York Region Transit: Viva service thread

[xtremesniper]

It's too much of a no brainer for me to look at VIVA Orange and Purple and think that riders would have been better served if Purple were to run from Martin Grove and Orange aligned from Vaughan Mills to Downsview. I can't shake the feeling that they didn't look at this solution because they didn't want to show that this would be a better idea than a subway.

Maybe I missed the point of this line here, but the Purple actually used to go all the way to Martin Grove way back when Viva started out. They recently cut off service to increase service along the York U -> eastward part because Orange already covered that length of the route and people could just transfer from York U. Also the fact that a lot of people trying to get to Martin Grove would get confused by the fact that some buses only went to York, while some go the rest of the route. I'd also imagine that the whole Orange + Purple servicing an underused corridor caused many people to look at the empty buses and wonder what's going on...

For the same reason that the 85 16th Ave / Rutherford Rd bus now only goes to Vaughan Mills Mall rather than Islington... To increase service on the part of the route that actually gets used, and dedicate another line to the lesser used route to make it more manageable.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Maybe I missed the point of this line here, but the Purple actually used to go all the way to Martin Grove way back when Viva started out. They recently cut off service to increase service along the York U -> eastward part because Orange already covered that length of the route and people could just transfer from York U. Also the fact that a lot of people trying to get to Martin Grove would get confused by the fact that some buses only went to York, while some go the rest of the route. I'd also imagine that the whole Orange + Purple servicing an underused corridor caused many people to look at the empty buses and wonder what's going on...

For the same reason that the 85 16th Ave / Rutherford Rd bus now only goes to Vaughan Mills Mall rather than Islington... To increase service on the part of the route that actually gets used, and dedicate another line to the lesser used route to make it more manageable.

Purple did co-run with Orange at the beginning, but only during peak periods. The thought was that there would be passengers from the west that wanted to reach the job centres to the east. I credit VIVA for realizing that wasn't working and making a change. However I think the change should have been to reroute Orange to Vaughan Mills and let purple run from Martin Grove east during all periods.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

The projected post-inflation cost of the Yonge extension now stands at $3B. They've somehow made it more expensive than Spadina and well over twice as expensive as the Sheppard line, just 6 years later. Since these will be the last two subway projects Toronto ever sees, I guess they're making them count.

 

[smuncky]

MyTransit Winter Newsletter

-New fares. New services. A better YRT/Viva
-New 2009 fare chart
-Fare FAQ: What YRT/Viva services require proof-of-payment?
-Free YRT / Viva rides on New Year’s Eve after 7 p.m.
-Yrt.ca gets a makeover
-Snow, shovels, slick roads… Oh my!
-Holiday service calendar

 

[taal]

I HATE the schedule finder on YRT.ca ... you need to click so many links before getting any useful information ... It's terrible.

I'll take the CURRENT TTC web site ... heck probably even the old one over what they have.

 

[smuncky]

some slides and images on the "rapidway" which goes from yonge to kennedy along highway 7.

vivaNext route map
world of difference
boulevards
station designs
intersection
mid-block intersection
six-lane intersection
traffic operations six-lane
richmond hill centre to silver linden
silver linden to bayview
doncrest to valleymede A
doncrest to valleymede B
west beaver creek to highway 404 A
west beaver creek to highway 404 B
west beaver creek to highway 404 C
highway 404 to woodbine A
highway 404 to woodbine B
lunar to south town centre A
lunar to south town centre B
north town centre to cedarland
south town centre to warden
cedarland to enterprise
warden to birchmount
market drive to unionville
rivis to kennedy

 

[taal]

I love how in the "station designs"

There are random trees sticking out of the stations in the middle of the street in some pictures but in others there are only trees on the sidewalk.

 

[ShonTron]

MyTransit Winter Newsletter

-New fares. New services. A better YRT/Viva
-New 2009 fare chart
-Fare FAQ: What YRT/Viva services require proof-of-payment?
-Free YRT / Viva rides on New Year’s Eve after 7 p.m.
-Yrt.ca gets a makeover
-Snow, shovels, slick roads… Oh my!
-Holiday service calendar

So is "New Fares" a euphemism for the introduction of the most expensive fares in the GTA (besides GO)? No where else are they at $3.00 yet! Very little to say in that newsletter, unfortunately.



Edit: I've been looking at the boards. The whole idea of the rapidway looks half-baked. I see they're going with Spadina traffic signal phasing. Nice. But buses will still be jammed at the RHC terminal with no modifications planned for that intersection.

Here's an idea! Put left turn phases at the end of the cycle. That way if a bus is coming towards a stale green light that's about to change, it can hold it. Or even have a 10-second bus only phase before the left turn phase if a bus is there waiting. The place where the median bus running made the most sense, Finch to RHC, is being usurped by the $3 Billion Subway.

 

[taal]

I think this is a good idea overall ... Hi-way 7 is a mess of traffic usually and this will make transit an even better alternative.
Unfortunately, for most of the area between Yonge and Warden ... increasing pedestrian activity in any form is very unlikely to occur because of this.
It comes down to the built form and in the end and this area, the entire stretch is a mess that only promotes car usage and that won't change.

Hopefully the new downtown Markham area will have a better shot.
I'm not as familiar with the area west of hi-way 7 but from what I've seen a few time it's a big right off ... forget pedestrian activity, ever.
The streets are just way to big, the retail is too far back on most sites when it even exists. The East part of Hi-way 7 is definitely WAY better then the west part though.

 

[smuncky]

So is "New Fares" a euphemism for the introduction of the most expensive fares in the GTA (besides GO)? No where else are they at $3.00 yet! Very little to say in that newsletter, unfortunately.

don't like it one bit. as of january, i'm going to be paying $200 (without the tax rebate) for a yrt/viva monthly pass and a metropass.

 

[drum118]

So is "New Fares" a euphemism for the introduction of the most expensive fares in the GTA (besides GO)? No where else are they at $3.00 yet! Very little to say in that newsletter, unfortunately.

Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington will see cash fare $3 in Jan. Oakville gets hit twice in 2009 with the 2nd increase in July when new service is roll out.

MT weekly pass is going up $2 or $24 to $26. Tickets were supposed to be $.20 more, but now $.10. 9th year in a roll for fare increase.

 

[drum118]

I think this is a good idea overall ... Hi-way 7 is a mess of traffic usually and this will make transit an even better alternative.
Unfortunately, for most of the area between Yonge and Warden ... increasing pedestrian activity in any form is very unlikely to occur because of this.
It comes down to the built form and in the end and this area, the entire stretch is a mess that only promotes car usage and that won't change.

Hopefully the new downtown Markham area will have a better shot.
I'm not as familiar with the area west of hi-way 7 but from what I've seen a few time it's a big right off ... forget pedestrian activity, ever.
The streets are just way to big, the retail is too far back on most sites when it even exists. The East part of Hi-way 7 is definitely WAY better then the west part though.

There is enough room to put in 12 lanes along Hwy 7 in a fair number of spots. This BRT will be 10 lanes wide except at Bayview and the 404 where it will be 8. Will require 2 lights to cross this bitch as a pedestrian.

The west section is almost the same as the east.

 

[taal]

Are they building extra car lanes as well to replace the ones lost for the BRT???

I didn't mean in terms of the street it self, just what's built around it. In that sense it's quite different. Well at least comparing what's east of bayview / Leslie to the west side (west of Yonge).

 

[299 bloor call control.]

don't like it one bit. as of january, i'm going to be paying $200 (without the tax rebate) for a yrt/viva monthly pass and a metropass.

Wouldn't it be slightly cheaper to purchase GTA Weekly Passes?

 

[drum118]

Wouldn't it be slightly cheaper to purchase GTA Weekly Passes?

If you are using 2 system daily, it is sure cheaper to use a GTA weekly car at $47/week.

I use one for MT and TTC when I am Toronto more than 3 days a week. It cost me a $1/trip a day using the GTA pass 2 weeks ago and on course this week for the same cost.

You only have one card to use, not the current 2.