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Newmarket's Davis Drive has undergone a major transformation in recent years, with the street now reconfigured as a Viva bus rapidway which entered into service on November 29th. Although cosmetic elements of York Region Transit's $261 million project are still taking shape—with widened sidewalks and new plantings expected to be completed by May 2016—the 2.6 kilometre right-of-way provides a significantly faster connection across one of Newmarket's main arterials.
The rapidway runs east from Yonge Street to Roxborough Road, making the new 'Viva Yellow' bus line—which runs alongside existing routes—the latest to be upgraded as part of the 'VivaNext' expansion plan, which is seeing many of Viva's routes now reconfigured into Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), with rapidways under construction throughout the system.
Past Roxborough Road, the Davis Drive route continues east in mixed traffic, terminating at GO's new Park and Ride facility at Highway 404. Currently a carpool lot, the $4 million facility is designed to make Viva a convenient access point for drivers, incorporating transit within a historically car-oriented part of the GTA.
The creation of new BRT routes through the 'VivaNext' initiatives (seen above) shows the beginnings of an urban paradigm shift within Toronto's outlying communities. Long dominated by automobile culture, communities like Woodbridge, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan and Newmarket have recently seen significant investment in improved mass transit infrastructure, though the degree to which residents' car-centric lifestyles will adapt remains to be seen.
Recent photos—courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor salsa—show the Davis Drive rapidway's infrastructure is largely in place, with the large, covered stops fully installed, and newly widened sidewalks also now seen along much of the rapidway's length.
In addition to improving transit, the widened sidewalks introduce a more pedestrian-friendly environment, with the upcoming plantings expected to lend the street a more walkable and intimate ambiance.
We will keep you updated as the VivaNext expansion continues to take shape throughout the GTA. Want to share your thoughts on the project? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in the discussion on our associated Forum thread.
