Tag: Rapidway

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Uncategorized

warranty & deficiency work ensures quality for years to come

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 buy a new house, it can take one or two years for the foundations to settle, and for you to make note of where the finishes are less than desirable. Then the contractor comes back to fix all the nail pops and cracks in the drywall, fill any gaps in the molding and repaint where necessary. It ensures that you are happy with the work, and you get the most out of your home. Warranty work is the same idea for our facilities, stations and rapidways.

Project managers of infrastructure projects call this the warranty work phase – an opportunity to catch any issues so that they can be fixed while the infrastructure is still under warranty – a period of two years. Note that the two-year warranty period starts when the project is handed over to York Region.

It often takes all the seasons in a full year to see how things weather in our climate, or perform once in use. You could see operations such as grinding and smoothing of curbs, fixing paint finishes and filling small cracks and, of course, taking note of anything else that needs work. Some upcoming warranty works may be much bigger, like asphalt replacement.

Finishing work

That’s why this spring on Highway 7 West and along Bathurst & Centre in Vaughan, and on Yonge Street in Newmarket, you’ll see project completion work such as planting trees and shrubs, raised bike lane paving, permanent pavement markings, station finishings like anti-grafitti application, and caulking, etc.

Whether you’re a regular transit rider, or are considering your first trip on the rapidway, know that we are working hard to provide you with a quality experience – and infrastructure that’s built to last.

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

Categories
Fun & Games History

happy holidays… all aboard!

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 would be transformed, let alone 34 km. But just a few years later we felt the magic of watching a Viva bus pull up to York Region’s very first vivastation at Warden and Enterprise in Markham.

Later, we saw Highway 7 East transform from a highway with gravel shoulders into a walkable destination with tree-lined sidewalks, and new places to live and work.

It wasn’t long before Davis Drive began to take shape in Newmarket, then the Highway 7 West rapidway and subway extension in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

This year, we’ve jumped ahead in our journey, with a new terminal open for service in November, new segments of rapidway open in September and November – and even more rapidway corridors opening soon in Vaughan and Newmarket.

So now, the vision of connecting and transforming communities has come to life. This is the season to believe, so let’s believe in future possibilities. Instead of hoping for a magical Polar Express train to the North Pole, we’ll be moving forward with the Yonge Subway Extension to Highway 7, and a connected network of bus rapid transit across York Region. Thank you for believing, and have a safe and happy holiday!

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General

from our family to yours

from our family to yours

This time of year, it’s all about relationships and family. Valentine’s Day has just passed, and now it’s Family Day weekend. Every family is a network, a group with things in common.

In York Region, there is a family of transit services operated by York Region Transit [YRT]: Local, Express, Viva, and On-Demand. Express and Viva sound alike, but while Express shuttles rush-hour customers to connection points with few stops in-between, Viva provides frequent service along some of our busiest roads, in dedicated bus lanes where possible.

Families are built and maintained with relationships, and yes, we can compare that to transit too. It’s the relationships between York Region Rapid Transit Corporation [YRRTC] and other organizations that move our projects forward.

  • York Region owns YRRTC [our shareholder], and we report to a Board of Directors made up of municipal Mayors and Regional Councillors.
  • Our projects are funded by all levels of government, sometimes private organizations and even other projects. The Province funded 100% of our rapidway projects through Metrolinx. Our maintenance facility in Richmond Hill and the Cornell Bus Terminal are funded by Federal, Provincial, and Regional government. SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal is funded by the Province, York Region, some funds from the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension project [TYSSE], and you guessed it – SmartCentres.

Aside from funding, some of the most valuable relationships we have are the ones we build as we construct our projects. We work closely with contractors and utility companies to ensure each project moves forward, with as little disruptions as possible to the community. Our Community Liaison team works directly with local residents and businesses affected by our construction. We know it’s important to keep everyone aware of what’s happening, and who to email or call if you have a question.

Our family is working to grow York Region’s rapid transit network, so if you’re out this Family Day weekend, be sure to explore the places transit can take you – from tobogganing to ice skating or just checking out some of the local businesses. From our family to yours, we wish you the best of this long weekend.

Categories
Funding Future Projects Innovation

with smart investment, there’s more to come

with smart investment, there’s more to come

This year has been all about what’s to come. Along with our bus rapid transit [BRT] and transit terminals projects we have on the go, there is more to be done to ensure York Region has a transportation network that is complete and sustainable:

  • Yonge Subway Extension [YSE] – Preliminary design and engineering is already underway for York Region’s top transit priority. Once full capital funding is committed for this 5-station, 7.4 km extension from Finch to Highway 7, it will be ready to proceed to procurement, full engineering and construction. For more info, visit our YSE project page
  • next phase of BRT – More than 75 km of new dedicated lanes for Viva, along Yonge Street, Highway 7 East and West, Jane Street, Major Mackenzie Drive and Leslie Street. These projects are vital to ensure that York Region has a completely connected system, making the most of the investment already made into BRT. Why Bus Rapid Transit? The capacity fits the projected ridership on most of our routes, it’s relatively economical to build and flexible to expand. For more information about these BRT projects, click here, or look at our interactive map of unfunded rapid transit projects in York Region.
  • building innovation – Helping York Region benefit from the changes to technology and mobility, by researching trends and building partnerships – find our 10-year business plan here.

York Region is a big municipality – with a growing number of residents and businesses. To ensure everyone can travel from A to B without overloading our roads with traffic congestion, we’re putting a fast, reliable transit system in place, on some of our busiest roads. We’re also looking at new ideas in travel and mobility. We’re researching new types of transit vehicles, sustainable solutions and innovative funding partnerships.

Growth can be great when it’s managed well, and for this we need smart investments that bring York Region’s bright future to life!

Categories
Construction Video

a step forward: discover your Yonge walking tours

a step forward: discover your Yonge walking tours

This summer, vivaNext offered the public a complimentary behind-the-scenes construction tour in Richmond Hill and it was a resounding success! You can view our latest video on the Yonge Street tours.

Participants got a closer look at the progress of the vivaNext rapidway construction project in various locations on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill – between Highway 7 and 19th Avenue/Gamble Road – and highlighted the following:

Local residents who participated in the tour were enthusiastic!

According to participant Marjorie Ball, “gathering a better understanding of the complexity of the project was very helpful. It was well worth the time and a lot of good information came from the staff and personnel on site.”

At the end of the tour, each participant received a $15 lunch voucher to use at participating Yonge Street restaurants and these businesses were more than happy to be involved in this great initiative.

“The question and answer part [of the tour] was fantastic!” said participant George Blundell. “The tour was very interesting and informative and involved a well-rounded selection of employees, including community liaisons, summer students, constructors and engineers. Then getting the lunch voucher was just icing on the cake.”

We want to thank all participants, supporting businesses and our staff for making these tours a success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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

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.

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Safety

more rapidways = more safety

more rapidways = more safety

Blogpost by: Sara Grilli

When you think about transit, do you imagine safer places for walking, driving, and taking transit? We did – that’s why when we designed our rapidway projects, we built in features that would make each roadway more welcoming, and safer for everyone. Some of these safety improvements include:

  • Centre lanes: According to York region’s 2016 statistics, there has been a 20 – 40% reduction in collisions on Davis Drive and Highway 7 East, compared to 2009, before Rapidway construction began. The center lane rapidway design certainly plays a part in this, removing the option for higher risk mid-block left turns. At some intersections, like on Davis Drive, dedicated left turn lanes were added, preventing drivers from having to merge out from behind left-turning traffic in a shared lane.
  • Emergency path: The rapidway lanes are for buses only, but available for ambulance, fire and police vehicles to use in an emergency. According to York Region’s emergency services, having these lanes available may have contributed to reduce travel and response times in the community.
  • Station safety features: Viva customers can feel secure at rapidway stations, thanks to impact-resistance glass at each station, with an interior film that prevents shattering, similar to a windshield. In the case of an emergency at a vivastation, security cameras are monitored 24/7 and an emergency button lets customers speak directly to transit security.
  • Safer corners: Typically, corners of intersections are either a gentle arc to allow higher-speed right turns for vehicles and easier turning for large trucks, or they’re a tighter radius in more pedestrian-heavy zones to ensure drivers see pedestrians, and take corners slowly.
  • Sturdy barriers: New traffic signals offer a safe, two-stage crossing option with a waiting area in the middle protected by concrete barriers [we refer to these as “banana walls,” due to their curved shape].
  • Wider sidewalks: Sidewalks are wider, with concrete planters that offer a physical barrier in case of a traffic accident.

Safety is always top priority for vivaNext projects. It shows in the results – great communities with welcoming, safe roadways and reliable transit. These design features are just part of what we do to build great places to take transit, walk and drive, and there’s more to come.

Categories
Construction Rapidways Stations Utilities

viva la winter!

Brr, it’s cold out there, or unseasonably warm, depending on the day. You never know what’s in store. Regardless of the weather, our construction crews continue to expand the Viva rapidway system to improve connections in York Region. The winter season lends itself to certain types of work, especially the kind that happens above ground.

shiny, new canopies

Forget the January blahs! It’s been exciting times on the Bathurst & Centre corridor this past month. The first two vivastation canopies were installed at Bathurst/Hwy 7 Station located on the Bathurst connector road, one for each side of the station. There’s nothing like seeing that crane lift the canopy into place!

The elegant, arched glass canopies evoke traditional European transit infrastructure, transforming the everyday experience of transit into a beautiful one. A third canopy is coming this winter to the vivastation on Bathurst at Atkinson Avenue.

Looking to the west, construction of the first vivastation platform is beginning to take shape at what will be Commerce Street Station on Highway 7 West.

On both Highway 7 West and Bathurst & Centre, road widening and construction of storm sewers, retaining walls and culvert work is underway. Winter is also a great time to relocate hydro lines and install new poles, which is getting close to being completed in this area.

signals, check!

Our Yonge Street projects are not as far along, and the underground utility work they need to do is limited during cold weather. Crews have made some progress on installing underground duct banks and gas mains in Richmond Hill. Traffic signal work, a good above-ground winter activity, and is also underway. In Newmarket, crews are preparing to start work on the east side of Yonge when the weather gets a bit warmer. They’ll be replicating the road widening that was performed on the west side last year.

planning season

Winter is also a great time to make plans, large and small. We’re working together with the TTC on design and engineering for the biggest plan of all – the Yonge Subway Extension. Also, our staff and contractors are carefully planning spring construction schedules for the Viva rapidway projects, coordinating in advance with stakeholders, and procuring contractors for other projects.

Come spring, our crews will be raring to go, full steam ahead. If you’d like to keep on top of what’s going on in your community, we invite you to sign up for updates.

Categories
Commissioning Construction Facilities and terminals Rapidways Stations Technical

the critical role of spiders in building Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station

Now, before you think we’ve imported some exotic tropical arachnids, what we call “spiders” are actually the stainless steel fittings that hold together the glass pieces on our stations. They’re called spiders due to their shape, and they play a critical role in the architectural and structural design of our stations.

For the new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre [VMC] rapidway station, the main structural support comes from the welded steel superstructure that forms the distinctive curved shape. Over top of that, steel, custom-made spider fittings are bolted to each steel intersection. The spider fittings support the individual glass panels on the station’s sides and skylight.

410 panels of glass

Each triangular-shaped panel of glass is attached by brackets on the legs of the spiders. Because each piece of glass is a unique size and shape, the job of attaching the glass to the spiders is very fiddly. The extra-large 50 by 24 metre VMC canopy has an eye-popping 410 panels, each equally spaced and slightly different due to the station’s curved planes. The tempered glass can’t be cut or drilled on site without shattering, so holes for the brackets were made during the fabrication process.

beautiful precision

We knew if the holes in the glass didn’t line up exactly to the spider brackets, the glass pieces wouldn’t fit. Since glass fabrication is a fairly slow process, we didn’t want to risk having to go back and remake a piece. Rather than making the glass in advance, we installed the spiders, then measured them with a 3-D laser scanner that registered the targets as multiple cloud points; essentially the same process used to make a 3-D model.

The last step was the installation of the glass panels to the station roof, and seeing all this precision and planning come together for beautiful results. Now if you visit the VMC rapidway station, you can take shelter under a strong and stunning glass canopy reminiscent of the great European architectural traditions, right here in York Region.

 

Categories
economic & financial General Studies

StatsCan commuting data highlights need for transit investment

The latest Statistics Canada census numbers on commuting confirm what many of us already know, experiencing it firsthand as we head to work each day. The commute is only getting busier. There are more commuters in Canada than ever, 15.9 million, up 30% from 1996. Not only that, but the journey is taking longer. The average commute now lasts 26.2 minutes, up from 25.4 minutes in 2011.

room to grow

These long-term trends shine a spotlight on why continued investment in bus rapid transit and subway projects is so important. We know growth will continue, and we should do our best to be ready. Here in York Region, we’re expected to have 300,000 more jobs and 590,000 more residents by 2041. Imagine the toll that could take on our already busy roads.

transit commuting on the rise

Over 20 years, transit commuting in Canada increased at a higher rate than driving to work – up 60% compared to a 28% increase. However, before people can ride transit, someone has to build it.

While StatsCan found transit commutes were taking longer as of 2016, the beauty of our rapidway system is that commutes generally won’t get longer. As traffic increases with our Region’s growing population, the buses can bypass congestion in the dedicated rapidway lanes and continue to provide consistent travel times.

the suburban work shift

The Toronto CMA alone, which includes York Region, added 191,450 more commuters over 20 years. As of 2016, a greater proportion of these commuters were working in the municipalities surrounding the City of Toronto. Statistics Canada says this indicates a slow shift of workplace locations from Toronto to outlying communities. Markham with its booming tech sector, and Vaughan with its new developments, are prime examples

With the suburbs attracting more businesses and jobs, investing in transit infrastructure now is the ticket to keeping our economies moving well into the future.