February 27, 2015

In preparation for road widening and utility relocation as part of the vivaNext bus
rapidway project, crews will be marking and removing trees along York Region’s
right-of-way on the east and west sides of Yonge Street in Richmond Hill, from Highway 7
to Major Mackenzie and from Levendale Road to 19th Avenue/Gamble Road.

why are trees being removed along Yonge Street?
Yonge Street is being widened for rapidways – dedicated lanes in the centre of the road
for bus rapid transit. Trees that are located within the road widening area need to be
removed to allow for the next phase of construction.

how many trees are being removed and what will they be replaced with?
Approximately 665 trees of varying health and sizes will be removed. Once the rapidway
project is complete, the same number of trees will be planted along the boulevards and in
the medians as part of vivaNext’s landscape plan, which supports York Region’s Greening
Strategy. Yonge Street will have attractive, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and extensive
landscaping with many types of trees, shrubs, ground covers, ornamental grasses and
perennial flowers.

when are the trees being removed?
As early as February 27, crews will begin marking trees that need to be removed. Tree
removals will begin shortly thereafter. The majority of the trees will be removed prior to bird
nesting season, which is April 15 to July 15. Any remaining trees to be removed during bird
nesting season will be assessed and signed off by a Certified Arborist prior to removal.

Crews will work 7am to 7pm, Monday-Friday to complete the work. At times, some weekend
work may be required. Tree removal will take approximately 2 months to complete.

what impacts will there be during this work?

• Short duration lane closures will be required in the north and southbound curb lanes
  as crews remove trees on the east and west side of Yonge from Highway 7 to Major
  Mackenzie and from Levendale Road to 19th Avenue/Gamble Road.
• At times, sidewalks may be closed to ensure pedestrian safety during tree removal
  operations. Signs will be in place to direct pedestrians to cross safely at signalized
  intersections.
• Bus stops may also be temporarily affected. If required, bus stops will be relocated
  to an alternate location. Signs will be in place to direct passengers to the temporary
  location.
• Smaller trees will be removed and the wood will be chipped onsite. Larger trees will
  be loaded into a bin and chipped off site to minimize the disruption. All areas will be
  cleaned up before moving on to the next location. The wood chips and mulch from the
  trees will be used for landscaping purposes.
• There will be minimal noise and some dust associated with this work.

If you have questions about the tree removal program or the rapidway project please contact:

Yonge Street Rapidway
Leslie Pawlowski | Community Liaison | 905.505.1430 | leslie.pawlowski@york.ca

Please note: As with all construction projects, some work may be rescheduled due to weather. We’ll provide advance notice whenever possible.