York region transit route 601 'viva blue'

	Viva Blue
Number of Branches		2
Types of buses used		Nova Bus LFX/LFS Artic & Van Hool A330
Division		BRT (Richmond Hill)
Related routes		98, 99

Viva Blue is a Viva rapid transit route operated by York Region Transit in Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Route Details

The route mainly serves Yonge Street between Bishop Avenue and Davis Drive.

Viva Blue serves the Newmarket, Aurora, Oak Ridges, Richmond Hill, and Thornhill communities. It also serves Upper Canada Mall, York Region Administrative Centre, The Aurora Promenade, Old Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, Hillcrest Mall, Richmond Hill Centre Terminal, Thornhill Village, and Centerpoint Mall.

Viva Blue runs alongside Viva Pink between Richmond Hill Centre and Finch. It also connects to Viva Purple and Viva Orange at Richmond Hill Centre.

Viva Blue is the most heavily used route on the YRT/Viva system. In 2006, the ridership was greater than all of the routes operated by Southeast's Markham Division combined.

Branches

This route has 2 branches:

• Viva Blue Finch Terminal - Newmarket Terminal
• Viva Blue Finch Terminal - Bernard Terminal

Historic Branches

• Viva Blue "A" Finch Terminal - Newmarket Terminal bypassing Richmond Hill Centre Terminal (peak periods, directional)

History

Van Hool AG300 5203 on route Viva Blue laying over at Newmarket Terminal in winter 2008.

• September 4, 2005 - Viva Blue begins operation with the Phase 1 VIVA opening. Buses initially operated between Finch Terminal and Bernard Terminal just north of Elgin Mills Road.

• November 20, 2005 - The Phase 3 VIVA opening extended Viva Blue service north along Yonge Street to Newmarket Terminal. Rush-hour short-turn service to Bernard Terminal is maintained.

• 2007 - Viva Blue is officially assigned the number 601. This number was only seen by the public for a short time before being removed, although this number is used on Google Maps' transit routing for the route.

Even though the biggest buses operate on this route, it still suffers from overcrowding, especially south of Bernard. Additional buses were ordered in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2017. Service has also increased steadily since inauguration, including the introduction of midday, evening, and weekend service on the Bernard branch.

• June 28, 2010 - A new branch, Viva Blue A, is introduced providing peak-directional express service between Finch Terminal and Newmarket Terminal bypassing Richmond Hill Centre Terminal. This corresponds with the cancellation of GO Transit's route 62. The new branch is given the number 602. Five southbound trips are operated during the morning rush hour and five northbound trips are operated during the afternoon rush hour.

• September 5, 2010 - Due to increasing ridership, more runs were added on the Blue A branch bringing the total to 11 southbound AM-peak trips and 13 northbound PM-peak trips.

• 2014 - Construction begins on the new 6.5km Yonge Street rapidway in Richmond Hill between 19th Avenue/Gamble Road and Highway 7 with an initial completion date of 2018. Service south of Richmond Hill Centre may be replaced in the future, as part of The Big Move plan is to extend the Yonge Subway north to Richmond Hill Centre.

• January 5, 2020 - With the completion of rapidway construction between Savage Road/Sawmill Valley Drive and Davis Drive, Viva buses begin operating along the new rapidway and will also serve the new Davis, Eagle, and Mulock vivastations.

• April 5, 2020 - The Viva Blue A branch is temporarily suspended due to lower ridership from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• September 5, 2020 - Early morning weekend and Holiday northbound trips now depart from Finch Terminal instead of Yonge/16th Avenue.

• December 20, 2020 - With the completion of rapidway construction between 19th Avenue/Gamble Road and Highway 7, buses operate over the newly completed 6.5km rapidway between 19th-Gamble and Richmond Hill Centre Terminal. Buses operate over dedicated bus-only lanes between 19th Avenue/Gamble Road and Levendale Road, and Major Mackenzie Drive and Highway 7. Service between Levendale Road and Major Mackenzie Drive, designated as a "heritage area", will operate in mixed traffic.

• September 3rd, 2023 - YRT announced that the Viva Blue A branch (Route 602) will permanently not be returning to service since being suspended in April 2020, along with several other routes that were temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Nova Bus LFX/LFS Artic 1084 on route Viva Blue departing Richmond Hill Centre Terminal in August 2017.

Vehicles

Viva Blue is primarily a 60ft route, and uses Nova Bus LFX/LFS Artic buses. Occasionally, 40ft Van Hool A330 buses may also operate.

Route Maps

• 

  Viva Blue
  November 2005 - Present

Summary

Major Stops

	Major Stop	Branches	Connections	Notes
		Blue
Rapidway	Newmarket Terminal	Blue	Viva Yellow	Northern terminus
	Davis	Blue
	Eagle	Blue
	Mulock	Blue
	Savage	Blue
	Orchard Heights	Blue
	Wellington	Blue
	Golf Links	Blue
	Henderson	Blue
	Bloomington	Blue
	Regatta	Blue
	King	Blue
	Jefferson	Blue
Rapidway	19th-Gamble	Blue
	Bernard Terminal	Blue
	Bernard	Blue
	Elgin Mills	Blue
	Crosby	Blue
Rapidway	Major Mackenzie	Blue
	Weldrick	Blue
	16th-Carrville	Blue
	Bantry-Scott	Blue
	Richmond Hill Centre Terminal	Blue	- Viva Purple/Purple A - Viva Pink - Viva Orange
	Royal Orchard	Blue	- Viva Pink
	Centre	Blue	- Viva Pink
	Clark	Blue	- Viva Pink
	Steeles	Blue	- - Viva Pink
	Finch GO Bus Terminal	Blue	- - Viva Pink	Southern terminus

Gallery

Images of buses on the former Viva Blue A branch.

• 

  Van Hool AG300 8201 on route Viva Blue A departing Finch Terminal.

• 

  Van Hool AG300 8203 on route Viva Blue A departing Finch Terminal.

• 

  Nova Bus LFX/LFS Artic 1390 on route Viva Blue A near the Steeles VIVAstation travelling north towards Newmarket Terminal.

• 

  Nova Bus LFX/LFS Artic 1774 on route Viva Blue A laying over at Finch Terminal.