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York Region Transit: Viva service thread

Yikes!!! Those are massive cuts to Woodbridge only years after service was "increased" to serve the new subway. I wonder if they should have waited a few more years before making these cuts to see if ridership increased with the opening of the VMC bus terminal.
 
Look at this from this year's budget proposal; no service enhancement budget for 2020, 2021, or 2022.

This is abysmal.

1575394468278.png


These are the responsible parties, and their contact info:

York Region Rapid Transit Corporation

Wayne Emmerson, York Region Chairman and CEO (CEO)

wayne.emmerson@york.ca

David Barrow, Mayor

dave.barrow@richmondhill.ca

Maurizio Bevilacqua, Mayor

maurizio.bevilacqua@vaughan.ca

Frank Scarpitti, Mayor

mayorscarpitti@markham.ca

John Taylor, Mayor

jtaylor@newmarket.ca

Mario Ferri, Regional Councillor

mario.ferri@vaughan.ca

Jim Jones, Regional Councillor

jjones@markham.ca

Joe Li, Regional Councillor

joeli@markham.ca

And of course, their senior staff person for this file:

Ann-Marie Carroll General Manager, York Region Transit (YRT/Viva)

annmarie.carroll@york.ca
 
Look at this from this year's budget proposal; no service enhancement budget for 2020, 2021, or 2022.

This is abysmal.

View attachment 218199

These are the responsible parties, and their contact info:

York Region Rapid Transit Corporation

Wayne Emmerson, York Region Chairman and CEO (CEO)

wayne.emmerson@york.ca

David Barrow, Mayor

dave.barrow@richmondhill.ca

Maurizio Bevilacqua, Mayor

maurizio.bevilacqua@vaughan.ca

Frank Scarpitti, Mayor

mayorscarpitti@markham.ca

John Taylor, Mayor

jtaylor@newmarket.ca

Mario Ferri, Regional Councillor

mario.ferri@vaughan.ca

Jim Jones, Regional Councillor

jjones@markham.ca

Joe Li, Regional Councillor

joeli@markham.ca

And of course, their senior staff person for this file:

Ann-Marie Carroll General Manager, York Region Transit (YRT/Viva)

annmarie.carroll@york.ca
before you go on a politician spamming campaign that will probably result in nothing, what do you suggest they do? What enhancements do you want to see?
 
Yikes!!! Those are massive cuts to Woodbridge only years after service was "increased" to serve the new subway. I wonder if they should have waited a few more years before making these cuts to see if ridership increased with the opening of the VMC bus terminal.

I don't think the VMC bus terminal would do anything to affect ridership, I don't think anyone decides to not take the bus because they don't have a heated waiting area. Not to mention the walk between the bus and the subway has gotten longer because of the terminals location. I can somewhat understand why they would cut back route 10: it duplicates with other bus lines for a good portion of its trip, its competing against the bus routes running along Highway 7 and the double fare makes it insanely expensive if you need to access the subway on a daily basis. I'm not happy with the cutbacks on Route 12 or 13 though, without those bus lines a huge chunk of neighbourhoods get cut off from any form of public transport. Of course the road layout and land use in Woodbridge is pretty abysmal for providing public transport considering it is suburbia so practically everyone drives. However, cutting back service on bus lines feeding the rapidways on Highway 7 isn't an ideal solution when they're already being criticized for building bus lanes that no one uses. Of course, I'm not a qualified transport planner so my opinions are pretty moot. If they are cutting back service, hopefully they expand dial-a-ride or team up with a ride-sharing company.
 
before you go on a politician spamming campaign that will probably result in nothing, what do you suggest they do? What enhancements do you want to see?

First, I have no desire for anyone to 'spam' anyone.

What I expect is that adults, informed, thoughtful, adults can compose emails which express displeasure at the poor policy choices of elected representatives and encourage them to do better.

I would hope, by making the email contacts readily available, to slightly increase the number of people who will take the time to write, by way of reducing any inconvenience/time loss in so doing.

Second, I expect YRTs political masters to implement their own long-standing plan for a Frequent Service Network of service 15M or better at all times on a core network of grid-services.

Something you can't do when you freeze the budget year after year.

YRT has stagnating ridership because on most routes they offer abysmal service.

By contrast, one of their best serviced routes is Jane which achieves the 15M service level or something close to that, in most periods, and that route actually has crowding issues.

Self-explanatory, run proper service, the ridership will follow.
 
I don't think the VMC bus terminal would do anything to affect ridership, I don't think anyone decides to not take the bus because they don't have a heated waiting area. Not to mention the walk between the bus and the subway has gotten longer because of the terminals location. I can somewhat understand why they would cut back route 10: it duplicates with other bus lines for a good portion of its trip, its competing against the bus routes running along Highway 7 and the double fare makes it insanely expensive if you need to access the subway on a daily basis. I'm not happy with the cutbacks on Route 12 or 13 though, without those bus lines a huge chunk of neighbourhoods get cut off from any form of public transport. Of course the road layout and land use in Woodbridge is pretty abysmal for providing public transport considering it is suburbia so practically everyone drives. However, cutting back service on bus lines feeding the rapidways on Highway 7 isn't an ideal solution when they're already being criticized for building bus lanes that no one uses. Of course, I'm not a qualified transport planner so my opinions are pretty moot. If they are cutting back service, hopefully they expand dial-a-ride or team up with a ride-sharing company.

Years ago I suggested that rte 10 run along Kipling and connect with VIVA Orange. Instead YRT decided it was better to give people a one seat ride to VMC subway station. Yes the built form is awful but they aren't doing themselves any favours either.
 
First, I have no desire for anyone to 'spam' anyone.

What I expect is that adults, informed, thoughtful, adults can compose emails which express displeasure at the poor policy choices of elected representatives and encourage them to do better.

I would hope, by making the email contacts readily available, to slightly increase the number of people who will take the time to write, by way of reducing any inconvenience/time loss in so doing.

Second, I expect YRTs political masters to implement their own long-standing plan for a Frequent Service Network of service 15M or better at all times on a core network of grid-services.

Something you can't do when you freeze the budget year after year.

YRT has stagnating ridership because on most routes they offer abysmal service.

By contrast, one of their best serviced routes is Jane which achieves the 15M service level or something close to that, in most periods, and that route actually has crowding issues.

Self-explanatory, run proper service, the ridership will follow.
Don't forget high fares and the double fare at Steeles. The YRT fares are the second highest in the GTA next to GO Transit.
 
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York Regions built form isn't that much worse than Bramptons, especially in southern York Region, yet Brampton manages far better ridership levels.

The biggest gap in the built form where a bus route does not easily fit in is between islington ave and weston rd. There is no intermediate street there or natural places to terminate service.

I will note again than brampton transit seems to focus on a grid of routes, while yrt seems to focus on providing one seat rides to the subway and york u. Now barampton may not have a natural node like vmc but they do have multiple go stations that can serve as termini or transfer points.
 
Woodbridge could and should be served by four direct north-south bus routes.

- Martin Grove Road (the existing route to Humber College, but without the awkward jaunt to Medallion Blvd.),
- Kipling Avenue (serving Woodbridge Avenue and looping at Highway 7/Islington)
- Islington Avenue itself, going all the way up to Kleinburg
- Pine Valley to Langstaff (rationalizing the 10 and 12).

These four routes should then run on a consistent 30 minute base service, at a minimum until 10PM, Monday-Saturday, with 15 minute minimum service on Highway 7 (Orange/Zum 501). Try that for a year and see how it works.
 
Woodbridge could and should be served by four direct north-south bus routes.

- Martin Grove Road (the existing route to Humber College, but without the awkward jaunt to Medallion Blvd.),
- Kipling Avenue (serving Woodbridge Avenue and looping at Highway 7/Islington)
- Islington Avenue itself, going all the way up to Kleinburg
- Pine Valley to Langstaff (rationalizing the 10 and 12).

These four routes should then run on a consistent 30 minute base service, at a minimum until 10PM, Monday-Saturday, with 15 minute minimum service on Highway 7 (Orange/Zum 501). Try that for a year and see how it works.

When are you free to take over the top job at YRT?
 
Woodbridge could and should be served by four direct north-south bus routes.

- Martin Grove Road (the existing route to Humber College, but without the awkward jaunt to Medallion Blvd.),
- Kipling Avenue (serving Woodbridge Avenue and looping at Highway 7/Islington)
- Islington Avenue itself, going all the way up to Kleinburg
- Pine Valley to Langstaff (rationalizing the 10 and 12).

These four routes should then run on a consistent 30 minute base service, at a minimum until 10PM, Monday-Saturday, with 15 minute minimum service on Highway 7 (Orange/Zum 501). Try that for a year and see how it works.

I'd have Kipling do the following. Go South and loop at or near the Venato Centre. There may not be many residents there but it's still up to 1 Km away from Hwy 7. At the North end I would have it continue along Vaughan Mills Rd and stopping at the Al Palladini Centre (or loop via Langstaff)

Add in an E/W route. Woodbridge running from Woodbridge Ave/Martin Grove to VMC station via Embassy/Blue Willow/Chrislea/Portage.

And you'll have my vote.
 
Does anyone know if YRT even still posts schedules for VIVA? Their website directs you to triplinx to plan your trip when you try to find an actual schedule. Super annoying.
 

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