Month: July 2018

Categories
Innovation Technical Urban Planning

your journey, your way

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

Work, shopping, school, lunch with friends – you have places to be, things to do, and you need a way to get there.  Your journey has to be tailored to you, and with the drastic makeover transportation has received in recent years; it’s now easier than ever.

Whether you need to rush to get somewhere on time, or you want to chat with your friends while someone else drives, there are a multitude of options available to craft the perfect journey:

  • Transit: Taking transit from one region to another is made simple with the trip planning and payment apps that have become available. Triplinx is one example of a tool for finding the fastest route with real-time arrival updates.
  • Cars: With ridesharing, there’s more than one way to get from A to B. Services like Uber and Lyft operate 24/7 using phone apps. Car sharing services are a popular choice for those who occasionally need a short-term rental – choices vary from ZipCar to the peer-to-peer Turo. And, there’s always carpooling with a friend.
  • Active transportation: With the beautiful weather this summer is giving us, active transportation is a great choice. Companies such as BikeShare and Lime take the hassle out of renting with multiple options such as bikes, scooters etc. With docking stations all over the city, you won’t have to worry about parking in specific spots.

Car sharing and bike sharing services are relatively new to the GTA and haven’t crossed municipal boundaries to York Region yet, but York Region is growing, so there will be more to come. After all, just five years ago there was no such thing as bus rapid transit, or subway, in York Region. Now we have more than 12 km of rapidways and 18 vivastations, and a subway extension that reaches Highway 7 in Vaughan. Your life and daily activities are unique to you, and your transportation choices should reflect that.  Finding new ways to get places is easier than ever with new technologies evolving every day.

Categories
Construction Safety Signs and barrels Uncategorized Video

let’s slow down and drive carefully, together

Blogpost by: Monica DeLuca

Summer’s here! And while summer means travelling with no worries of sliding on ice or wiping snow off the car windshield, it is also prime rapidway construction season. And while drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders are travelling around York Region, construction crews are out on the corridors daily working to upgrade utilities, widen the road to make way for the rapidway, construct vivastations and all the while ensuring that safety is a top priority.

To help keep everyone as safe as possible, it’s important to obey the posted speed limit in construction zones.

roadways under construction

During construction, lane closures are frequent and in the process of road widening and curb removal, uneven gravel surfaces are prominent. As a result, the roads are impacted and since driving conditions are not as smooth as anticipated; speed limits are reduced to prevent hazardous situations such as motor collisions.

workers are vulnerable

Making a conscious effort to slow down and abide by the posted speed limit contributes to the safety of those on the road including, pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and construction crews who are often working in close proximity to the roadside.

be aware of machinery

While driving, it’s important to take note of construction machinery which is typically larger than other vehicles on the road. Be attentive to the different types of equipment as well as to changes and reduction in traffic lanes

We understand how exciting these summer months can be and how tempting it is to rush home after a long day, yet your safety is one of our top priorities, and at vivaNext we work hard to keep our community protected.

Safety is a shared responsibility. So the next time you’re driving near a construction site, slow down,  and be aware of the reduced speed limits in your area.

For information about ongoing vivaNext projects, be sure to subscribe to email updates, and follow us on Twitter. Questions or comments? Comment below or email us at contactus@vivanext.com.

 

Categories
General Going Green Innovation Studies Uncategorized

keeping it green, one ride at a time

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

As a society, most of us agree we need to do our part to take care of our environment, ensuring future generations can enjoy it.  Helping out the environment can start with small steps such as using a reusable water bottle, switching to paper straws and making a conscious effort to properly recycle materials that we use.

Another step we can take in the right direction is the way we travel.  Different transportation methods have different impacts on the environment.  Active modes of transportation such as walking and biking are the most ideal but are not always practical for long distance travel. Transit is the next best option that benefits the environment.

A bigger step in making environmentally-friendly choices is building infrastructure that makes it easy to choose transit. Transit and communities built close to transit provide a multitude of benefits to the environment including:

  • Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions: One bus can replace up to 70 cars on the road.
  • Alternative Fuels: The number of buses using alternative fuels increased significantly in the past 10 years, according to the U.S Federal Transit Administration. In April, the Government of Ontario committed to investing in a new pilot program that will allow York Region to purchase six, forty-foot electric battery-powered buses.
  • Air quality: The more people use transit, the fewer cars there are on the road which will significantly improve the air quality.
  • Protecting land: The Oak Ridges Moraine Act [2001] and the Greenbelt Act [2005] together protect 69% of York Region’s land. By building compact, transit-oriented development where growth should be, in our city centres, we help conserve the remaining 31% from suburban sprawl.

We have more projects to come, both bus rapid transit and subway, and they all contribute to making the environment better. We only have one earth; let’s do our part to take care of it.