VIVA + York Region Transit

[doady]

The MT EXPRESS route also only runs during peak rush hours and not all day like VIVA. Also the MT 19 is overcrowded. The Highway 7 bus was never.

That's the problem. If Highway 7 is not busy, then why does it need express service? Express service only seems necessary when when the bus has to stop too often to pick passengers up (a big problem on the Hurontario bus, which at times seems to stop at every single bus stop and intersection). Otherwise, you are pointlessly to forcing riders to walk more than they would normally have to in a desolate suburban environment.

But if people only use it to go to York than it's really no different than TTC or GO routes that exist to serve students. The Hwy 7 corridor itself is still largely a fragmented wasteland and the Purple Line is duplicated in places by other lines that connect to subway stations.

I always thought Purple is most sensible of all the VIVA routes (besides Blue) so I don't like seeing the service for it cut. Since right now the ridership for this route is mostly in one direction, YRT can try doing what MT does: have different frequencies for each direction of the route. For example, the Dundas Express bus has 9 minute service in the peak direction and 15 minutes on the opposite direction. This might be applicable to some of the other VIVA routes as well.

 

[ahrvojic]

Star: York rapid transit lauded by U.S. group

Article

York rapid transit lauded by U.S. group
Calls Viva high-tech transit system an `incredible success'
Buses have ability to turn red lights green if behind schedule
Aug. 3, 2006. 01:00 AM
KEVIN MCGRAN
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER

The very notion that a bus could provide "rapid transit" is in its infancy in North America, but the idea of a cheaper alternative to subway construction and light rail transit lines is beginning to take root.

And about 200 transit experts from across the United States have come to Toronto to see how the idea is working here.

They had to go to York Region to find out.

Delegates from the American Public Transit Association's conference on Bus Rapid Transit poured onto the subway to get to Downsview and Finch stations where they were treated to rides on York Region's Viva, the suburban express-bus network that debuted last September and was the buzz of the conference.

"Viva is an incredible success story," said Frank Spielberg, chair of the meeting and member of the Transportation Research Board, a U.S.-federally funded advisory group. "From what I've seen, York Region managed to put it all together. They didn't get hung up on a lot of bureaucracy. They were able to form a plan that was consistent with the overall growth vision of the region and move it along quickly."

Viva's high-end buses feature comfortable high-backed seating, a table in the back and electronic signs telling passengers how far they are from the next stop.

The buses, controlled by a global positioning system, have the ability to turn red lights green if they are behind schedule, and the stops tell riders how long they have to wait for the next bus. The rides are prepaid, like GO Transit, meaning bus drivers don't have to worry about collecting fares or handing out transfers.

The early numbers for Viva are promising. Between January and May, more than 9 million riders took Viva and the traditional York Region Transit, a hike of more than 30 per cent in ridership.

On Yonge St. alone, Viva officials say 600,000 new public transit riders took Viva and YRT for the first five months of 2006, compared to the first five months of 2005.

"It's a fantastic number, in terms of total new boardings, it's a fantastic increase in overall ridership," said Mary Frances Turner, executive co-ordinator of York Region Transit. "These are new people — actual people — who are getting on the system who weren't there before. Obviously, the demand is great."

There are other examples of bus rapid transit around Toronto:

* Mississauga is building a transit way along Highway 403 where buses will have their own lanes.

* Brampton is building "Acceleride," modelled after Viva where buses get priority at traffic lights.

* Toronto is looking at expanding Yonge St., north of Finch, to hand two lanes over to buses, and building a bus-only road between Downsview subway station and York University.

* GO Transit has plans for a $1 billion bus-only highway across the region.

American cities have also taken to bus rapid transit as a cheaper alternative to light rail and subway. "You can get a high degree of performance, you can get on the ground much faster, at much less cost," said Spielberg.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

I saw three people on a single Viva Green bus last week - that's a new record.

 

[doady]

Yes, YRT has much higher ridership now, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that they took over GO's Newmarket 'B' route and not only because of VIVA.

 

[p5archit]

^^I am not sure that is completely true- while ridership on VIVA got a definite boost from taking over the Newmarket line, the VIVA busses are quite full on their own with new riders from York Region Area.

That said, i am quite happy with the success, but would like to see them start on constructing the designated lanes- which by the way were supposed to be well underway by now.

p5

 

[wyliepoon]

Interesting that the Americans are looking at Viva. In my opinion Viva is the most "American" transit system in the GTA. Viva is the most technologically advanced system in the Toronto area, but these electronic gadgets appear to be commonplace in many new and updated transit systems in the US. Viva has invested heavily in marketing to attract new riders- something that many American transit systems like to do.

 

[doady]

Here is the month-to-month change in ridership for YRT between 2005 and 2006 for the months of January to May (from YRT's website):

Jan +12.9%
Feb +10.1%
Mar +10.7%
Apr +3.8%
May +12.0%

Remember, a few months back when I pointed out that YRT's ridership only increased by 6.6% in January 2006 over January 2005? But look at it now, it says 12.9%, and that's because YRT now includes the ridership from the Newmarket 'B', so we see that the 'B' route increased YRT's ridership by 6.3%.

So if you don't include the NewMarket 'B' the actual percentage increase for each month is:

Jan +6.6%
Feb +3.8%
Mar +4.4%
April -2.5%
May +5.7%

Note that the ridership actually decreased in April!

So I will reiterate my point from before: VIVA is actually slowing down the the ridership growth of York Region Transit.

Last year, before VIVA, the system saw an increase in ridership of 12%, but this year, after VIVA, it is only around 4%. This is around the same rate of growth as Mississauga's 4.5% and much lower than Brampton's ~10%, and neither city spent hundreds of million of dollars on any so-called rapid transit system.

Also, note that article claims 30% ridership increase, which is just wrong obviously. The 30% is just what YRT projected for 2006, not including the Newmarket 'B'.

 

[drum118]

You cannot compare 2005 to 2006 numbers for ridership for VIVA until September as it only started to operate then.

Takeing over GO routes this past year will skew the ridership % until it been in operation for a year.

I have been the only one on the Green line and have seen as many as 10 on it.

 

[Crazy Canuck07]

I was one of those new riders. I don't even live in the area and I was taking it. It was forced though, the Finch parking lot was packed and I ended up getting a 30 dollar ticket for parking in a non-designated spot( only because a massive snow pile at the back was taking up at least 50 spaces). From then on instead of going to the parking lot on months which I don't have a pass (it's $6 to park) I go on Viva.

 

[doady]

You cannot compare 2005 to 2006 numbers for ridership for VIVA until September as it only started to operate then.

Umm no, there is no point in comparing September 2005 with September 2006 because both have VIVA. I do not see anything wrong with comparing the numbers now.

 

[drum118]

Starting in September you can compare 2005 to 2006 figures to see the changes. Other than that, you are comparing apple to oranges.

Yes VIVA and YRT have seen increases of ridership just like most system, but to what extent. Adding GO existing riders to VIVA does not mean VIVA has seen a larger % increase as it stands now.

It likes saying TTC only see 1% because of it size, yet it is 4.5% and expected to carry 465 million riders this year.

TTC wants to see 500 million riders by 2010. It is going to be more than that if the present rate stays the same to the point TTC will see the 500 million riders around the fall of 2008.

Where is TTC going to put these riders when it doesn't have the equipment now to handle today ridership?

 

[scarberiankhatru]

It most certainly does have the capacity to handle more riders - maybe not on routes that specialize in moving 9-5 downtown office workers, but every other route at other times of the day has lots of room.

 

[doady]

Starting in September you can compare 2005 to 2006 figures to see the changes. Other than that, you are comparing apple to oranges.

Exactly, I am comparing two different things: the months in 2006 with VIVA to the same months last year without VIVA.

 

[wyliepoon]

The Star

Link to article

York transit a role model
Expert helps developing cities Buses key to managing growth
Aug. 8, 2006. 06:40 AM
KEVIN MCGRAN
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER

Sam Zimmerman brought his lifetime of American transit experience to York Region to help build Viva. Now he's taking his Viva experience to help the world.

Zimmerman left Viva — York Region's express-bus network that debuted last September — a year ago to join the World Bank. His job is to help bring public transit to cities in developing countries where population growth and a lack of funds outstrip any ability to keep pace with building new infrastructure.

So far, he's visited 13 cities, mostly in China, India and other parts of southeast Asia where economies are booming, the middle class is emerging, but the necessities of infrastructure — like sidewalks and traffic lights — don't exist.

"You have growth that is unimaginable," says Zimmerman, who was in Toronto last week to speak to a Bus Rapid Transit conference about the troubles facing developing nations. "It is York Region squared. We're not talking about 1,000 people moving to the cities every day, it's probably 3,000 or 4,000. We're talking about 1,000 cars a day. It's staggering."

Cars, bikes, motorcycles, pedestrians, buses, trucks, and animal-pulled carts all share the same road space. For pedestrians who want to get on the bus, it can be a harrowing experience. The bus can't get over to the right lane because of congestion, so the would-be transit riders have to cross lanes-upon-lanes of traffic to get to the bus.

"Places are racing along with motorization and not realizing if you don't have sidewalks, you're going to kill a lot of people," says Zimmerman. "Pedestrian crossings, that's the thing that I'm most bothered by because of the safety issue."

In New Delhi, he knows a woman who has to get into her car to cross the road from her home to a store because it is not safe to walk. She takes two rights, and a left, waits at a traffic signal, then two more lefts and a right. She's travelled 20 minutes to go 100 metres.

He experienced it himself in Hanoi. "The intersections are out of control," says Zimmerman. "I asked a colleague: `How do you walk across the street?' He said it's easy. `You just step out and you'll see the motorcycles will go around you.'"

Zimmerman came from Washington five years ago as an adviser to help York Region get its Viva express bus service up and running. He said he loved his time in Canada, but when Viva got on the road last September, it was time to move on.

Zimmerman was inspired to take the job with the World Bank because he believes public transit is an absolute necessity. There's often no other way poor people can get to jobs that are often too far to walk to in developing nations.

"If you want to make a city work and you want to keep it sustainable, you have to have public transportation," says Zimmerman. "Not only for the obvious things like the environment. But one of the most important things in life is to have a job. If you can't get there, you don't have a job."

The World Bank can help by forcing transit on the city agenda. For example, it will loan communities money for new roads, but it requires that new sidewalks be built or that buses get their own lanes away from cars and motorcycles.

Some cities, like Mexico City, Lima, Peru, and Beijing, have jumped on the bus rapid transit notion.

But India has been a particular challenge, Zimmerman said. "They're running around the country promoting rail in cities that don't have sidewalks."

India's problem is a huge, institutional bureaucracy. They couldn't figure out how to go from virtually no bus service to rapid bus service in very little time. That's where Zimmerman's York Region experience helped.

He said the request for proposals that York Region tendered in 2001 — with a vision of having express bus service across the region in place by 2005 — is now the standard in India for quick public transit start-ups.

There are, however, few traffic planners in developing countries because wider use of cars is a new phenomenon.

But there are success stories. Hanoi, for example, had no bus system in 2001. "The only public transit were taxis and motorcycle taxis. You can imagine the accident rate. It's now up to 700 buses, 700,000 daily riders."

-----------------------​

YouTube videos of crazy Third World traffic...

Hanoi

Iraq

India

 

[roch5220]

VIVA is definately a good model on building for future suburban ridership, and having infrastructure in place for the densification to come. The area is more attractive now for residents to be attracted to higher density housing. My faults with VIVA arn't with its vision, or ability of local politicans making things happen.

Nor is VIVA a good model for larger, hyper dense (to the point of being detrimental) cities in India like New Delhi, where buses would definately be like sardine cans.