One of the most valuable legacies of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games is the reliance on transit. In fact, the first vivaNext rapidway on Highway 7 East in Markham and Richmond Hill is actively being used during the Pan Am Games.
And it turns out there’s more to the story.
In an article in this morning’s Globe and Mail, urban transportation reporter Oliver Moore points out that the experience of all these Pan Am transit riders is painting a picture of how great having effective efficient mass transit can be when transit systems are in place, and when transit is actively supported and promoted.
For example:
• The transit agencies across the GTHA are working together more
• People are changing their habits as drivers become riders
• Buses on HOV lanes maintain schedules or are often ahead of schedule
“For riders, it is a glimpse of how fast and reliable surface transportation can be – offering a real alternative – if it does not have to compete with other traffic,” notes Moore.
Now’s that’s a legacy we @vivaNext can get excited about!
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One reply on “when transit is the star, good things happen”
I have some technical questions about your Rapidways. Is there enough space at the station platforms for more than one bus? If there is enough room for more than one transit vehicle, is there enough passing space at the Rapidway stations? For example, in a situation where two buses stop at a Rapidway station can the second bus safely pull out and go around the first bus because the bus in front is taking longer to load with passengers than the one behind it? It seems your stations are really tight for space and this would be a very limiting for the system’s capacity. In Ottawa and Pittsburgh there busways have ample passing room in the form of an extra lane at stations.