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YRT/Viva Construction Thread (Rapidways, Terminals)

While this isn't construction related, York Region recently released their 2022 transportation initiatives: https://view.publitas.com/york-region-transportation-services/2022-transit-initiatives/page/1

While there are a lot of details of note in this document - frequency increases on some corridors (though nowhere near where they should on many corridors), something that caught my eye is that certain corridors, specifically the 20, Viva Blue, and the 91 were actually PROFITABLE pre pandemic. Hmm, its almost like higher frequencies attract ridership...
 
Markham’s transit area has to be one of the most inconsistent in the entire GTA. At least Vaughan has Jane, Keele, Dufferin, Major Mack, Highway 7 and Bathurst (Steeles-Hwy 7 is surprisingly well served thanks to the TTC bus that goes to promenade and Viva Orange heading up for a brief period), Richmond Hill also has the latter 3, Bayview, and of course Yonge and they aren’t completely bad but definitely needs improvements.

Markham just has Highway 7 for the most part (and Woodbine/Leslie but that’s as close as you’re gonna get to at least a decent 15 min or better peak service). There’s practically no real frequent transit service near the Cornell area so i’m wondering how much this bus terminal would be utilized unless GO buses would stop here or if YRT gets serious and actually increase service overall on the buses that would serve the terminal. The last thing we want is another Smart VMC, which isn’t completely underutilized but extremely overbuilt for the service it gets.
 
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YRT has famously ambitious service plans and gets all the funding it needs for the capital portions of the plans but never receives a cent for the operational portions.. just the way it goes. One of the nicest bus networks in the country in terms of infrastructure, with lots of HOV and dedicated operational lanes, high quality bus terminals, etc., but no buses using them.
 
anb said:
Markham’s transit area has to be one of the most inconsistent in the entire GTA. At least Vaughan has Jane, Keele, Dufferin, Major Mack, Highway 7 and Bathurst (Steeles-Hwy 7 is surprisingly well served thanks to the TTC bus that goes to promenade and Viva Orange heading up for a brief period), Richmond Hill also has the latter 3, Bayview, and of course Yonge and they aren’t completely bad but definitely needs improvements.

Markham just has Highway 7 for the most part (and Woodbine/Leslie but that’s as close as you’re gonna get to at least a decent 15 min or better peak service). There’s practically no real frequent transit service near the Cornell area so i’m wondering how much this bus terminal would be utilized unless GO buses would stop here or if YRT gets serious and actually increase service overall on the buses that would serve the terminal. The last thing we want is another Smart VMC, which isn’t completely underutilized but extremely overbuilt for the service it gets.
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Totally agreed with you. Markham transit is small for a city with over 350,000 people.
 
ARG1 said:
Is this the most delayed project in GTA history relative to the cost and scale?
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not really...construction was hampered by the pandemic and it only took a few years.
I would say the process that led to the start of construction is the big one. It was supposed to open in the late 2000s but it was
continually held back due to nimbyism.
 
cplchanb said:
not really...construction was hampered by the pandemic and it only took a few years.
I would say the process that led to the start of construction is the big one. It was supposed to open in the late 2000s but it was
continually held back due to nimbyism.
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That's what I'm talking about. Cornell has appeared on Viva maps as a future station for almost a decade now - at least since 2012 or 2013. 10 years for a bus terminal is remarkably slow and late.
 
ARG1 said:
That's what I'm talking about. Cornell has appeared on Viva maps as a future station for almost a decade now - at least since 2012 or 2013. 10 years for a bus terminal is remarkably slow and late.
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can you elaborate on the cost and scale aspect?
 
cplchanb said:
can you elaborate on the cost and scale aspect?
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Basically what I mean is, a project like the DRL or the Eglinton Crosstown are both extremely expensive and complicated projects, compared to Cornell which is just a simple Bus Terminal. What I'm saying is Cornell is one of the most delayed projects in the GTHA relative to how cheap and simple it is compared to everything else.
 
ARG1 said:
That's what I'm talking about. Cornell has appeared on Viva maps as a future station for almost a decade now - at least since 2012 or 2013. 10 years for a bus terminal is remarkably slow and late.
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It's conception dates back to the creation of YRT in 2002. The first concrete plans for it date back to at least 2007 (with a projected 2008 opening), and possibly earlier.

While I have heard that there were issues with the accumulation of the properties, this still seems way beyond the normal type of delays that major infrastructure projects can have.

Dan
 
Cornell might be up there with Bloomington and Smart VMC for the most wasteful projects in the GTA. When will we stop building stuff that clearly doesn’t need to be built especially at the extremely under capacity that they usually get.
 
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