COLUMN: Vaughan's vision for transit is a reality

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 27, 2017
By Maurizio Bevilacqua

An integral part of moving Vaughan forward is a well-developed transit and transportation network. As one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Canada, we remain committed to being a key economic driver in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by generating jobs, encouraging investment and pursuing opportunities that will improve our quality of life. Creating new connections to surrounding communities and making it easier for people to get where they need to go will contribute to our continued success.

Vaughan is a city on the move. Earlier this month, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) announced that subway service in our new downtown, the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC), will begin on Dec. 17. Welcoming the subway is an exciting and historic moment in our city's journey to becoming truly world-class. The opening of the extension will continue the transformation we are seeing in the VMC and across our city. We are the only municipality outside of Toronto to receive a subway. Once it is operational, Vaughan will be linked directly with the core of Toronto - which provides a huge advantage for attracting residents, businesses and talent to Vaughan. Mass rapid transit, which includes the vivaNext Rapidway on Highway 7, will continue to make our city a destination of choice.

In addition, work has begun on the Highway 427 Expansion. The project includes a 6.6-kilometre extension from Highway 7 to Major Mackenzie Drive, wider lanes, three new interchanges and new median High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. Once complete, this will significantly improve the flow of traffic as well as goods and services in the Vaughan Enterprise Zone, one of the most valuable employment areas in the GTA.

As vice-chair of York Region Rapid Transit Corporation, I know keeping up with rapid growth and managing traffic congestion are key priorities in Vaughan. We have worked hard to nurture meaningful intergovernmental relationships, and, as a result, we have been able to move forward with important projects that are significant for residents and people who travel through our city. But our work is not done. We will continue to collaborate with our government partners to fulfil our common agenda to advance transit in Vaughan.