and the award goes to ...
We love planning, designing and building rapid transit and we hope you love the results – check out our ‘trophy case’ below!
- Project of the Year [2nd Place]: Cornell Bus Terminal, Professional Engineers Ontario - York Chapter, 2023
- Project of the Year: Highway 7 East BRT, American Public Works Association, 2014
- Project of the Year: Highway 7 East BRT, Ontario Public Works Association, 2013
- Project of the Year: Highway 7 East BRT, Professional Engineers Ontario - York Chapter, 2013
- Top 10 Roads List - No. 2 in North America: Highway 7 East BRT, Roads & Bridges Magazine, 2015
- Honourable Mention: YNSE The Demand Is Here video, Hermes Creative Awards and AVA Digital Awards, 2022
- Provides a sustainable travel option to support continued growth along Highway 7 East, and transit-oriented development in Markham Centre
- Connects to BRT and conventional YRT buses, GO Transit trains and buses, and to future subway where Markham meets Yonge Street
- Supports sustainable growth, with transit-oriented development acting as the catalyst for exceeding 2031 population and jobs targets by 62%, as of 2021
- 4 km of dedicated bus rapid transit lanes and 6 stations – providing accessible connections and faster travel past traffic congestion
- 8 km of new water main, and 3.8 km of fibre-optic cable added as part of BRT on Highway 7 and in Markham Centre
- 4 km of new streetscape, including new sidewalks, bike lanes, street lighting and accessible crosswalks
- 1,250 new trees and 10,000 shrubs planted across Highway 7 in Markham and Richmond Hill
- Collisions reduced by 69% along the sections of Highway 7 in Markham and Richmond Hill in 2021, compared to before rapidway construction, partly due to the centre-median BRT lanes preventing traffic from making hazardous mid-block left turns
- Improved travel for emergency service vehicles, with traffic-free rapidway lanes available as an option along Highway 7 East
- Project of the Year: Yonge Street BRT, American Public Works Association, 2022
- Project of the Year: Yonge Street BRT, Ontario Public Works Association, 2021
- Project of the Year: Yonge Street BRT, Professional Engineers Ontario - York Chapter, 2020
- Honourable Mention: Newmarket Project Newsletter, Hermes Creative Awards, 2021
- Connections to Newmarket’s key destinations including Main Street, Southlake Regional Health Centre, Upper Canada Mall and the Regional courthouse, and connections to other travel options at the Newmarket Bus Terminal, Newmarket GO Train Station, and a park and ride location on Davis Drive at Highway 404
- 5.1 km of dedicated bus rapid transit lanes and 6 stations in total as part of BRT projects on Davis Drive and Yonge Street – providing accessible connections and faster travel past traffic congestion
- Population and jobs forecasts for 2031 are on target as of the end of 2021 – a sign of sustainable, transit-oriented development
- New bridge and water main as part of the Davis Drive project, and 5.4 km of fibre-optic cable added to Davis Drive and Yonge Street in Newmarket
- 5.1 km of new streetscape, including new sidewalks, and bike lanes where space permits
- 970 new trees and 41,000 shrubs planted as part of the Davis Drive and Yonge Street projects
- Collisions reduced by 66% on Davis Drive and Yonge Street in 2021, compared to before rapidway construction on each corridor, likely due in part to eliminating mid-block left turns in regular traffic
- Improved travel for emergency service vehicles, with traffic-free rapidway lanes as an option to access Southlake hospital on Davis Drive
- Award of Merit: SmartVMC Bus Terminal, Vaughan Urban Design Awards, 2023
- The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) National Award for Innovation and Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships – Silver, 2022
- Award of Merit: Highway 7 West BRT, Vaughan Urban Design Awards, 2017
- Municipal Paving Project Finalist: Highway 7 West BRT, Ontario Good Roads Association, 2019
- Ontario Wood Design Award: SmartVMC Bus Terminal, Canadian Wood Council, 2020
- Platinum: Vaughan Metropolitan Centre animation video, AVA Digital Awards, 2018
- Honourable Mention: YNSE The Demand Is Here video, Hermes Creative Awards and AVA Digital Awards, 2022
- Direct connection to subway at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] station, contributing to the attraction of unprecedented development to this transit hub
- Supports transit-oriented development, with population and jobs targets for 2031 already exceeded by 94% as of 2021
- 13.6 km of dedicated bus rapid transit lanes and 13 stations – providing accessible connections and faster travel past traffic congestion
- New water main, and 12.8 km of fibre-optic cable added as part of BRT projects on Highway 7, Bathurst Street and Centre Street
- Bridges widened over a CN Rail Yard, and over Highway 400
- 13.6 km of new streetscape, including new sidewalks, bike lanes, and a first-in-Canada multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists in the centre median of the bridge over Highway 400
- 1,324 new trees and 25,000 shrubs planted along streets with BRT in Vaughan
- Collisions reduced by 53-59% compared to before rapidway construction along Highway 7 West, Bathurst and Centre Streets, likely due in part to eliminating mid-block left turns in regular traffic
- Improved travel for emergency service vehicles, with traffic-free rapidway lanes available as an option
- Project of the Year: Highway 7 East BRT, American Public Works Association, 2014
- Project of the Year: Highway 7 East BRT, Ontario Public Works Association, 2013
- Project of the Year: Highway 7 East BRT, Professional Engineers Ontario - York Chapter, 2013
- Project of the Year: Yonge Street BRT, American Public Works Association, 2022
- Project of the Year: Yonge Street BRT, Ontario Public Works Association, 2021
- Project of the Year: Yonge Street BRT, Professional Engineers Ontario - York Chapter, 2020
- Top 10 Roads List - No. 2 in North America: Highway 7 East BRT, Roads & Bridges Magazine, 2015
- Silver certification for LEED [Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design]: Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility, Canada Green Building Council, 2016
- Platinum: Richmond Hill Project Newsletter, Hermes Creative Awards, 2022
- Gold: Richmond Hill Project Newsletter, AVA Digital Awards, 2021 & 2022
- Honourable Mention: YNSE The Demand Is Here video, Hermes Creative Awards and AVA Digital Awards, 2022
- Provides a sustainable travel option to support continued growth along Highway 7 and Yonge Street
- Connects to BRT and conventional YRT buses along Highway 7 and Yonge Street, to GO Transit trains and buses, to future subway at the future northern terminus of the YNSE, and to a future Highway 407 transitway
- Population and jobs targets for 2031 already exceeded by 95% in Richmond Hill Centre as of 2021
- 11.6 km of dedicated bus rapid transit lanes and 14 stations on Yonge Street and Highway 7 – providing accessible connections and faster travel past traffic congestion
- New water main and 15 km of fibre-optic cable installed as part of the Yonge Street and Highway 7 East BRT projects
- 11.6 km of new streetscape, including new sidewalks, bike lanes, street lighting, and fully accessible towers to allow pedestrians to move from Bayview Avenue to Highway 7 below
- 2,200 new trees and 73,451 shrubs planted as part of the BRT on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill, and along Highway 7 East in Richmond Hill and Markham
- Collisions reduced by 58-69% along Yonge Street and Highway 7 East compared to before rapidway construction, likely due in part to eliminating mid-block left turns in regular traffic
- Improved travel for emergency service vehicles, with traffic-free rapidway lanes available as an option
Corporate
We’re honoured to have received recognition for the design & planning of the whole network, and for how we communicate about what we do.
Watch video: connections through rapid transitAwards for innovation, planning, design, leadership and sustainability:
- Bronze BRT Standard Certification: BRT across York Region, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, 2019
- Design-Build Excellence – Transportation over $50 million: Viva Phase 1 Quick Start, Design-Build Institute of America, 2006
- Engineering Medal in Management: Paul May, P. Eng. Vice President Project Implementation at YRRTC, Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, 2018
- Top 10 Public Works Leader Award: Paul May, P. Eng. Chief Engineer at YRRTC, American Public Works Association, 2017
- Planning Excellence in Transportation and Infrastructure: Viva in York Region plan, Canadian Institute of Planners, 2007
- Innovation Award: Viva BRT System plan, American Public Transportation Association, 2006
- Peter J. Marshall Award for Municipal Innovation: Rapid Transit Plan for York Region, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, 2006
- Canadian Project of Excellence - Environmental Impact: Rapid Transit Plan for York Region, Canadian Institute of Planners, 2006
- Mobility Achievement [Sustainable Urban Transportation]: Viva Fast Forward to a Sustainable Future, Transportation Association of Canada, 2005
Awards for communications:
- Platinum: 2022 Annual Report, AVA Digital Awards, 2024
- Platinum: Awards Recognition & Awareness Campaign, AVA Digital Awards, 2024
- Platinum: Awards Recognition & Awareness Campaign, Hermes Creative Awards, 2023
- Award of Merit: 2021 Annual Report, IABC Gold Quill Awards, 2023
- Award of Excellence: 2021 Annual Report, IABC Ovation Awards, 2023
- Platinum: 2021 Annual Report, AVA Digital Awards, 2023
- Platinum: 2021 Annual Report, MarCom Awards, 2022
- Gold: 2020 Annual Report, Hermes Creative Awards, 2022
- Award of Merit: 2020 Annual Report, IABC Gold Quill Awards, 2022
- Award of Merit: 2020 Annual Report, IABC Ovation Awards, 2022
- Platinum: 2020 Annual Report, AVA Digital Awards, 2022
- Platinum: 2020 Annual Report, MarCom Awards, 2021
- Platinum: Crisis Communication Plan, Hermes Creative Awards, 2021
- Gold: Connections through Rapid Transit video, Hermes Creative Awards, 2021
- Gold: Support Local ad campaign, Hermes Creative Awards, 2021
- Honourable Mention: vivaNext blogs, AVA Digital Awards, 2021
- Honourable Mention: Connections through Rapid Transit video, AVA Digital Awards, 2021
- National Recognition Award: BRT Commissioning communications, Canadian Urban Transit Association, 2015
- National Leadership Award: Business Support Program communications, Canadian Urban Transit Association, 2016
- Top 100 Blogs List – No. 29 Worldwide in Urban Planning: vivaNext blogs, Feedspot, 2017