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YRT/Viva Construction Thread (Rapidways, Terminals)

I hate to be “that guy”, but York Region’s claim to fame is being composed of enough swing ridings that they can extract capital dollars from various levels of government for shiny infrastructure, push service requirements onto other operators (TTC, GO) who are forced to run into the region, while refusing to run good service themselves. It’s brilliantly diabolical.
YRT pays for TTC service north of Steeles, or at least the bus service. I forget whether they ever ended up working out a deal for the subway service.
 
I hate to be “that guy”, but York Region’s claim to fame is being composed of enough swing ridings that they can extract capital dollars from various levels of government for shiny infrastructure, push service requirements onto other operators (TTC, GO) who are forced to run into the region, while refusing to run good service themselves. It’s brilliantly diabolical.

Plus a heathy dose of municipal corruption and incompetence at the lower tier level.
 
I'd like to see proper action rather than just words. Unfortunately the service upgrades that were announced alongside this image are weak to say the least. The most we got to getting closer to a 15 min non Viva service is the 16th Avenue bus now seeing 24min service instead of 30 which... isn't great.

At least Viva Yellow will now have 15 min service which is... ok - great we now have 3 routes with 15 minute service, we need more though.


As a side note, if anyone here lives in York Region, please do the survey, and try to push for some more 15 minute services to happen soon, ideally Major Mackenzie and Jane. Let's have at least one non-viva route in 2022.

I asked for 24-hour service on Yonge and Jane (which IIRC I've suggested on here before). Now that Durham Region has N1, there's no excuse for YRT to not have overnight service.
 
I'd like to see proper action rather than just words. Unfortunately the service upgrades that were announced alongside this image are weak to say the least. The most we got to getting closer to a 15 min non Viva service is the 16th Avenue bus now seeing 24min service instead of 30 which... isn't great.

At least Viva Yellow will now have 15 min service which is... ok - great we now have 3 routes with 15 minute service, we need more though.


As a side note, if anyone here lives in York Region, please do the survey, and try to push for some more 15 minute services to happen soon, ideally Major Mackenzie and Jane. Let's have at least one non-viva route in 2022.

I don't live in York Region, and rarely take transit there, for the same reason as everyone else who has a choice, awful service.

Accordingly, I filled out the survey.

I emphasized that the proposals lack ambition, and are inadequate to attract choice riders.

I strongly pushed 15-minute service on all core/spine routes, at all times except overnights; and 24-hour service on select routes.
 
I asked for 24-hour service on Yonge and Jane (which IIRC I've suggested on here before). Now that Durham Region has N1, there's no excuse for YRT to not have overnight service.
Why though.... do enough people need to take a bus at 3am to justify it? Especially during the last year where yet is already cash strapped, I don't see it economically feasible. Maybe dial a ride would be more appropriate.

Btw let's get back onto topic. This is about the rapidways not general service which already has a thread buried somewhere
 
I asked for 24-hour service on Yonge and Jane (which IIRC I've suggested on here before). Now that Durham Region has N1, there's no excuse for YRT to not have overnight service.

They don’t even understand the impact they would have if they implemented 24h service on Yonge and Jane especially as they both serve a key connection at RHC and Highway 407 respectively, which is the 24/7 GO Bus Route 40 to the Airport, Square One and Hamilton. This route not only runs between these locations but rather express as well, and not to mention there are 24/7 buses at the airport for TTC and Square One for Miway. Adding on the new DRT night route means you could travel from Hamilton to Oshawa overnight if you wanted to, but not a shorter trip like Etobicoke to Vaughan or North York to Markham. Brampton and YRT have yet to supplement any 24h service but as much as the former has a lot of problems even running consistent service without overcrowding or service reliability, i believe they’ll be the ones to get the overnight service before York does.
 
They don’t even understand the impact they would have if they implemented 24h service on Yonge and Jane especially as they both serve a key connection at RHC and Highway 407 respectively, which is the 24/7 GO Bus Route 40 to the Airport, Square One and Hamilton. This route not only runs between these locations but rather express as well, and not to mention there are 24/7 buses at the airport for TTC and Square One for Miway. Adding on the new DRT night route means you could travel from Hamilton to Oshawa overnight if you wanted to, but not a shorter trip like Etobicoke to Vaughan or North York to Markham. Brampton and YRT have yet to supplement any 24h service but as much as the former has a lot of problems even running consistent service without overcrowding or service reliability, i believe they’ll be the ones to get the overnight service before York does.
But explain how it would make economic sense given the demographics of yrt to operate bus service for a handful of people max at 3am. It's not just the driver, but the support staff and dispatch as well. Id wager 90% of the time the busses will be empty from 12am to 5am.

Any rider stats or surveys to say otherwise?
 
But explain how it would make economic sense given the demographics of yrt to operate bus service for a handful of people max at 3am. It's not just the driver, but the support staff and dispatch as well. Id wager 90% of the time the busses will be empty from 12am to 5am.

Any rider stats or surveys to say otherwise?
It's the argument that's used against expanding service everywhere.

Not every service is going to be full. We run buses, not because they're going to be full, but because it provides an alternative to driving. If you want to live without a car in York Region, and travel at night, you either pay lots of money for a taxi or Uber, or you don't travel at all.

Induced demand is also applicable to transit either. Because you run super-awful service that doesn't run at nights, you won't get a lot of riders. If service was good at night, more people would ride it.

Nonetheless, it is a valid point; personally, I would rather have 15 or even 5-minute service 7 days a week, 5 AM - 10 PM, on VIVA before night service.
 
It's the argument that's used against expanding service everywhere.

Not every service is going to be full. We run buses, not because they're going to be full, but because it provides an alternative to driving. If you want to live without a car in York Region, and travel at night, you either pay lots of money for a taxi or Uber, or you don't travel at all.

Induced demand is also applicable to transit either. Because you run super-awful service that doesn't run at nights, you won't get a lot of riders. If service was good at night, more people would ride it.

Nonetheless, it is a valid point; personally, I would rather have 15 or even 5-minute service 7 days a week, 5 AM - 10 PM, on VIVA before night service.
True, but it's not like there are many workplaces that have night shifts in york region yonge st. I can understand Toronto because there's 2 million people and drt because they have the nuclear plant and other industrial campuses like the gm plant. What does york region on yonge st have that could possibly spawn enough riders for night service? Surely there aren't enough McDonald's or Timmy's that can provide the ridership
 
True, but it's not like there are many workplaces that have night shifts in york region yonge st. I can understand Toronto because there's 2 million people and drt because they have the nuclear plant and other industrial campuses like the gm plant. What does york region on yonge st have that could possibly spawn enough riders for night service? Surely there aren't enough McDonald's or Timmy's that can provide the ridership

There are a lot of factories and warehouses in Woodbridge, Concord, and south Markham. Hospitals are also 24-hour destinations. A good start for York Region would be Highway 7 from Woodbridge to McCowan, Yonge Street from Finch to Southlake Hospital on Davis Drive, Jane-Major MacKenzie, and Leslie Street from Major Mack to Don Mills Station.

I would argue that it's about time Brampton start up a night bus service on the Queen, Steeles, Hurontario/Main, Dixie and Airport Road corridors.
 
There are a lot of factories and warehouses in Woodbridge, Concord, and south Markham. Hospitals are also 24-hour destinations. A good start for York Region would be Highway 7 from Woodbridge to McCowan, Yonge Street from Finch to Southlake Hospital on Davis Drive, Jane-Major MacKenzie, and Leslie Street from Major Mack to Don Mills Station.

I would argue that it's about time Brampton start up a night bus service on the Queen, Steeles, Hurontario/Main, Dixie and Airport Road corridors.
In other words just make all of the Viva routes / future viva routes 24h
 
Pretty much, yeah.

Why, exactly, has Viva Silver not even started yet? It was first planned to coincide with the opening of the TYSSE.
For awhile they have been saying "2022", (at least it has been since at least the Regional Transportation of 2018), but its strange that any mention of either Viva Silver or Viva Green seemed to have been missing from the 2020 report.
My current thinking is that they're waiting on the Jane-Mack Terminal to finish but at least to me that doesn't seem like a logical thing to wait for. Only god really knows what YRT is up to :rolleyes:
 

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