Viva Next: The Highway 7 Challenge

Before VIVA buses were introduced the most common perception of public transportation was that it was slow, never on time, overly crowded, dirty and uncomfortable. York Region Transit (YRT) first introduced VIVA in 2005 as a faster, easier, and more comfortable and more efficient and reliable means of public transit.

Strengths of current VIVA:

VIVA buses and stations

VIVA is the upgraded version of all public transportation of the past. VIVA buses are more spacious and have comfortable cushioned seats as opposed to the older congested hard plastic seats found in other buses in the York Region area and subways. The buses engines are also much more quite than the average bus allowing passengers to have a relaxing drive to their destination without having to be bothered by the loud noises. VIVA buses are also designed to have a smoother ride to put the passengers at ease, instead of constantly bouncing up and down from every bump in the road. The VIVA bus stations are also highly advanced; they allow passengers/customers of VIVA transit to purchase their VIVA ticket at the station before the bus arrives. This reduces congestion of everyone waiting to get on the bus to pay and then get to their seat and also reduces the amount of time that the VIVA bus is actually stopped at the station, allowing passengers to get to their destination faster and reducing the time spent at the next VIVA station for the awaiting passengers. Buses also arrive approximately every ten minutes at a VIVA station once again being more efficient and reducing wait times at stations.

Placement

VIVA has been such a successful form of public transit due to the location that VIVA was put it. York Region's population at the beginning of 2010 was just over one million people and the number of jobs were just under 500, 000. York Region has been steadily growing for a long time and it makes sense to have fast, comfortable and efficient public transit like VIVA in York Region.

Strengths of VIVA NEXT

VIVA NEXT is the next phase of VIVA to improve public transit. Everything about VIVA will only get better when VIVA NEXT kicks in. The plan is to maintain the friendly and comfortable ride and feel of the VIVA buses. The VIVA stations will have improvements to them. The VIVA stations will be more up to date and provide adequate weather protection.

The phase of VIVA NEXT is something that everyone dreams of, something that every public transit user or everyone who drives a car wishes of, NO TRAFFIC. VIVA NEXT plans to invent/build rapid ways which are essentially VIVA bus only lanes. These rapid ways will assure VIVA passengers that this is the fastest mode of transportation possible. The invention of these rapid ways will take VIVA buses out of traffic, allowing the