York Region Transit: Viva service thread

[Electrify]

A quick Google search reveals that the area of York is 1776 km2, so you are half right. The document I based my claim on had the service area, service population, and total population. It didn't list the total area for municipalities, which lead me to believe that there was a difference between total area and service area. This appears to be the case with most other systems however, as some of the ones discussed above did differentiate their service area to the municipal area. The numbers are self reported, so this is YRT's fault and not CUTA's.

Still, I did come across some systems which did have higher fares than York's. However, these systems were primarily rural and were more like commuter systems between villages in a township. This is why I suggested that some routes which are rural in nature (50, 58, 61, 9) should charge an extra fare. I'm willing to bet that these lines are far more of a drain on the system than the suburban arterial and local ones, despite less than ideal ridership.

 

[student123]

"The municipality appears to be using the affluence of York Region as a justification for charging significantly more for bus fares than anywhere else in the GTA, and in fact, Canada. However, although there are quite a few well-off people in this area, there are also a sizable number of people living at or below the poverty line, some living in subsidized housing. It is just such people who would be dependent on public transit, and also who would be hit the hardest by what the city may consider to be a slight increase in bus fare. The municipality must realize that it is taking advantage of our region's most vulnerable population in order to increase its revenue, which is absolutely unacceptable."

If you're upset about the YRT's increase of bus fare, sign this petition arguing against the fare increase. http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitio...utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

 

[Electrify]

Thanks for the link. Signed and posted to my Facebook. Hope everyone here does the same, even if you aren't located in York it still affects you (hey, you may want to take the bus up here to get to Wonderland or something, right?).

 

[Electrify]

On a more optimistic note, has anyone checked out the real time info map on the website? Wish it was available for mobile, but it is still pretty nice regardless.

 

[just_chillin]

On a more optimistic note, has anyone checked out the real time info map on the website? Wish it was available for mobile, but it is still pretty nice regardless.

There is actually a bit more mobile friendly one I use that I prefer. Even has realtime "next bus" times that works better than ridenow in my opinion....

http://albutransit.com/

 

[Electrify]

You know, I am seriously considering making the move to using GO as much as possible, especially when the fare increase takes effect. I am within walking distance to the Richmond Hill GO station, and I figure I can take a train or bus to Highway 7 and catch an express bus from there to York. Being in the same zone, it costs the same amount to take GO from York University to Richmond Hill Centre as it does to take it to the Richmond Hill GO station. I can then just use my bike to get around town for the most part, rather than paying for a YRT fare.

Perhaps this belongs in a GO focused thread, but quick question: I would likely be using GO for 8 trips to and from York. However one day a week I would be using the GO to go downtown for my work placement. So in a 4 week month, it means that I would have taken GO 32 times to and from York and 8 times downtown. Would my trips downtown count towards my total for the month, meaning that they would be reduced to next to nothing as I approached 40 ride, or are they separate so that only my last couple rides to York are discounted and everything else is the same?

For what it is worth, it is about an extra dollar to go from the train station downtown compared to York University.

 

[innsertnamehere]

they would be reduced at a proportional amount. after 40 trips, no matter where you travel, your fare gets reduced by a certain percentage.

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

This may be of interest to some of you especially those following the whole Viva Rapidways going through Thornhill saga. Just got notice in the mail today that there has been a zoning amendment hearing set for early November (don't remember what the exact date was at the moment). The focus is on the northeast corner of New Westminster and Centre St. The developer is Blue Water Ranch and the rezoning amendment is for 18-19 storeys and a 22 storey, 468 apartment units and retirement residence.

I would post this in a Thornhill thread but it seems it has been deleted.

 

[canarob]

Markham just converted various pieces of industrial land to residential along the Highway 7 corridor (and elsewhere). On Highway 7, there will be 5868 new units (in addition to everything that's already planned)! There will be some serious density along the VIVA Purple corridor.

http://www.yorkregion.com/news-stor...l-zones-being-designated-for-residential-use/

indvest Properties: Cornell Centre, Hwy. 7 and Donald Cousens Parkway area
• Total area: 31 hectares of business park.
• 14 hectares converted to residential with more than 300 homes and 2,800 apartment units.
• Increased high density office buildings on remaining space.

Times Group Corp.: Leitchcroft community, Hwy. 7 and Bayview Avenue.
• Total area: 12 hectares of business park and business corridor.
• 12 hectares converted into a mixed-use development with 2,700 apartment units, 68 townhouses, 127,000 square feet of retail or commercial space and 83,000 square feet of office space.
• Plan would also include a mini community centre.

 

[Dan416]

Generally, I don't think converting industrial or commercial to residential is actually a good thing. Although I admit I'm not familiar enough with York Region to comment on this particular case.

 

[canarob]

The idea is apparently to have enough office and retail in these overall developments such that the same number of jobs would be created as was planned with lower density employment uses.

 

[JayBeeGooner]

Generally, I don't think converting industrial or commercial to residential is actually a good thing. Although I admit I'm not familiar enough with York Region to comment on this particular case.

I know enough about York Region to know building condos at Highway 7 and Weston Rd is a really dumb idea. That area is horrible.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

I know enough about York Region to know building condos at Highway 7 and Weston Rd is a really dumb idea. That area is horrible.

...and yet, soon to be a 2 minute bus ride from the subway, right on a BRT...So, more the opposite of a dumb idea, actually.
The development industry isn't so progressive they'd be throwing up condos in the middle of nowhere if they thought it was a bad investment.

Also, the areas discussed in the report above are totally at the opposite end of the region from Weston. I'm a bit wary of what they're doing but I think the positive spin is that these aren't going to be old-style industrial parks but true, new mixed-use areas. Overall, the ideas of suburbs ditching industrial park zoning is a good thing, as long as they're getting employment in in other ways. For those unfamiliar with the geography, Cornell is way out in the east end but Leitchcroft is the intensification zone between Bayview and Leslie which has been growing steadily over the years, and which is sort of the prime area where they're trying to use the BRT to create a more urban streetscape. Time will tell.

 

[doady]

Generally, I don't think converting industrial or commercial to residential is actually a good thing. Although I admit I'm not familiar enough with York Region to comment on this particular case.

Conversion of industrial uses usually happens when industrial lands become abandoned due to high land values, traffic congestion, etc. This is what happened to the formerly industrial lands in and around downtown Toronto. Industrial uses were no longer sustainable there. Is Vaughan at that point yet? I'm not sure about that, even with the subway. It wouldn't have been surprising if it was industrial land at Jane-7 that was being converted, but Weston and 7? That seems kind of wierd.

 

[xtremesniper]

You know, I am seriously considering making the move to using GO as much as possible, especially when the fare increase takes effect.

And you will be happier for it. I started doing that after the last Viva strike and I never looked back. Sure it costs a bit more up-front (though that gap is rapidly getting smaller) but it's more comfortable and it gets you there in less than half the time.