I take issue with almost everything there.
First, to call Hw7 and Yonge Street random lines on a map is riddiculous. They're obviously both the major N/S and E/W routes in the densest part of the region, to say nothing of being the connectors with both the urban growth centres and the TTC expansions (ie Spadina and, eventually, Yonge).
I was referring to original VIVA plan. Which had Purple and Orange overlapping along Highway 7 in Vaughan (more service than VIVA Blue), and of course there was VIVA Green, which to this day still sees less than a thousand boardings per weekday. It was poorly thought out plan.
And quoting the 2011 numbers is totally misleading due to the strike. Without the strike they would almost certainly have broken 20 million riders.
Are you suggesting that 2010 saw higher ridership for YRT than 2011? Because it didn't.
That's just a single year though. The point is about long term trends. The fact is the ridership growth since 2005 has been less than impressive and far short of YRT's own projections.
Maybe the constant strikes YRT experiences are a factor, but whose fault is that? How many transit strikes have Mississauga and Brampton experienced in the past 5 years compared to York Region?
Even with the strike they hit a ridership record, IIRC. The per capita numbers are also probably off a bit since a lot of people south of Hwy. 7 skip YRT to board TTC because of the double fare.
The TTC doesn't change the fact that the per capita ridership of York Region hasn't improved much, and fell well short of YRT projections.
With the takeover of GO routes and spending on $180 million on the first phase of VIVA, even YRT expected accelerated growth of YRT ridership and instead the rate of growth has only declined. The growth since VIVA has consistantly failed to meet YRT's own predictions, which means less fare revenue, budget shortfalls, and constant service cuts.
YRT projected ridership, 2005
2006 - 19.4M
2007 - 22.1M
2008 - 23.9M
2009 - 26.4M
2010 - 28.4M
source
YRT revised ridership projections, 2006
2006 - 17.5M
2007 - 20.1M
2008 - 22.4M
2009 - 24.6M
2010 - 26.8M
source
YRT actual ridership, 2005-2011
2005 - 15.4M
2006 - 17.1M
2007 - 18.4M
2008 - 18.8M
2009 - 18.3M*
2010 - 19.4M
2011 - 19.8M
* - decline due to recession
A quick look shows they hit 19.8M riders compared to 5.5M in 2006. That's hardly anything to sneeze at.
Brampton has 16.3M now and had 10.1M in 2006.
That's 260% growth on YRT (after the York U strike and the YRT strike) compared to 60% growth in Brampton.
YRT had a ridership of 17.1 million in 2006. Again, the per capita ridership growth between 2005-2011 was lower for YRT than both Mississauga and Brampton.
It's also unfair to call Viva a failure when it's only been a half-system to this point. Give it a couple of years as BRT (which is what it was designed to be) before giving it a grade.
They were calling it "BRT" from the beginning and the fact is they spent $180 million dollars. With so much money spent, YRT should be the fastest growing system, and indeed YRT's own projections of growth were higher than any other system in the GTA, but it didn't come true. Which is why they have been basically constantly cutting service since VIVA.
Based on the evidence, I think VIVA is not only a failure, but I also think it has been detrimental to transit in York Region as a whole. But that's just my opinion I guess.