

The elegant, arched glass canopies evoke traditional European transit infrastructure, transforming the everyday experience of transit into a beautiful one. A third canopy is coming this winter to the vivastation on Bathurst at Atkinson Avenue.

Looking to the west, construction of the first vivastation platform is beginning to take shape at what will be Commerce Street Station on Highway 7 West.

On both Highway 7 West and Bathurst & Centre, road widening and construction of storm sewers, retaining walls and culvert work is underway. Winter is also a great time to relocate hydro lines and install new poles, which is getting close to being completed in this area.

signals, check!

Our Yonge Street projects are not as far along, and the underground utility work they need to do is limited during cold weather. Crews have made some progress on installing underground duct banks and gas mains in Richmond Hill. Traffic signal work, a good above-ground winter activity, and is also underway. In Newmarket, crews are preparing to start work on the east side of Yonge when the weather gets a bit warmer. They’ll be replicating the road widening that was performed on the west side last year.

planning season

Winter is also a great time to make plans, large and small. We’re working together with the TTC on design and engineering for the biggest plan of all – the Yonge Subway Extension. Also, our staff and contractors are carefully planning spring construction schedules for the Viva rapidway projects, coordinating in advance with stakeholders, and procuring contractors for other projects.

Come spring, our crews will be raring to go, full steam ahead. If you’d like to keep on top of what’s going on in your community, we invite you to sign up for updates.

Categories
economic & financial General Innovation Rapidways Stations Subways Urban Planning

great transit knows no borders

The vivaNext mandate is to build a strong bus rapid transit network in York Region, but our responsibility doesn’t end at our Region’s borders. We’re forging transit connections that help people get wherever they want to go, in our Region and beyond. That’s why we partner with organizations like Metrolinx, and engage in big-picture thinking about how people use transit and what customers want. We don’t live our lives constrained by regional borders, why should our transit systems?

crossing borders

A key feature of the Metrolinx Draft 2041 Regional Transportation Plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area [GTHA] is that it calls for historic levels of transit investment to deliver more – and more frequent – transit service across the region that crosses regional borders more simply and efficiently. Another key strategy is optimizing the system, so we make the most of what we have.

getting ready to meet RER

For example, over the next 10 years, the Metrolinx Regional Express Rail program plans to transform the GO rail network – the backbone of regional rapid transit in the GTHA – providing two-way all day service north-south, east and west. This doesn’t happen in isolation. We’re preparing to offer integrated services with YRT/Viva networks, to serve passengers riding the trains.

one fare system

We’re not there yet, but that’s the direction we’re headed. From a passenger perspective, a transit system with one simplified fare system that transcends regional boundaries across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area could make a lot of sense. We’re on our way with the PRESTO card, which you can use to pay for transit at 11 different transit agencies in the GTHA. As digital apps improve and new technology comes on board, we look forward to what comes next.

TTC subway, now running in York Region

The regional transit system took a giant leap forward with the first TTC subway to cross regional borders, connecting with the Viva bus rapid transit network. Now we’re seeing what one subway [and bus rapid transit] connection has done for Vaughan, with all the ground-breaking residential, office and entertainment development at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. The next top priority transit project for York Region is the Yonge Subway Extension, which will elevate regional subway connections to an entirely new level.

These are just some of the ways we’re involved in strengthening regional transit connections, a task that comes with challenges and opportunities.

To understand more about the challenges in our region and beyond, the Ryerson City Building Institute hosted Breaking Transit Governance Gridlock, an all-star panel on regional transit governance. Read their blog about the event.