Public transportation
Within the city, York Region Transit (YRT), which includes Viva (bus rapid transit); and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), provide public transit services. Prior to 2001, Vaughan was served by a municipal-funded transit system, namely Vaughan Transit. In 2001, the York Region government amalgamated the Vaughan Transit with four other municipal-managed transit systems in York Region to form YRT. In 2005, York Region Transit launched Viva, which operated in parts of Vaughan on Highway 7. In addition, GO Transit provides commuter trains and buses.
York Region Transit
YRT serves Vaughan with over 20 routes. Most of its bus routes operate on main roads throughout Vaughan, which is laid out in a grid-like system. Fares are $4.00, regardless of age. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates one contracted route along Bathurst Street, and a second (TTC or YRT) fare is charged when crossing the city limits at Steeles Avenue in the relevant direction. However, a TTC fare is not charged on YRT buses entering Toronto to make connections at terminals. York Region Transit allows Vaughan residents to travel around York Region, and to the surrounding Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area with GO Transit Connections.
It has five major terminals in Vaughan: Promenade Terminal located at the Promenade Mall, Vaughan Mills Terminal located at Vaughan Mills Mall, and at three TTC subway stations: SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Highway 407, and Pioneer Village.
Connections to other transit systems include Brampton Transit, GO Transit, and the aforementioned TTC.
Viva
Due to the increased congestion on York Region's roads, York Region Transit launched a bus rapid transit (BRT) system on September 4, 2005, and named it Viva, meaning "praised by everyone" in Italian. Unlike regular YRT routes, Viva only stops at Vivastations, specially designed stops which incorporate a ticket vending machine and a ticket validator (fares are on a proof-of-payment basis to speed up boarding times), as well as a real-time "smart" display that notify passengers when the next vehicle is expected to depart. Most Vivastations are blue, but several stops on Yonge Street have a unique bronze design referred to as "vivavintage" in order to better suit the historic areas, especially along Yonge Street in Thornhill, where space is short, and will be served by miniature "vivamicro" stations. YRT fares apply to VIVA.
It is the name for the York Region Rapid Transit Plan, and was funded through a Public-Private Partnership (P3) consortium called the York Region Rapid Transit Corporation. York Region has control over all fares and service planning. Viva service is integrated with YRT's regular transit routes and operated as one regional transit system (1system) that enables customers to travel across the city and region.
The system was opened to public in four stages. The second phase was opened on October 16, 2005, the third phase was opened on November 20, and the first part of the fourth phase was opened on January 2, 2006.
There are four viva lines operating within Vaughan (80% of Viva lines operating within York Region): Viva Blue (on Yonge Street), Viva Orange (on Highway 7), and Viva Pink (an alternative to Viva Blue at peak-hours).
Viva bus lines operate using blue Van Hool and Novabus vehicles. Viva Orange buses use the Highway 7 Rapidway, which are reserved bus lanes in the centre of Highway 7, for part of the route. Viva buses are given priority at traffic signals, meaning that the bus driver can adjust the traffic lights when the bus are behind schedule due to a traffic congestion, significantly improving the efficiency of service. Buses operate 18 hours a day, 7 days per week, including holidays. Bus frequency ranges from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
Toronto Transit Commission
In addition to YRT, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) also provides some services within the city:
Subway
The TTC's Line 1 Yonge–University subway line travels into Vaughan to Highway 7 and Jane Street and opened on December 17, 2017. [1] The three stations in Vaughan are named Pioneer Village, Highway 407, and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Unlike the case with TTC-operated buses, no extra fare is charged for travel into Vaughan.
| Station name | Architect | Artist | Location/intersection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Village | Alsop Architects with SGA/IBI Group Architects | realities:united (Tim and Yan Edler) | Straddles the Vaughan/Toronto boundary at York University. Steeles Avenue and Northwest Gate |
| Highway 407 | Aedas | David Pearl | Highway 407 and Jane Street |
| Vaughan Metropolitan Centre | Arup with Grimshaw Architects | Paul Raff Studio | Vaughan Metropolitan Centre / Highway 7 and Millway Avenue (west of Jane St.) |
Source: [2]
Bus
There is also one TTC-contracted bus route operating within Vaughan, which serves Bathurst Street. Unlike the subway, a special fare policy applies to this route. If a passenger boards a TTC contracted bus in Vaughan, and only travels within Vaughan, the passenger may transfer to YRT operated bus routes without paying a second fare. If a passenger boards in Vaughan and travels into Toronto (or from Toronto into York), they must pay an extra fare to continue their trip into the other transit system's territory. There were formerly five TTC-contracted bus routes serving major north–south streets which continued north from Toronto prior to the subway extension, but four were replaced with YRT routes due to route restructuring after the subway opened.
