» highway 7 east
Spring/Summer 2014
the transformation of highway 7 east continues
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1. Visit vivanext.com
2. Click on ‘Subscribe’ on the
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3. Select the ‘Highway 7 East’
box and any others of interest
4. Provide your contact info
5. Click on ‘Submit’
The first rapidway in the Highway 7 East
corridor is now up and running smoothly.
Not only is this section of Highway 7
more efficient for pedestrians, cyclists,
riders and drivers, but the landscape
has been transformed. It now features
sidewalks along sections where there
were previously none and new trees and
other greenery.
The rapidway features separated transit
lanes with their own traffic signals, so
the buses don’t run in congested traffic.
Buses are Global Positioning System
[GPS] tracked and arrival times are
relayed to upcoming stops. Platforms
are shielded from the rain and there are
enclosed and heated areas for protection
from inclement weather.
This segment of the vivaNext project
included the construction of 6 stations
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[12 platforms] at key intersections, along
with the design and implementation of
related infrastructure and facilities. The
two platforms at Bayview Station are
curbside and include two accessibility
buildings with stairs and elevators
connecting Highway 7 to Bayview Avenue.
The introduction of the rapidway allows
riders to enjoy faster and more consistent
travel times­—over 30% time savings
during peak hours. And more riders are
seeing the benefits of leaving the keys at
home and getting on board, with overall
ridership up 38% since its original launch
in 2005.
The sustainable transformation of this
urban corridor will help support growth
and make York Region an even more
inviting place to live, work, shop and play.
construction update
allstate parkway to warden avenue
Things are taking shape
at South Town Centre
with major utilities being
relocated in preparation of
the new rapidway.
Crews have been busy relocating
major utilities along Highway 7 and
are now working on South Town
Centre Boulevard, Cedarland and
Warden Avenue. The widening
of Apple Creek Bridge is 95%
complete, while the Warden Bridge
is 90% complete. Road widening
construction is also progressing
on South Town Centre, Cedarland
and west side of Warden Avenue.
Work includes the installation of
boulevards, light posts, and new
traffic signals.
This spring, paving will begin east
of the East Beaver Creek vivastation
heading under the highway 404
underpass. Paving work will include
street painting of the crosswalks,
and paving of the red asphalt for
the rapidway. To ensure safety
during paving, police officers
will be onsite to direct traffic and
assist pedestrians. Crews will be
working overnight to minimize the
overall disruption for motorists and
businesses.
95%
bridge work completed
[apple creek bridge]
bike box design
A key highlight of the
Pedestrian and Cycling
Master Plan is the
construction of the
lake-to-lake cycling
and Walking trail that will go from
Lake Simcoe to Lake Ontario. Through
York Region and Smart Commute
efforts, biking is being championed as a
healthy, more environmentally friendly
way to get around, and the vivaNext
corridors are helping in facilitating this.
Following the established safety
standards, bike lanes are designed at
1.4 metres wide, with an additional half
metre for a buffer zone between the
bike and traffic lanes. To give maximum
visibility for the bike lanes, they were
painted a high-contrast green in the
areas around intersections, with
specific bike lane markings to clearly
identify them in the mid-block areas.
Bike boxes allow cyclists to avoid
crossing three lanes of busy traffic to
reach the left-turn lanes, and provide
a designated waiting area. With the
installation of these bike boxes the
temporary condition of restricting
motorist from making right-turn
movement at intersections has been
removed. Motorists are now able to
make right turns on red lights on
Highway 7.
For safety and convenience, the new
bike lanes will extend 5 kilometres,
from Chalmers Road to South Town
Centre Boulevard with lanes on both
the north and south sides of Highway 7.
Unlike in many urban settings, York
Region cyclists will have these lanes
to themselves—our new bike lanes are
dedicated, meaning they’re not shared
at any point with vehicles.
Pouring concrete
into the first bike
box forms.
Finished bike box
ready for painting.
...biking is being championed as a healthy, more
environmentally friendly way to get around, and the
vivaNext corridors are helping in facilitating this.
vivanext.com
lane closures, paving and night work
your community liaison
Nimisha Raja
Community Liaison Specialist
Cell: 416.712.8938
Email: nimisha.raja@york.ca
keep in touch
For a more in-depth look at
different elements of vivaNext
projects plans, ongoing
activities and to sign up for
construction notices, visit
vivanext.com.
With large infrastructure
projects, at times, it is
necessary to perform
work at night. For larger
operations located deep
underground it is necessary to close
lanes to keep everyone safe and the
project moving along. This year,
periodic closures on South Town
Centre Boulevard, Town Centre
Boulevard and Clegg Road will be
required for several different
operations including: sanitary,
watermain, storm sewer, paving and
widening. Due to the complexity, it will
be necessary at times to perform this
work at night.
South Town Centre Boulevard facing south
toward Clegg Road.
shop local—
support hwy 7
businesses.
Your Highway 7 East businesses are here for you. During construction,
your local business owners want to remind you to keep shopping and
using services along Highway 7. Let’s all continue to support each
other during this exciting period of growth and change. A sample
of the goods and services awaiting you are featured in the business
profiles section of the vivaNext website at vivanext.com. So feel free to
drop by and shop.
vivanext.com