Five minutes shaved off of travel time
Hamid Adem
Assistant News Editor
A financial agreement between York Regional Transit and the City of Toronto could mean a faster commute time for students using the YRT.
The agreement would allow York Region’s Viva buses to use the York University busway between York and the Downsview subway station. If the agreement goes through, Viva buses could frequent the express busway as early as July.
“This agreement is good for everybody—quicker travels and more direct access,” says YRT general manager, Rick Leary. “We’re planning on putting our schedule together for this upcoming July, so we are trying to get out as soon as possible and do some training to get people accommodated with the area and busway.”
Access to the York busway would shave approximately five minutes off of each trip to and from Downsview Station.
The YRT has agreed to pay the City of Toronto $80,000 a year to use the York busway. The regional transit service will save an estimated $149,000 after factoring in the costs to use and maintain the busway.
Completed in 2009, the York busway was designed to improve the speed and reliability of the bus service to and from Downsview station.
Providing six kilometres of dedicated bus-only lanes, the busway makes use of the bus-only lanes on Dufferin Street and Allen Road.
As the first part of a two-phase system, the busway is providing service for TTC buses until the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension project is completed.
The YRT is not the only transit system looking to use the busway; GO Transit is also in the process of finalizing a similar deal with the City of Toronto.
