Markham-Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Table of Contents

Overview - Markham-Vaughan

Located north of Toronto, Markham is a city in the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario. It has approximately 329,000 inhabitants in the city proper as of 2016. To the west, Vaughan is a city in the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario. It has approximately 306,000 inhabitants in the city proper as of 2016.

Markham-Vaughan's rapid transit network consists of five bus rapid transit services. It also has three commuter rail services. A rapid bus service continues from Brampton (not covered on this site).

Viva Rapid Transit

Opened 2005, Viva Rapid Transit consists of five bus rapid transit services that serve the cities of the York Region, Ontario.

Viva Blue

Viva Blue is a bus rapid transit service on a North-South alignment. It runs from Finch Terminal in the south to Newmarket Terminal in the north via Richmond Hill Centre along Yonge street, serving 27 stations. Some northbound services short turn at Bernard Terminal. It runs along a dedicated busway from Savage-Sawmill to Yonge/Davis and from Bantry-Scott to 19th-Gamble.

Viva Blue was opened in September 2005 and the last extension to the line was in November 2005 to Newmarket.

Viva Purple

Viva Purple is a bus rapid transit service on an East-West alignment. It runs from Richmond Hill Centre in the west to Cornell Terminal in the east along Highway 7 with a branch along Enterprise Blvd (outside of rush hours only, when it is served by Viva Pink instead), serving 27 stations, with the two easternmost stations being served in a single directional loop. It runs along a dedicated busway from Richmond Hill Centre to Post Rd (now Andre de Grasse) on the Enterprise branch, shared with Viva Pink. Note that currently, as Viva Pink is not running, buses alternate between the two branches all day.

Viva Purple was opened in September 2005. The last extension to the line was in September 2022 to Cornell Terminal.

Viva Orange

Viva Orange is a bus rapid transit service on an East-West alignment. It runs from Martin Grove in the west to Richmond Hill Centre in the east via Vaughan Metropolitan Centre along Highway 7, serving 17 stations.

Viva Orange was opened in October 2005. It was cut back to Richmond Hill Centre in December 2017 after Line 1 Yonge-University-Spadina was extended along the same route. It runs along a dedicated busway from Wigwoss–Helen to Richmond Hill Centre Terminal

Viva Yellow

Viva Yellow is a bus rapid transit service on an East-West alignment. It runs from Newmarket Terminal in the west to Highway 404 in the east along Davis Drive, serving 7 stations. It runs along a dedicated busway from east of the Newmarket Terminal to west of Huron Heights.

Viva Yellow was opened in November 2015.

Viva Pink

Viva Pink is a bus rapid transit service on an upside down L shaped alignment. It runs from Finch Terminal in the southwest to Unionville in the east, serving 21 stations. It runs along a dedicated busway from Richmond Hill Centre to Post Rd (now Andre de Grasse), shared with Viva Purple. It only runs during rush hours. Viva Pink service is temporarily suspended.

Viva Pink was opened in January 2006. The last expansion was the opening of Post (now Andre de Grasse) station in February 2017.

GO

For information on GO, refer to the Toronto page.

References & Helpful Links

Viva Rapid Transit at Wikipedia

GO at Wikipedia

Official Website for Viva Rapid Transit: York Region Transit

Official Website for GO: GO

Maps

All Official Maps - GO Transit [Last Accessed Sept 03, 2023]

Official System Map - Viva [PDF] [Last Accessed Sept 03, 2023]

Official System Map - GO Transit [PDF] [Last Accessed Sept 03, 2023]

Other Sources

York Region, Canada at BRTDATA.org

Asset Notes

VIVA icon taken from YRT website; colors taken from official route map as of December 2020

GO Commuter Rail line colors taken from official GO map as of November 2020. GO Color taken from GO DRM.