Viva Blue

Viva Blue
Overview
System	YRT/Viva
Operator	Tok Transit
Vehicle	Van Hool AG300 Nova Bus LF Series (articulated)
Began service	September 4, 2005
Route
Route type	Bus rapid transit
Locale	York Region
Communities served	Newmarket; Aurora; Richmond Hill; Markham; Vaughan; North York
Start	Newmarket Bus Terminal
Via	Bernard Terminal, Richmond Hill Centre Terminal
End	Finch Bus Terminal
Length	31.9 kilometres (19.8 mi)
Stops	27
Service
Frequency	15 mins north of Bernard Terminal; 7.5 mins south of Bernard Terminal
Weekend frequency	20 mins north of Bernard Terminal; 10 mins south of Bernard Terminal
Ridership	18,402 (2019)[1]
Route map Legend Yonge St Davis Dr Newmarket Terminal Davis Eagle Eagle St (W) Eagle Mulock Mulock Dr Mulock ←Sawmill Valley Dr Savage Rd→ Savage ←Joe Perschini Dr Savage Rd→ Savage St John's Sdrd Orchard Heights Wellington Wellington St W/E Golf Links ←Golf Links Dunning Ave→ Golf Links Henderson ←Henderson Dr Allura Blvd→ Henderson Barrie line Bloomington Bloomington Rd Bloomington Regatta Regatta Ave King King Rd Jefferson Jefferson Sdrd Jefferson 19th–Gamble ←Gamble Rd 19th Ave→ 19th–Gamble Bernard Terminal ←Canyon Hill Ave Bernard Ave→ Bernard Terminal Elgin Mills Elgin Mills RD W/E Elgin Mills Crosby Crosby Ave Crosby Major Mackenzie Dr W/E Major Mackenzie Weldrick Weldrick Rd W/E Weldrick 16th–Carrville ←Carrville Rd 16th Ave→ 16th–Carrville Bantry–Scott ←Scott Dr Bantry Ave→ Bantry–Scott Richmond Hill Centre Langstaff GO Richmond Hill line Highway 7  407 ETR Royal Orchard Centre Street Centre St Centre Street Clark Clark Ave Clark CN York Subdivision Steeles York Region Toronto Steeles Ave W/E Steeles Finch Terminal Line 1 Finch Line 1 Yonge–University to VMC via Union station Yonge St Legends Rapidway Mixed traffic Davis Drive's rapidway west of Yonge Street omitted This diagram: view talk edit ← {{{previous_line}}}  {{{system_nav}}}  {{{next_line}}} →

Viva Blue, also known as the Finch/Richmond Hill/Newmarket line or route 601,^[2] is a line on the Viva bus rapid transit system in York Region, located north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by Tok Transit, under contract from York Region Transit. This is the busiest bus route in the York Region Transit network, and one of the busiest in the Greater Toronto Area.

List of stations

There are 27 stops/terminals on Viva Blue. From north to south they are:

Viva Blue[3]
Name	Opening date	City / Town	Major connections
Newmarket Terminal	November 20, 2005	Newmarket
Davis	January 5, 2020[4]
Eagle	November 20, 2005
Mulock
Savage	September 6, 2009
Orchard Heights	November 20, 2005	Aurora
Wellington
Golf Links
Henderson
Bloomington		Aurora/Richmond Hill
Regatta	February 23, 2014	Richmond Hill
King	November 20, 2005
Jefferson	November 16, 2008
19th–Gamble	November 20, 2005
Bernard Terminal	September 4, 2005
Elgin Mills
Crosby
Major Mackenzie
Weldrick
16th–Carrville
Bantry–Scott
Richmond Hill Centre			Langstaff GO
Royal Orchard		Markham/Vaughan
Centre St.
Clark
Steeles
Finch Terminal		North York	Finch

History

Service from Finch station to Bernard began on September 4, 2005. Service north of Bernard to Newmarket Terminal began November 20, 2005.

There is a Viva Blue Short Turn route operating from Finch station to Bernard. According to the original environmental assessments, it is also known as the Finch–Richmond Hill line.

Previously there was a Viva Blue 'A' branch which operated between Newmarket Terminal, and Finch Terminal while bypassing Richmond Hill Centre. This was a rush hour branch only. The 'A' branch was suspended in April 2020, due to low ridership, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5] In September 2023, York Region Transit announced that the 'A' branch will not be returning to service.

Future

In the future, Viva Blue will have its own dedicated rapidway for most of the route between Newmarket Bus Terminal and Richmond Hill Centre Terminal. The first phase of the Yonge Street Rapidway opened in January 2020 and the second phase in December 2020. There are also plans to extend the bus route north to East Gwillimbury GO Station along Yonge Street and Green Lane. Eventually, the entire portion of rapidway could also be upgraded to allow light rail transit on this corridor.

Originally, the southern portion of the Yonge Street rapidway was to be implemented from 19th Avenue to Finch station, but since the announcement of MoveOntario 2020 by the Ontario provincial government, proposals of the portion of rapidway from Richmond Hill Centre to Finch station have been shelved for the proposed north extension of Line 1 Yonge–University.

While ridership on the Richmond Hill portion of Viva Blue is high for a suburban transit system, capacity constraints on the existing Toronto subway system prevents the Yonge Subway line from being extended into York Region. Alternatively (or concurrently), GO Transit plans to run express trains between Union Station in downtown Toronto, and its Langstaff train station adjacent to YRT's Richmond Hill Centre terminal daily.

See also

• Viva Rapid Transit
• Yonge Street

References