York Region Transit: Viva service thread

[Leo_Chan]

Articulated buses are coming to Leslie St and Jane St YRT routes.

The articulated Viva buses purchased back in 2005 were planned to be retired this year. They have decided to take a majority of them and refurbish them for YRT-use, extending them an additional 3 years past their life expectancy.

Are these the buses you're talking about?

 

[Leo_Chan]

The vivanext site updated the project map with the previous “Viva Curbside Stations (2018-2020)” becoming “Future Rapid Transit”. Does this mean that Viva Silver and Viva Green rerouted are no longer funded and/or have no timeline?

 

[raptor]

Was it so hard to indicate the GO station names on the map? and to mention that there are GO stations at Richmond Hill Centre (Langstaff) and Downsview Park? It's as if they don't want people to connect to other modes of transit.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Was it so hard to indicate the GO station names on the map? and to mention that there are GO stations at Richmond Hill Centre (Langstaff) and Downsview Park? It's as if they don't want people to connect to other modes of transit.

I don’t find this being an issue, but have circles with labels for each GO station would be helpful. At least label what each GO lines’ name is.

 

[smallspy]

The vivanext site updated the project map with the previous “Viva Curbside Stations (2018-2020)” becoming “Future Rapid Transit”. Does this mean that Viva Silver and Viva Green rerouted are no longer funded and/or have no timeline?

By that logic, wouldn't that then suggest that the VIVA services from Islington to Highway 50, from Unionville GO to Cornell and from 19th-Gamble to Savage would also be no longer funded?

The answer is "of course not". What they are showing is a map of current and future separated and higher-order transit. The rest of the services on the map are the ones that don't meet either of those definitions.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Leo_Chan]

By that logic, wouldn't that then suggest that the VIVA services from Islington to Highway 50, from Unionville GO to Cornell and from 19th-Gamble to Savage would also be no longer funded?

The answer is "of course not". What they are showing is a map of current and future separated and higher-order transit. The rest of the services on the map are the ones that don't meet either of those definitions.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

So would you say the “Future Rapid Transit” is planned and funded for a future phase, while “Proposed Future Viva Service” is not funded, but planned?

I think a better way to look at the map is in the view of it being the “Future Finished” system with projects and open/in construction Rapidways. Which means it shows Jane/Major Mack/Leslie routes as full Rapidways in the complete vision, even if they’ll be curbside in the near future. This also means that there will be no plans to convert Hwy 7 from Town Centre to Warden to become a Rapidway, as curbside are in construction now and widening the road even more seems unlikely. Of course, this is all subject to change with future plans, but this might be the current “fully built out” plan.

I wonder if Major Mackenzie and Leslie will get a bus terminal/loop since it has a big circle at that location. I say this because I’ve seen plans for a bus terminal at Major Mackenzie and Jane (Canada’s Wonderland, across from Hospital), which has a circle on the map.

 

[amnesiajune]

This also means that there will be no plans to convert Hwy 7 from Town Centre to Warden to become a Rapidway, as curbside are in construction now and widening the road even more seems unlikely.

The way that the road was rebuilt basically confirms that it will not be a BRT at any point in the short or medium term.

 

[smallspy]

So would you say the “Future Rapid Transit” is planned and funded for a future phase, while “Proposed Future Viva Service” is not funded, but planned?

No. What I would say is that the map in question shows current and future planned rapid transit, and nothing more. There's no way to differentiate between the current mixed-traffic service and future mixed-traffic service on it, therefore any assumptions about the future of those services are just that - assumptions.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Sandpit]

The vivanext site updated the project map with the previous “Viva Curbside Stations (2018-2020)” becoming “Future Rapid Transit”. Does this mean that Viva Silver and Viva Green rerouted are no longer funded and/or have no timeline?

My guess is that they decided that Leslie does not have the ridership to support a Viva route in the near future, and they're going to build up ridership on Jane/Major Mac first before introducing Viva service.

 

[djsurflfs]

YRT 2019 Service Plan: https://view.publitas.com/york-region-transit/2019-transit-initiatives-proposed/page/1

Highlights:

• Route 51 Keswick Local, 52 Holland Landing and 58 Mount Albert will be cancelled and replaced with "On-Demand" service (formerly Dial-a-ride North)
• School Special adjustments and cancellations
• 522 Markham Community Bus extended to Pacific Mall
• Peak frequency improvements per FTN plan:
  • 2 Milliken - from 21-22 to 16-17 min
  • 8 Kennedy - from 15-16 to 14-15 min
  • 16 16th Ave - from 31 to 18 min
  • 24 Woodbine - from 20-21 to 18-19 min
  • 25 Major Mackenzie - from 31-38 to 26-29 min
  • 68B Warden - from 24 to 15 min
  • 85 Rutherford - extend 15-minute service to Napa Valley
  • 129A McCowan North - from 14-16 min to 15 min
• Cornell Terminal will finally open Spring 2019
• Articulated buses on more routes - candidates include 90 Leslie, 91/A Bayview, 88 Bathurst, 85 Rutherford and 4 Major Mackenzie

 

[innsertnamehere]

Some big improvements in bus frequencies there - that is what YRT actually needs to do to increase ridership. 16th Avenue is having it's frequency nearly doubled.

 

[Sandpit]

Some big improvements in bus frequencies there - that is what YRT actually needs to do to increase ridership. 16th Avenue is having it's frequency nearly doubled.

I would argue that span of service is just as important, if not more important. People can work around the schedule, but if the bus stops running before their return trip...

In particular, I think that Yonge St. is definitely ready for 24 hour service. The thing is, Yonge already has almost 24 hour service, such that you only need to add 3-4 trips (in each direction) to the 98/99 late night to achieve true overnight service with 30-45 minute frequencies. Jane (Route 20) is probably not ready for 24 hour service, but I think it's important to provide an overnight replacement for the subway between Pioneer Village and VMC (the subway in the City of Toronto all have a Blue Night bus either directly parallel or nearby).

 

[canarob]

Especially areas in south Markham where poverty is high.

That's a bit of a stretch. It's a bit less well off south of the 407, but there's still less poverty than in most of Scarborough, etc.

 

[cplchanb]

Yrt plans a service change for April 29: https://www.yrt.ca/en/schedules-and-maps/service-changes.aspx

What's worse is that the YRT also plans an alarming series of service cuts such as the 16th Avenue bus service on Sunday which they adjust to 47 minutes. If the YRT keeps cutting service, then poverty will rise at an accelerating rate.

im not sure how you can correlate poverty with a decrease in frequency. its not like people will go poor just because they have to wait a few more minutes.... YR doesnt have much poverty to begin with vs toronto.....

 

[Leo_Chan]

im not sure how you can correlate poverty with a decrease in frequency. its not like people will go poor just because they have to wait a few more minutes.... YR doesnt have much poverty to begin with vs toronto.....

But when they reduce the 16th Avenue bus Service on Sunday to 47 minutes, it's alarming. We all know the region is growing, the roads are getting clogged with traffic jams, and growing poverty and pollorazation.

YRT should really do what has been suggested on this thread before, combine Routes 1 and 77, 16 and 85, 25 and 4. It's really about time we get more routes that go across all of York Region.