Yonge Street Rapidway

The Yonge Street Rapidway is a bus rapid transit corridor on Yonge Street in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Construction of the Yonge Street portion of the network began in 2014.[1] The Rapidway is primarily used by the Viva Blue service

Yonge Street Rapidway
Major MacKenzie Viva station in 2020
Overview
System	Viva Rapid Transit
Operator	York Region Transit
Status	Open
Began service	January 5, 2020
Route
Route type	Bus rapid transit
Locale	York Region, Ontario (Newmarket; Aurora; Richmond Hill; Markham; Vaughan)
Start	Newmarket Terminal
End	Richmond Hill Centre Terminal
Length	8.9 km (5.5 mi)
Stations	10
Route map Newmarket Terminal Davis Drive Rapidway Davis Eagle Mulock Newmarket Aurora Potential future stops Aurora Richmond Hill 19th–Gamble Bernard Terminal Elgin Mills Crosby Major Mackenzie Weldrick 16th–Carrville Bantry–Scott Langstaff GO Richmond Hill line Richmond Hill Centre Highway 7 Rapidway Yonge North extension ← {{{previous_line}}}  {{{system_nav}}}  {{{next_line}}} →

The Yonge Street Rapidway is central to the Vivanext transport masterplan and will eventually extend from the Richmond Hill/Langstaff Urban Growth Centre at Highway 7 to Green Lane in East Gwillimbury.[2]

In February 2010, a public open house was held for the first segment of the Yonge Street Rapidway, which will extend from Mulock to Davis Drive in Newmarket.[3]

The first segment from the Newmarket Bus Terminal on Davis Drive to Mulock Drive opened in January 2020. The second segment, from 19th Avenue to the Richmond Hill Centre Terminal at Highway 7, opened in December 2020.[2]

The corridor was originally intended to continue south of Richmond Hill Centre Terminal towards the regional bus terminal at Finch subway station in Toronto. However, with the anticipated northward extension of the Yonge–University subway, the Rapidway's southern terminus will be Richmond Hill Centre.[4]

Stations

Excluding the terminals, there will be up to 19 Rapidway stations between Newmarket and Richmond Hill. Ten stations were open by the end of 2020.[5]

Stations
Name	Opening date	Municipality
Newmarket Terminal	N/A	Newmarket
Davis	January 5, 2020[6]
Eagle
Mulock
Savage	TBD
Orchard Heights		Aurora
Wellington
Golf Links
Henderson
Bloomington		Aurora / Richmond Hill
Regatta		Richmond Hill
King
Jefferson
19th–Gamble	December 20, 2020[7]
Bernard
Elgin Mills
Crosby (heritage area)
Major Mackenzie
Weldrick
16th–Carrville
Bantry–Scott
Richmond Hill Centre	N/A

References

1. "Yonge Street – Richmond Hill and Newmarket". York Viva Bus Rapid Transit. Metrolinx. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
2. "Project Map". vivanext. York Region Rapid Transit Corporation. Retrieved September 25, 2017. Rapidway Construction (2014-2018)
3. Yonge street / Richmond Hill and Newmarket
4. "Yonge North Subway Extension" (PDF). Regional Transit Project Profile. Metrolinx. Retrieved September 25, 2017. Rapid Transit Connections: York vivaNext BRT, the Richmond Hill GO Train line
5. "Yonge Richmond Factsheet" (PDF). YRT. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
6. "Viva Bus Rapid Transit Segments Opening in Vaughan and Newmarket". www.vivanext.com. January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
7. @YRTViva (December 17, 2020). "As of this Sunday, Dec. 20, Viva blue riders can travel along the new corridor on Yonge" (Tweet) – via Twitter.