For immediate release
September 22, 2019
RICHMOND HILL and VAUGHAN, ON – Today Wayne Emmerson, Chairman and CEO, The Regional Municipality of York; and Phil Verster, President and CEO, Metrolinx, announced the early opening of a 2.6-kilometre segment of Viva bus rapid transit (rapidway) along Highway 7, from Bathurst Street to Richmond Hill Centre Terminal near Yonge Street, including the Bathurst and Highway 7 vivastation.
This marks a significant milestone in the design, build and finance project to deliver 12.6 kilometres of rapidway with 10 new stations along Highway 7 (from Bruce Street to Edgeley Boulevard), and from Centre Street to Yonge Street along the existing Viva route across Centre Street and up Bathurst Street. As part of the overall project, a special feature for cyclists and pedestrians will be a protected multi‐use path that runs in the centre of the roadway on the bridge over Highway 400, between the rapidway lanes which will open by the end of 2019.
Construction on this project began in the fall of 2015 with EDCO as the contractor, a joint venture of EllisDon Capital and Coco Paving. The remaining two segments within the $333 million construction contract are scheduled to open for service by the end of this year.
Together with York Region Rapid Transit, Metrolinx is excited to be opening another segment in York Region,
said Phil Verster, Metrolinx President and CEO. Once completed, this bus rapid transit network will increase connectivity in the region and make transit more convenient for commuters.
This addition to the Highway 7 rapidway provides improved connections for the people travelling now and in the future as our urban centres continue to grow,
said Wayne Emmerson, Chairman and CEO, The Regional Municipality of York. This rapidway links two of our significant employment, recreation and residential centres to subway lines, train routes, bus routes and park and ride lots; allowing travellers more options to choose how they want to travel.
The York Viva bus rapid transit project represents a $1.4 billion (2009$) transit investment from the Government of Ontario, and is part of Metrolinx’s Regional Transportation Plan, a 25-year plan for an integrated and sustainable transit and transportation system in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The project is funded by Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario. Visit metrolinx.com for more information.
York Region Rapid Transit Corporation (YRRTC) is responsible for the planning, design and construction of the full vivaNext rapid transit network and related infrastructure to deliver on the transit priorities set out in the York Region Transportation Master Plan. YRRTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary and share capital corporation of The Regional Municipality of York. For more information, please visit www.vivanext.com.
The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns, and provides a variety of programs and services to 1.2 million residents and 52,000 businesses with 636,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/regionalservices.
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Contact:
Mary-Lynn Smith
York Region Rapid Transit Corporation
905-886-6767 ext. 71388
mary-lynn.smith@york.ca
Metrolinx Media Relations
416-202-5859
mediarelations@metrolinx.com