[Second_in_pie]

I'm surprised nobody's made a thread about this (unless I'm missing out on something) but I'm wondering why VIVA has no talk of making more bus routes. I know once Downtown Markham has gotten on it's feet they're planning to make VIVA Green all day service, but I don't see anything about any new routes.

Now I know there probably isn't enough density in any other areas to warrant another bus route, but I'm surprised I haven't found anything about route expansion.

Could somebody please inform me about what I'm missing?

 

[RedRocket191]

There is a document somewhere online that sets out the criteria for VIVA route implementation. I get the sense that the only route that could possibly warrant VIVA service is 85, but it's a matter of funding.

a) Do additional corridors justify VIVA service, or will improved YRT frequencies have the same effect?

b) Do we give the current corridors reserved lanes, or do we spread the pot around?

 

[Railization]

North Yonge and 7 East are both getting dedicated lanes, construction is already starting or about to start.

Warden Ave. is targetted for LRT by Markham's Transportation Master Plan. Whether this would be VIVA or TTC service is not known at this time. It also is not known whether such a service would go south of Sheppard Ave. or terminate at STC or DM Stn.

 

[Rainforest]

Warden Ave. is targetted for LRT by Markham's Transportation Master Plan. Whether this would be VIVA or TTC service is not known at this time. It also is not known whether such a service would go south of Sheppard Ave. or terminate at STC or DM Stn.

Interesting plan.

Unfortunately, sending Warden North LRT to Scarborough Centre does not make a lot of sense. There will be some demand for that route, but the majority of passengers will want to go somewhere south-west.

Sending Warden North LRT to Don Mills station makes sense, but will be hard to implement if the Roads department restricts the combined frequency of the Sheppard LRT. They want a vehicle once in 5 min, which would lead to low frequency on the branches.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Warden, McCowan, Bathurst...routes like these would be decent choices if the double fare/system issue is resolved (replacing both YRT and TTC service).

 

[Railization]

Interesting plan.

Unfortunately, sending Warden North LRT to Scarborough Centre does not make a lot of sense. There will be some demand for that route, but the majority of passengers will want to go somewhere south-west.

Sending Warden North LRT to Don Mills station makes sense, but will be hard to implement if the Roads department restricts the combined frequency of the Sheppard LRT. They want a vehicle once in 5 min, which would lead to low frequency on the branches.

TC is capable of going to 3.5min frequencies without necessarily losing its reliability. 5min is what they may want, but it's not a set limit, but it does have impacts on consistency of service.

As for Warden to STC, the Warden route is supposed to terminate at the "new downtown" of Markham Centre, so the idea behind it is to connect two urban growth centres. I don't think it makes that much sense either, at least not right now. In 15 years, maybe a different story.

 

[Rainforest]

TC is capable of going to 3.5min frequencies without necessarily losing its reliability. 5min is what they may want, but it's not a set limit, but it does have impacts on consistency of service.

The LRT line in street median can operate on a 3.5 min frequency, perhaps even on 2 min. But apparently, the Roads department claims that a frequency better than 5 min + traffic signal priority will cause too much disruption to general traffic.

5 min is not a hard limit, but how far will they go? 3.5 min and 2 branches mean 7 min on each branch - probably OK though not great. 3 branches (DM - Meadowvale, DM - STC, and DM - Warden North) will be a problem.

This might be a case for the extension of Sheppard subway, as an anchor for Markham's and Scarborough's LRT lines.

 

[wilson_wu]

There aren't any planned new routes because they havn't even completed the first part of their bus rapid transit plan.

The plan now is to move existing portions of the VIVA network into dedicated transit lanes. Highway 7, from Yonge to Kennedy, will begin construction as early as this year depending on funding. Yonge, from Highway 7 to 19th Ave, will be the next to receive lanes.

Yonge, from Steeles to Highway 7, was supposed to start building lanes last year, but those plans stalled when the government announced plans to extend the Yonge subway line into York Region.

 

[urbanfan89]

Seems like the funding dollars will be more efficiently allocated by improving the regular YRT buses instead of introducing another flashy Viva route.

 

[marcus_a_j]

While not necessarily an expansion in terms of a new route per se, but York Region is looking at implementing rapid transit service on Yonge Street in Newmarket and on Davis Drive between Yonge and Leslie. This is most likely going to be BRT service as an extension of the Blue line.

In response to Second_in_pie's original post in this thread, the Green line was originally all-day service, but didn't have the ridership to support it, so it was cut back to peak hour service.

 

[doady]

It is crazy that they spent so much money on those special bus stops, special fare system and special buses only to reduce some of the service to rush hour only. VIVA Purple service west of York U was also cut... MT's route 110 probably has higher ridership than all the VIVA routes, except Blue.

 

[taal]

It is crazy that they spent so much money on those special bus stops, special fare system and special buses only to reduce some of the service to rush hour only. VIVA Purple service west of York U was also cut... MT's route 110 probably has higher ridership than all the VIVA routes, except Blue.

lol I think many SINGLE Toronto bus routes have ridership higher then all the VIVA bus routes combined!

That's beyond the point though - growth is really the only fair measure you can use and it seems / what we're told Viva has increased transit ridership. Particularly Viva blue.

 

[lead82]

To be honest, I think VIVA expansion wont happen for years. Not counting the blue line (which is exceptional), the other lines don't have that great ridership outside of weekday rush hours. The dedicated lanes may attract more riders but the problem is Hwy7 is still too far for most people to walk to, and the connecting bus routes don't offer good enough service.

I would say that York Region needs to increase their regular bus service frequencies and focus on making the existing VIVA lines truly BRT's. This is their plan, so hopefully we'll see the Hwy7 BRT begin construction this year.

 

[doady]

VIVA Purple actually has pretty good ridership also, around half that of Blue. Orange could have high ridership to if it was extended Bramalea City Centre, which it should have served from the very beginning... the 77 would no longer need to serve Brampton.

lol I think many SINGLE Toronto bus routes have ridership higher then all the VIVA bus routes combined!

I mentioned the 110 because it a pre-BRT express route, and it also in the 905...

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Outside of Rutherford/16'th there really isn't any other route in the YRT system that would warrent a VIVA style upgrade.