Viva Blue

Viva Blue
Overview
System	YRT/Viva
Operator	Miller Transit
Vehicle	Nova Bus LFS Artic, New Flyer XD60
Began service	September 4, 2005
Routes
Routes	4
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)
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File:VIVA5218.jpg

A Viva Blue bus enters the Richmond Hill Centre station.

File:Viva Bus 5203 at Finch Bus Terminal.jpg

Viva Blue bus at Finch Bus Terminal, bound for Newmarket

Viva Blue is a BRT 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.

List of stations

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

Viva Blue
Name	Opening date	City / Town	Major connections
Newmarket Terminal	November 20, 2005	Newmarket	File:Viva yellow.svg File:GO bus symbol.svg
Davis	January 5, 2020
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			File:Viva orange.svg File:Viva purple.svg File:GO bus symbol.svg File:GO Transit logo.svg File:GO Richmond Hill logo 2024.svg Langstaff GO
Royal Orchard		Markham/Vaughan
Centre St.
Clark
Steeles
Finch Terminal		North York	File:GO bus symbol.svg File:BSicon SUBWAY.svg Template:Stl

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. In September 2023, York Region Transit announced that the 'A' branch would not be returning to service.

On November 3, 2024, the branch operating between Bernard Terminal and Finch GO Bus Terminal was named as Viva Blue 'B'.

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 northeast 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.

See also

• Viva Rapid Transit
• Yonge Street