Viva Blue
Overview
SystemYRT/Viva
OperatorTok Transit
VehicleVan Hool AG300
Nova Bus LF Series (articulated)
Began serviceSeptember 4, 2005
Route
Route typeBus rapid transit
LocaleYork Region
Communities servedNewmarket; Aurora; Richmond Hill; Markham; Vaughan; North York
StartNewmarket Bus Terminal
ViaBernard Terminal, Richmond Hill Centre Terminal
EndFinch Bus Terminal
Length31.9 kilometres (19.8 mi)
Stops27
Service
Frequency15 mins north of Bernard Terminal; 7.5 mins south of Bernard Terminal
Weekend frequency20 mins north of Bernard Terminal; 10 mins south of Bernard Terminal
Ridership18,402 (2019)[1]
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A Viva Blue bus enters the Richmond Hill Centre station.
Viva Blue bus at Finch Bus Terminal, bound for Newmarket

Viva Blue, also known as the Finch/Richmond Hill/Newmarket line or route 601,[2] is a line on the Viva bus rapid transit system in York Region, located north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by Tok Transit, under contract from York Region Transit. This is the busiest bus route in the York Region Transit network, and one of the busiest in the Greater Toronto Area.

List of stations

There are 27 stops/terminals on Viva Blue. From north to south they are:

Viva Blue[3]
Name Opening date City / Town Major connections
Newmarket Terminal November 20, 2005 Newmarket
Davis January 5, 2020[4]
Eagle November 20, 2005
Mulock
Savage September 6, 2009
Orchard Heights November 20, 2005 Aurora
Wellington
Golf Links
Henderson
Bloomington Aurora/Richmond Hill
Regatta February 23, 2014 Richmond Hill
King November 20, 2005
Jefferson November 16, 2008
19th–Gamble November 20, 2005
Bernard Terminal September 4, 2005
Elgin Mills
Crosby
Major Mackenzie
Weldrick
16th–Carrville
Bantry–Scott
Richmond Hill Centre
Langstaff GO
Royal Orchard Markham/Vaughan
Centre St.
Clark
Steeles
Finch Terminal North York
Finch

History

Service from Finch station to Bernard began on September 4, 2005. Service north of Bernard to Newmarket Terminal began November 20, 2005.

There is a Viva Blue Short Turn route operating from Finch station to Bernard. According to the original environmental assessments, it is also known as the Finch–Richmond Hill line.

Previously there was a Viva Blue 'A' branch which operated between Newmarket Terminal, and Finch Terminal while bypassing Richmond Hill Centre. This was a rush hour branch only. The 'A' branch was suspended in April of 2020, due to low ridership, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] In September of 2023, York Region Transit announced that the 'A' branch will not be returning to service.

Future

In the future, Viva Blue will have its own dedicated rapidway for most of the route between Newmarket Bus Terminal and Richmond Hill Centre Terminal. The first phase of the Yonge Street Rapidway opened in January 2020 and the second phase in December 2020. There are also plans to extend the bus route north to East Gwillimbury GO Station along Yonge Street and Green Lane. Eventually, the entire portion of rapidway could also be upgraded to allow light rail transit on this corridor.

Originally, the southern portion of the Yonge Street rapidway was to be implemented from 19th Avenue to Finch station, but since the announcement of MoveOntario 2020 by the Ontario provincial government, proposals of the portion of rapidway from Richmond Hill Centre to Finch station have been shelved for the proposed north extension of Line 1 Yonge–University.

While ridership on the Richmond Hill portion of Viva Blue is high for a suburban transit system, capacity constraints on the existing Toronto subway system prevents the Yonge Subway line from being extended into York Region. Alternatively (or concurrently), GO Transit plans to run express trains between Union Station in downtown Toronto, and its Langstaff train station adjacent to YRT's Richmond Hill Centre terminal daily.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "YRT 2022 Transit Initiatives". Publitas. York Region Transit. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "Viva System Map January 5, 2020" (PDF). York Region Transit. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  3. ↑ "York Region's Rapid Transit Network". Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  4. ↑ "Viva Bus Rapid Transit Segments Opening in Vaughan and Newmarket". www.vivanext.com. January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  5. ↑ "York Region Transit route 601 'Viva Blue' - CPTDB Wiki". cptdb.ca. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
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