The expression “where there is a will, there is a way” might as well be talking about the Yonge North Subway Extension [YNSE], because this project has been York Region’s top transit priority for two decades. Here at YRRTC, we were thrilled to hear the announcement last month that the Government of Canada is contributing 40% of the YNSE, as part of a larger investment for four GTA transit projects.   The YRRTC Board, led by Board Chair and Markham Mayor, Frank Scarpitti, and Chairman and CEO of York Region, Wayne Emmerson have championed this project, most recently collecting signatures ..read more

connecting 2 employment megazones! over 54,000 employers in Markham and Vaughan will be connected by the Yonge North Subway Extension. When considering the Yonge North Subway Extension, the question is, are we keeping up with growth in York Region – or catching up to it?  This is the second blog in a series that will help our communities get more familiar with the Yonge North Subway Extension and highlight some of the important reasons why York Region needs this critical project. The truth is that Yonge Street is growing fast north of Finch, with high-density residential and commercial de ..read more

Last month, Metrolinx released their Yonge North Subway Extension Initial Business Case, and for those of you who aren’t already experts on transportation planning, that means this critical project has taken one step forward. As always with large infrastructure projects like this, there are more steps to come. There’s a consultation process just getting started, and that will help answer some of the questions around where the stations should be, and the route the extension takes [aka. The “alignment”]. This is the first of several future blogs that will help our communities get more familia ..read more

Last year was unprecedented and came with challenges for everyone, everywhere. There were achievements too though, and those are worth more than a mention. Working with our partners, at YRRTC we delivered 17 kilometres of rapid transit in 2020, completing the first phase of the Viva bus rapidway network that includes 33.7 kilometres of dedicated rapidways along York Region’s busiest corridors. These projects are more than just transit – they are complete street rebuilds above and below the ground. As of the end of 2020, the rapidways, combined with some transit facilities and a bus terminal ..read more

Crews are in the process of painting bike boxes on Highway 7 West and Bathurst & Centre in Vaughan, as well as on Yonge Street in Newmarket. Bike boxes [identified by their green paint] are spaces allocated at signalized intersections along the rapidway corridors that allow cyclists to safely wait for a signal when turning left. This is instead of waiting in the left-turn lane, making the rapidway corridors safer and more welcoming for cyclists. Here’s pretty much everything you’d want to know about them. The purpose of a bike box Bike boxes provide a safe left-turn option for cyclists ri ..read more

As you can imagine, we think about traffic signals quite a lot here at vivaNext. They’re a part of everyday life and are essential to get from point A to point B for all users, including transit customers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. The stages of rapidway construction have their own traffic signal stages: temporary and permanent. When construction begins on any of the vivaNext rapidway projects – such as the vivaNext Yonge Street rapidway project in Richmond Hill – traffic patterns and intersections shift to accommodate the new rapidway lanes. Therefore, temporary traffic signals ar ..read more

At the risk of sounding boastful, there’s an accomplishment we want to tell you about. York Region’s Bus Rapid Transit [BRT] system is a bronze medalist. That’s right. We’re up there on the podium with some of the world’s best rapid transit, and along with Ottawa, we’re one of only two systems in Canada to be recognized. York Region was awarded a Bronze certification from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy [ITDP], based on the “BRT Standard,” an evaluation tool developed by ITDP for world-class transit, based on international best practices. The BRT Standard establishes ..read more

When building rapidways for generations to enjoy, it’s important to make sure that the end product meets the requirements we set out to build. That’s why you may see work activity in the first couple of years after infrastructure projects are done. Deficiencies Everything – from the paver stones on the sidewalk, to the glass in the canopies, to the red asphalt – is tested, inspected and verified by qualified engineers with a keen eye for detail. Anything that doesn’t make the grade is placed on a “deficiencies list” that the builder is responsible to remedy. Warranty work Much like when you b ..read more

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 ..read more

The rapidway project in the Bathurst & Centre area is making excellent progress – and the transformation of the corridor is in the home stretch. With Centre Street’s long-term lane closures opened again – and two lanes of traffic are flowing both eastbound and westbound – drivers will have relief. It’s the perfect time to take a fresh look at traffic movements and safety in the area. good habits are key when it comes to safety During the heaviest construction periods, a number of drivers may develop habits of cutting through residential streets that are meant for local traffic only as a s ..read more