YRT bus-only lanes to open on Hwy. 7 Sunday
Posted August 15, 2013 1:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Transit riders in York Region will get their first taste of rapid transit on Sunday, when York Region Transit/VIVA opens a dedicated bus-only lane on Highway 7.
The bus rapid transit (BRT) route will run between Highway 404 and Bayview Avenue and will be integrated into the existing transit network, Rick Takagi, acting director of transit operations for YRT/VIVA, tells CityNews.
“We’re removing buses from mixed traffic and putting them on the rapidways to improve the speed of service,” he says.
The 2.5-kilometre strip is the first of several dedicated transit rapidways opening in the region. The next phase is the link between Hwy. 404 and Warden Avenue, which will open in 2014, Takagi said.
After that, YRT/VIVA plans to introduce BRT to other sections of Highway 7, parts of Yonge Street, and Davis Drive in Newmarket.
The lanes were introduced amid strong population growth in York region in recent years as well as a surge in the demand for public transit. Last year, over 22 million people boarded YRT/VIVA transit, spokesperson Dale Albers said, and those numbers are expected to continue to rise.
The centre lane of traffic will be dedicated to bus-only service, but police, fire and ambulance vehicles will be allowed to use the lanes in an emergency.
There will still be the same number of lanes for traffic, YRT/VIVA said.
The stops are about one kilometre part – further than a regular bus route, allowing for uninterrupted service.
The fare will cost the same as a normal YRT or VIVA trip. A book of 10 tickets is $30, meaning each trip is $3. However, with a cash fare, it climbs to $3.75. A monthly pass is $120.
