Getting from A to B in style is what you’ve come to expect from us. But more is on the way – we’ve been busy here at Viva central, creating the next generation of rapid transit. We’re calling it vivaNext.
It’s all about connections. Connecting you to the people you want to see and places you need to be. VivaNext will give you more transit options and help create attractive boulevards along the Viva routes.
Soon you’ll be able to get around faster, in style and with a smile. VivaNext will extend the Spadina and Yonge subway lines north, and build dedicated lanes for Viva on Highway 7, Yonge Street and Davis Drive.
So, what do you have to say about vivaNext? Share your thoughts here by posting a comment below.
12 replies on “Introducing vivaNext”
da best. Keep it going! Thank you
The topic is quite hot on the Internet right now. What do you pay the most attention to while choosing what to write about?
DaleA: Choosing topics is actually quite easy. My blogs reflect what I talk about here at the vivaNext project office and quite often during my free time. For instance, the communications team worked really hard to develop the new user-friendly, content-rich website. It was just something that I had to blog about because it was all the buzz around the office.
I also try to pick topics that I find fascinating and I hope others will as well. How the Romans planned and built their city is so interesting. We talk about interesting ideas, like planning, all the time and I want to share them with everyone.
Finally, I look at what others are saying about vivaNext projects. We don’t live in a vacuum and people have different opinions. I respond to what others are saying.
I’m lucky to have this interesting job and work with a team that’s helping to shape not only a transit system, but live, work, play communities. I want to share with people how our project is progressing and give people an opportunity to comment themselves – pro or con.
The population of York Region is expected to increase by 50% over the next 15 years and there is not much available land to build more roads. That means, if nothing changes, a lot more people will be driving along the same roads leading to even worse traffic congestion.
The rapidways enable Viva to avoid congested traffic, which means people will experience a faster, more convenient trip for generations to come. The three initial routes for rapidway construction (Highway 7, Yonge St. and Davis Dr.) are all high congestion areas.
Preliminary discussions are underway to address many of these operational matters.
I think what’s most important is to focus on the transit user’s experience. Having a transit network that’s fast, reliable and connects the communities will help people rely less on their vehicles to get around. Introducing a separate subway line would cause inconvenience to riders, increase travel time and require a much bigger (more costly) terminal at Steeles.
The vivaNext plan is to have dedicated transit lanes (“rapidways”) running along Highway 7, extending east to Reesor Road in Markham. With the rapidways, riders will experience faster trips and, as ridership continues to increase, the frequency of service will be optimized.
I strongly agree with a subway extension and feel that it will benefit many commuters and will decrease the carbon emmissions produced by busses. However, I cannot see why we need to expand the roads to implement seperate lanes for the busses- especially if the new subway would mean less busses on the road anyways. I feel that the construction of these lanes would be a great waste of money, resources and time, as well as a huge disturbance in the community, and most likely would not make a huge difference in the long run. As of now, I am very pleased with the current VIVA/Yrt system, and strongly beleive that if something is not broken you shouldn’t try to fix it.
Implement the extended subway line.
Don’t waste money, time and resources to tear up our roads.
Doing that will not improve business for VIVA/Yrt, it will only make frustrated customers.
EC wrote, “There are questions that need to be addressed; will York Region continue to own and have our jurisdiction on OUR system?”
As far as the proposed Spadina extension, these questions have already been answered, more or less. I would like to think that by the time that line opens, we will have a better (read: more fair) fare integration system. I have written a proposal and am asking for comments and criticisms (see http://lrt.daxack.ca and click on the green “GTA Fare Integration” link).
Now, if there is no change to the way we pay transit fares when we cross boundaries like Steeles, the agreement in place is that the Subway line will be in the “TTC zone”, even when it is north of Steeles. This means that you will pay the TTC fare when you board it and the TTC will be keeping this fare to operate the subway. They will also operate and keep the money charged at any parking lots. York Region will have to pay for some of the operating costs, but the TTC will decide what is appropriate (read: don’t expect every train from the city to go all the way into York Region!).
For many commuters, this fare collection is no different from paying the subway fare at Finch, as is done now. However, a large group of commuters with less income available will be hit hard: York Region commuter students at York University. These students get a one-fare ride to the campus, but YRT/Viva will be restricted to going only as close as the Steeles West station on the north side of Steeles. Transferring to the subway at Highway 7 will require paying an additional fare. I wrote about this last September at http://lrt.daxack.ca/blog/?p=63 with links to a copy of the “Memorandum of Understanding” that outlines these details.
While I voted “yes” to extending the Yonge on your e-poll, I also believe it is necessary that the downtown relief line (DRT) & Don Mills LRT be built concurrently. The Yonge line is already operating at capacity, so that in the rush-hour peak, passengers trying to transfer from the Bloor-Danforth subway, the College/Carlton/Gerrard streetcar and the Dundas streetcar often cannot board. Extending the subway north is going to encourage more ridership from Thornhill and Richmond Hill, which is a good thing, but it may mean that Toronto residents will have no room on the train, which is a bad thing. Everything connects – so let’s make some noise about getting the DRT into the Metro-Linx plan!
While a subway station is desperately needed in York Region, connecting it with the TTC is a major concern. There are questions that need to be addressed; will York Region continue to own and have our jurisdiction on OUR system? Will we be able to collect revenue from OUR region? Would TTC problems such as strikes impact OUR transit?
I believe that the best thing to do is to split up the system at Steeles. The Yonge-University-Spadina subway is already VERY long. Problems in a section can mean delays or impact for the entire system. Having a separate fare paid to each municipality makes sense; after all, we are York Region, NOT Toronto… we chose to live in this region for a good reason. We should be able to tailor our transit system in a way we see fit, not what Toronto dictates. Transit needs are different in each regional municipality.
A YRT subway connecting the TTC at Steeles will be ideal.
The eastern leg of the Highway 7 ROW ends at Unionville GO Station. It should be extended a kilometre south to Kennedy / Highway 7, this section of the viva purple route on Kennedy is one of the most congested during rush hours.
Commuting is very important and more must be done to improve the service and the attractiveness, but we should be looking for the most bang for our money.
Asking if people support the subway extension is naturally going to receive an overwhelming ‘yes’ response, because why look a gift horse in the mouth? Everyone knows subways, so why not say yes? If I offer you a choice between something and nothing, which are you likely to take?
Subway has its places and Light Rail Transit has its places, and when the two are compared in the context of York Region, LRT comes out way ahead of subway in terms of providing the level of service needed now and for years to come and to do so with a better reach to far more residents of York Region than subway can.
VivaNext is not just subway expansion – it will involve the expansion of the Bus Rapid Transit network, as it should. So answer me this, why not take all the money that will be spent on separate lanes and doubling the fleet of buses and use it to make the subway go further? The simple answer: it will likely only take the subway to Yonge and 16th Avenue, and that is it. How many people will have a significant improvement in transit with the subway to 16th compared to ALL the BRT expansion? The 12.6 km of subway expansion (Spadina line from Downsview to Highway 7 and the Yonge extension north of Steeles) could build more than 50 km of LRT lines, including maintenance facilities, that would provide a network across Highway 7 with three corridors into Toronto! For details on this, go to http://lrt.daxack.ca and click on York Region Options.
A common argument against LRT as an extension to the subway is that of having to change from one system to another. The problem with this argument is that most users do not live at Yonge and Highway 7 or along Yonge south of there. Most will have to take a YRT or Viva bus to that location and change by getting off the bus, walking to an escalator, going down the escalator (or perhaps two) to get on the subway train. With an LRT line that extends all the way up Yonge to Elgin Mills, many more people will actually be close enough to not need a bus, and an LRT transfer at Steeles can be designed to be at the same level as the subway. This means no stairs and only steps from LRT to subway! With an LRT line across Highway 7, an interlined service similar to Viva Pink can operate to provide a one-seat rapid trip from Kennedy Road to Steeles and Yonge.
York Region has a number of advantages that Toronto does not even have when it comes to LRT implementation. Aside from wider road space, we have new developments that can support side-of-the-road right-of-ways for LRT lines. A good example of this can be seen on http://lrt.daxack.ca by clicking on Minneapolis in the Other Cities list on the left side of the page.
I encourage all to look at the alternatives. LRT fits in that space where Bus Rapid Transit is not enough and subway is too costly and is overkill.
Smoothing commuter trips around York Region and easing the challenge of getting into the city is a much needed initiative.
Hopefully we, as residents don’t lose sight of the benefits in the interim.