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105-659: YRT may refer to: York Region Transit , a transport operator in Ontario, Canada Yorton railway station , Shropshire, England (by CRS code) Youghiogheny River Trail , a path in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States Rankin Inlet Airport , Nunavut, Canada (by IATA code) See also [ edit ] All pages with titles containing YRT All pages with titles beginning with YRT Topics referred to by

210-549: A 13-km stretch of Davenport Road between the Humber River and the Don River had no less than five tollbooths spaced along its length. In the 1830s, the tollbooth near York Mills ' Miller Tavern and north of Montgomery's Tavern was "a tiny two-storey building on the west side of Yonge" at the top of the hill "with a roof stretched over the roadway to a support on the far side." In 1850, Yonge Street together with

315-675: A Brampton Transit route, Brampton Transit fare media (including those loaded onto a Presto card) may be used to board without any additional fares being assessed. However, despite the fare integration, passengers boarding with YRT passes will not be issued transfers for connecting to Brampton Transit routes in Brampton, and passengers boarding with Brampton Transit passes will not be issued transfers for connecting to YRT routes in York Region. Brampton Transit and YRT have cooperated on routes connecting Brampton and Toronto via York Region, and for

420-510: A GO Transit route to a YRT bus route or TTC-operated bus routes in York Region (north of Steeles Avenue) and receive free admission onto YRT so long as the passenger provides the GO Transit proof of payment ticket. Since Viva is operated on a proof-of-purchase system and single Viva fares are paid or purchased at curbside fare vending machines, riders must use a Presto card when transferring between Viva and GO Transit services in order to access

525-613: A Presto card, or contactless credit or debit card, on the YRT Presto fare readers located beside the fare vending machines; or activate their mobile ticket or pass at the platforms prior to boarding. A single-ride ticket has the date and expiry time printed on it at the time of purchase and does not need to be validated. Paper POP tickets and transfers are not issued to Presto, credit and debit card holders or YRT Pay app users since these payment methods act as POP. Time-based fares and transfers allow for unlimited travel within York Region on

630-757: A YRT fare. Since August 26, 2019, riders have been able to use their Presto card to pay both their YRT and TTC fares on TTC-operated bus routes that travel between York Region and Toronto. While single-use TTC-only paper Presto tickets can be used to pay a TTC fare for the subway (whether in York Region or Toronto) or TTC surface routes in Toronto, they cannot be used to pay a YRT fare on TTC-operated bus routes in York Region. Certain YRT routes enter Toronto, but City of Toronto regulations mean that passengers may not board inbound (towards Toronto) or disembark on outbound (away from Toronto) YRT routes in Toronto. No extra cash fare

735-409: A better-protected location and build overland routes to the upper lakes as soon as possible. He established York , as Toronto was originally called, with its naturally enclosed harbour , as a defensible site for a new capital. To provide communications between the site and the upper lakes, he planned two connected roads, the first running north from York to Lake Simcoe , (then named Lake aux Claies ),

840-580: A bus rapid transit system along the Yonge Street and Highway 7 arterial corridors. This service, known as Viva , was launched in September 2005. Fares for riding YRT can be paid by cash, Presto card , or the mobile YRT Pay or Transit pay apps. Customers can also pay the equivalent of the YRT adult cash fare prices via contactless credit or debit card. YRT discontinued the sale and use of monthly passes from January 2024 onwards. They were replaced by

945-698: A jog, it runs north for about 1.8 kilometres, stopping at a dead end just past the Silver Lakes Golf and Country Club; further north, the name picks up again as an unpaved farm road which ends at Ravenshoe Road west of Keswick and just south of Lake Simcoe . The diversion running from Holland Landing to Bradford does not carry the Yonge name but instead was named Bradford Street in Holland Landing, and Holland Landing Road in Bradford. The latter

1050-656: A kilometre from Kempenfelt Bay, at a T-intersection with Essa Road. With the outbreak of hostilities between France and Great Britain in 1793, part of the War of the First Coalition , the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario), John Graves Simcoe , was concerned about the possibility of the United States entering British North America in support of their French allies. In particular,

1155-476: A load drawn by a horse. The tolls were designed to tax those that had money: Farmers on their way to market. A horse-drawn streetcar line was completed on Yonge Street in Toronto in September 1861 and operated by the Toronto Street Railway . The line went from Scollard Street to King Street. Streetcar service would be electrified in Toronto by 1892. Confederation and the construction of

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1260-435: A major road. A path did exist between Queen and Bloor Streets, but was called the "road to Yonge Street", rather than being considered part of the street itself due to its poor condition. Over time the creeks were rerouted and the swamps drained. In 1812 the route was extended from Queen Street to the harbour, and in 1828 the entire southern portion was solidified with gravel. St. Albans never developed as Simcoe had hoped, but

1365-651: A monthly fare capping system only available on the Presto card. As of 1 July 2024 , YRT fares are as follows: Other fares: Two separate methods of payments are used by transit routes serving York Region: York Region's rapid transit bus service, Viva, operates on a "pre-paid proof-of-payment (POP)" system, meaning passengers in possession of POP can board these buses at any door. Unlike conventional YRT buses, Viva buses are not equipped with onboard fareboxes, which means passengers are required to purchase single-ride tickets from curbside fare vending machines; or use

1470-605: A number of kettle lakes and traversing the crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine , thence leaving the Lake Ontario basin. Yonge passes through the core of Aurora, and in the regional seat of Newmarket, Yonge serves as the town's main suburban artery, passing through low-density residential and commercial areas, bypassing its core to the west. North of Green Lane , Regional Road 1 deviates from the original baseline 56 km (35 mi) north of Lake Ontario, bypassing

1575-423: A number of other local roads was purchased at auction by James Beatty and his Toronto Road Company for £75,100. Beatty was out of pocket in September 1863, and the legislature once more assumed control until April 1865, when it was able to pass control (also at auction) to York County Council for $ 72,500. The tolls in effect in 1875 ranged from 1 cent for each pig, sheep, or goat to 10 cents for every vehicle with

1680-488: A right turn at an intersection in downtown Bradford, where it is initially named Barrie Street before the name Yonge resumes, roughly paralleling Lake Simcoe's western shore through rural countryside, traversing the rolling hills of southeast Simcoe County , and is signed Simcoe Road 4 . The street officially ends in Barrie at a rail spur , where its name changes to Burton Avenue at Garden Drive, which itself ends less than

1785-440: A similar service, starting in 1925. Even earlier, an interurban line served Woodbridge between 1913 and 1926. Newmarket Transit began sometime in the early 1970s as a contracted service from the town. Previously service was provide first by Newmarket Bus Lines circa 1948, renamed Newmarket Town Bus circa 1958, which ran to 1967. Aurora Transit began operations in 1973, replacing Aurora Bus lines, which operated starting in

1890-540: A single fare for two hours, including transfers to and from Brampton Transit , Züm , as well as TTC-operated bus routes in York Region (north of Steeles Avenue). Since February 26, 2024, under the One Fare Program, a Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)–wide fare integration policy, passengers paying by Presto, credit or debit card are eligible for free transfers between YRT and the TTC subway and bus routes in

1995-598: A small party of soldiers and native guides started northward along the trail, establishing the Pine Fort on the western branch of the Holland River , near the modern location of Bradford . Stopping only to rename Lake aux Claies "Lake Simcoe" in memory of his father, the party continued north to Lake Couchiching , and then down the Severn River to Georgian Bay. Here he selected the site of Penetanguishene as

2100-606: A time, certain YRT routes were jointly operated by YRT and Brampton Transit buses, where both agencies' fare media were accepted. The introduction of Züm Queen has ended operation of YRT route 77 to Bramalea City Centre . The acceptance of YRT fares on Brampton Transit routes in York Region are the last vestiges of such cooperation. YRT has 123 Viva bus rapid transit vehicles, 406 York Region Transit buses, and 97 Mobility Plus vehicles. The initial fleet consisted of buses from previous York Region operators, but has since been expanded with YRT-bought vehicles. YRT's first fleet (2001–2006)

2205-441: A year to clear the road of logs, subsequently removed by convicted drunks as part of their sentences. The southern end of the road was in use in the first decade of the 19th century, and became passable all the way to the northern end in 1816. The road was extended south from Eglinton to Bloor Street in 1796 by Berczy, who needed a route to his warehouse on the Toronto lakeshore. The area south of Bloor Street proved too swampy for

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2310-474: Is a major crossroads of Toronto, informally considered the northern edge of the downtown core. Subway Line 2 Bloor–Danforth intersects the Yonge line here, with the resulting transfers between lines making Bloor–Yonge station the busiest in the city. The northeast quadrant features the Hudson's Bay Centre office and retail complex, including a Hudson's Bay Company Hudson's Bay store. The northwest quadrant has

2415-438: Is a time limit to be riding while paying one fare, and passengers without valid fares (even those whose two-hour travel window expires while on board a vehicle) are subject to a warning, fine, or a criminal charge. In 2006, YRT began installing 150 cameras on YRT (including Viva and Mobility Plus) buses. By the end of 2008, there were to be 210 more cameras added to the system's vehicles. CCTV cameras are also installed in some of

2520-421: Is central to the former suburb municipality of North Toronto , now widely referred to as Midtown , which is divided into several local neighbourhoods. Yonge Street along this stretch features mixed low-scale residential, retail, and commercial buildings. The intersection at Eglinton Avenue has become a focal point, serving as a high-density residential, commercial and transit hub. The site of Montgomery's Tavern

2625-598: Is charged for travel solely on YRT vehicles in Toronto. On December 17, 2017, the western branch of Line 1 was extended into York Region. Coinciding with that opening, YRT took over the operation of four TTC-operated routes in Vaughan. Unlike the policy with TTC-operated bus routes in York, no extra cash fare is charged when boarding or disembarking at Highway 407 and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre stations in Vaughan , due to

2730-757: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages York Region Transit York Region Transit ( YRT ) is the public transit operator in York Region , Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill , at 50 High Tech Road. YRT operates 65 full-time rush hour and limited routes, 35 school services, and six Viva bus rapid transit routes. Five contracted Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus routes run within York Region's boundaries (one in Vaughan and four in Markham). Some YRT routes operate within

2835-471: Is just to the east on Shuter Street. Opposite the north end of the Eaton Centre lies Yonge–Dundas Square . The area now comprising the square was cleared of several small commercial buildings and redeveloped in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It has been outfitted with large video screens, and developed with retail shopping arcades, fountains and seating in a bid to become "Toronto's Times Square ". It

2940-454: Is marked as a provincial highway. Its construction has been designated as an Event of National Historic Significance in Canada. Yonge Street was integral to the original planning and settlement of western Upper Canada in the 1790s, forming the basis of the concession roads in Ontario today. In Toronto and York Region , Yonge Street is the north–south baseline from which street numbering

3045-724: Is mostly two- and three-storey buildings with ground-floor commercial uses of varying types. South of St. Clair once stood the Deer Park carhouse for the Metropolitan Street Railway Metropolitan line. It was sold by the Toronto Transportation Commission to the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto in 1924 and mostly destroyed by a fire in 2017. From approximately St. Clair Avenue to Yonge Boulevard, Yonge Street

3150-610: Is nearby, the location of a significant clash in the Upper Canada Rebellion and is marked as a National Historic Site . The tavern was later replaced by the Postal Station K Building, now a podium for Montgomery Square condominium complex. North of Yonge Boulevard, Yonge Street traverses the deep forested ravine of the West Don Valley at Hoggs Hollow , a formidable obstacle in pioneer days and

3255-611: Is reckoned east and west. The eastern branch of the subway Line 1 Yonge–University serves nearly the entire length of the street in Toronto; it serves as the spine of the Toronto subway system, linking to suburban commuter systems such as the Viva Blue BRT . The street is a commercial main thoroughfare rather than a ceremonial one, with the Downtown Yonge shopping and entertainment district containing landmarks such as

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3360-458: Is the site of numerous public events. Another stretch of busy retail lines both sides of Yonge Street north of Dundas Street. The density of businesses diminishes north of Gerrard Street ; residential towers with some ground-floor commercial uses flank this section. The Art Deco College Park building, a former shopping complex of the T. Eaton Company , occupies much of the west side of the street from Gerrard Street north to College Street . It

3465-455: Is under contract until April 30, 2021. The Southeast Division includes routes in Markham , Richmond Hill , and Stouffville . It is operated by Miller Transit who are under contract until October 2023. Transdev Canada is under contract of this division until August 1, 2021. In response to escalating congestion on the region's roads, York Region's transit plan included a provision for

3570-561: The Guinness Book of World Records repeated the popular misconception that Yonge Street was 1,896 km (1,178 mi) long, making it the longest street in the world; this was due to a conflation of Yonge Street with the rest of Ontario's Highway 11 . The street (including the Bradford-to-Barrie extension) is only 86 kilometres (53 mi) long. Due to provincial downgrading in the 1990s, no section of Yonge Street

3675-459: The 100th Regiment , came across a large bear on the street and cut its head open with his sword. In 1824, work began to extend Yonge Street to Kempenfelt Bay near Barrie . A northwestern extension was branched off the original Yonge Street in Holland Landing (present-day Holland Landing Road and the stretch of York Road 1 running northwest of Bathurst Street ) and ran into the new settlement of Bradford before turning north towards Barrie (with

3780-635: The Canada men's national ice hockey team won the Olympic gold medal in 2002, 2010 and 2014, and when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019. During these celebrations motorists drive up and down the other portions of the street honking their horns and flying flags and during lesser celebrations (when the crowds have not closed down the street), they will do this along the downtown portions of

3885-546: The Canadian Pacific Railway further diminished the importance of Yonge Street, as the new Dominion of Canada heralded the construction of east–west trade routes spanning the continent. By the 1870s, Henry Scadding , author of Toronto of Old , declared that Penetanguishene did not have the importance to need an approach such as the "extension of the Yonge Street Road." During the late 1800s,

3990-496: The East Don Valley in the upper part of its watershed) and Richmond Hill . Various stretches of Yonge Street throughout this area contain residential high-rise buildings of varying ages, with some currently under development. Continuous urbanization ends just south of Stouffville Road, and the street passes through brief semi-rural exurban stretches between Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket , and Holland Landing , passing

4095-497: The Eaton Centre and Yonge–Dundas Square . Yonge Street originates on the northern shore of Toronto Bay at Queens Quay as a four-lane arterial road (speed limit 40 km/h) proceeding north. Toronto's Harbourfront is built on landfill extended into the bay. The former industrial area has been converted from port, rail and industrial uses to a dense, residential, high-rise community. The elevated Gardiner Expressway and

4200-555: The Toronto and York Radial Railway used the Yonge Street right-of-way , originally to the town of North Toronto, but expanding over the years all the way to Sutton, on southern Lake Simcoe. The Radial Railway ran along the eastern side of the street, allowing the prevailing westerly winds to remove snow from the slightly raised rails. The arrival of the Canadian Northern Railway in 1906 lessened traffic on

4305-505: The Two Bloor West office tower. The southeast quadrant has a condominium tower constructed in the early 21st century, and the southwestern quadrant is being developed for a condominium . The Mink Mile 's borders extend from Yonge to Avenue Road along Bloor. The intersection of Yonge and Bloor streets is a "scramble"-type intersection, which allows pedestrians to cross from any corner to any other corner. Immediately north of Bloor,

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4410-498: The War of 1812 , when construction of a new fleet of first-rate ships began on the Lakes, necessitating the shipment of a large anchor from England for use on a frigate under construction on Lake Huron . The war ended while the anchor was still being moved, and now lies just outside Holland Landing in a park named in its honour. Bears were known to wander onto Yonge Street in the early days of Toronto. In 1809 Lieutenant Fawcett , of

4515-473: The Yonge Street Extension , is co-signed with Regional Road 13 . At Queensville Side Road, the road breaks, and resumes again slightly to the west for 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) before it ends in the upper Holland Marsh with an unopened road clearance signed with trees next to the Silver Lakes Golf and Country Club. Yonge resumes to the northwest in Bradford (reached via Regional Road 1), at

4620-468: The York Regional Road 1 designation north of the Toronto city limits at Steeles Avenue in York Region ), Yonge Street is a suburban commercial strip, passing Highway 407 (exit 77) two kilometres north of Steeles. This 16.5 km (10.3 mi) segment is a busy suburban arterial, interrupted by the original town centres of suburban communities such as Thornhill (where the route crosses

4725-657: The 1820s. The Metropolitan Street Railway ran electric interurban streetcars on Yonge Street as far north as Keswick from 1897 to 1930. Publicly owned (via TTC) North Yonge Railways provided interurban service on Yonge Street from 1930 to 1948. From 1948 to 1977, the Toronto Transit Commission (Toronto Transportation Commission before 1954) ran the North Yonge 59 bus route on Yonge. Other contracted TTC routes later followed on many other streets continuing from Metro Toronto. The North Yonge bus

4830-522: The 1960s. Like Newmarket, Aurora was much smaller in size and population than other southern York Region municipalities, which benefited from connections to GO Transit and the TTC. Aurora Transit provided feeder service to GO Transit's commuter trains and buses as well as community bus service to town's major destinations. A fare arrangement between Aurora Transit and GO Transit allowed passengers to use Aurora Transit tickets on GO Transit's "Route B" buses that provided local service on Yonge Street, provided

4935-541: The Allandale neighbourhood of Barrie, which ends shortly after at Essa Road. From that point, no other part of the highway any further north ever carried the Yonge Street name, and it makes several turns in Barrie itself as it follows various streets. At its terminus in Rainy River, Highway 11's street name is Atwood Avenue rather than Yonge Street. When the final leg of Highway 11 between Atikokan and Rainy River

5040-692: The Bradford-Barrie stretch being the only part of the later Highway 11 apart from the original section ever to be named Yonge). Work was completed by 1827, making connections with the Penetanguishene Road. In 1833, the legislature voted to " macadamise " some portions of the dirt road. The decision was made to withdraw the military garrison in Penetanguishene in 1852. A year later, the Northern Railway of Canada

5145-541: The City Of Toronto (south of Steeles Avenue) within 2 hours of initial fare payment. However, customers paying by cash are not eligible and are still required to pay an additional fare when crossing Steeles in both directions On July 1, 2017, YRT removed fare zones, allowing customers to travel within the region for only one fare. Previously, the YRT/Viva service area was divided into three fare zones. Zone 3

5250-501: The City of Toronto ; these buses generally run to and from TTC subway stations. YRT northbound buses are allowed to pick up passengers south of Steeles Avenue if they are heading into York Region (passengers must flag the bus from a designated TTC or YRT stop). YRT buses heading to a TTC subway station can similarly drop off passengers at designated stops south of Steeles Avenue but are not permitted to pick up passengers from these stops. As

5355-661: The East and Western sections of the region to unite in the heart of the GTA. Stretching through the center of the Greater Toronto Area, Yonge Street has transformed into a vital route, accommodating not only vehicular traffic but also serving as a central hub for transportation and commerce. The corridor is home to the Yonge-University Subway Line, serving Toronto,Vaughan, and soon Richmond Hill as

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5460-508: The Radial, but it was not until Yonge became a major route for cars that the Radial truly fell into disuse. The last TYRR train north from Toronto ran on March 16, 1930. The line was then purchased by the townships north of the city and re-incorporated as North Yonge Railways , running service for another eighteen years before operations ended, along with service on numerous other portions of the Radial lines, in 1948. The space it formerly occupied

5565-526: The Ride to GO co-fare discount. The GO Transit co-fare discount is available to all passengers who pay single YRT bus fares on their stored Presto card balance: passengers will automatically be assessed the co-fare (and any YRT or Viva fare supplements, if necessary) when transferring from GO Transit to YRT/Viva services regardless of where the passenger boards the YRT bus. Similarly, passengers transferring from YRT/Viva to GO Transit services will also be reimbursed

5670-929: The Vivastations in Richmond Hill . YRT owns a few facilities, with many shared with other transit agencies like the TTC, GO Transit and Brampton Transit. Garages used to store buses are owned by contractors. Starting on October 24, 2011, bus drivers and workers contracted by Miller Transit, First Student and York BRT Services (Veolia) started striking, protesting over wages and benefits for three months. Over 60 percent of YRT bus routes in York region and all Viva routes did not operate. YRT and Viva workers started picketing on December 5, 2011, at Finch-GO Terminal, YRT headquarters, South-West Division Garage, and Richmond Hill Centre Terminal. 96% of all YRT/Viva routes returned to service on February 4, 2012, and 98% of services were operational by February 6, 2012. Full YRT/Viva service resumed on February 27, 2012. To compensate riders for

5775-628: The actual North York district municipal offices, the North York Central Library and the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts. The street widens to a six-lane urban arterial road through North York Centre (although north of Sheppard Avenue the outer lanes are for parking outside of rush hours), passing inner-suburb transit hubs at Sheppard and Finch Avenues. From Finch Avenue to Stouffville Road (acquiring

5880-576: The case. The original historic alignment of Yonge Street diverges from the former Highway 11 (now York Regional 1) in East Gwillimbury , one kilometre north of Green Lane; at this junction, York Road 1 diverts northwest, while Yonge Street turns right at the intersection and then loops back to continue the straight alignment. It then continues, ending at Queensville Side Road in Holland Landing . Approximately 350 metres further west at

5985-423: The centre of Holland Landing with a northwest heading and thereby circumnavigating Cook's Bay and the lower Holland Marsh , through exurban areas en route to Bradford . The bypass was constructed in 1959. Regional Road 51 is the original route of the main section. Yonge Street branches off Regional Road 1 at the foot of the bypass to continue north through Holland Landing. This short section, known locally as

6090-656: The congested rail lines of the Toronto railway viaduct on their approach to Union Station pass over Yonge Street. The road rises slightly near Front Street , marking the pre-landfill shoreline. Here, at the southern edge of the central business district , is the Dominion Public Building , the Meridian Hall and the Hockey Hall of Fame , the latter housed in a former Bank of Montreal office, once Canada's largest bank branch. Beyond Front Street,

6195-444: The designation after writing and publishing a book about the history of the street. Earlier claims that Yonge was the longest street in the world also existed, with The Globe asserting it about the original Toronto to Lake Simcoe alignment in 1895, at a time when the rest of Highway 11 did not even exist yet, and later claiming in 1953 that Yonge was the longest street in the world because it purportedly extended to Cochrane , which

6300-444: The difference between the YRT fare and the co-fare upon disembarking from GO Transit (effectively, the YRT portion of the journey is paid with a co-fare). Some TTC bus routes travel into York Region and operate on behalf of YRT. This allows passengers to board a TTC bus in York Region and disembark in the City of Toronto and vice versa. Passengers who board such routes in Toronto pay a TTC fare, while those boarding in York Region pay

6405-618: The downtown core of the former suburban city of North York . North York Centre features numerous residential and office towers, most with ground-floor commercial uses, with some stretches of older two-storey buildings, many slated for redevelopment. Slightly under halfway up Yonge Street from Sheppard to Finch on the west side is the North York Civic Centre complex and the adjacent North York Centre office and retail towers. These lands contain Mel Lastman Square ,

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6510-549: The early 1900s onwards, there were several proposals to build a subway for streetcars on Yonge Street, given the high demand for north–south travel within downtown Toronto. Following World War 2, the Toronto Transit Commission proposed a north–south subway line along the Yonge Street corridor between Union Station and Eglinton Avenue . Approved by voters in 1946, construction began in September 1949, with disruptive cut-and-cover construction on Yonge Street taking place between College Avenue and Front Street. The Yonge Subway

6615-460: The east is noted for its opulent residences. The area is marked by the historic North Toronto railway station , formerly served by the Canadian Pacific Railway and now the location of a Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store. The CPR route parallels the foot of the Iroquois shoreline escarpment, which Yonge Street ascends here toward Midtown . Development along Yonge to St. Clair Avenue

6720-616: The entire trip was within Aurora's town limits. Passengers travelling to the neighbouring Oak Ridges or Newmarket could still use Aurora Transit tickets with a cash supplement. On August 30, 1998, Aurora Transit restructured its services into a single route with service in the southern part of the town provided by Richmond Hill Transit. At the same time, Newmarket Transit route 77/11 was extended south on Bayview Avenue to connect with Aurora Transit's only route at Bayview Shopping Centre. Aurora Transit ended its operations on September 4, 1999, when

6825-402: The following municipally managed transit systems, with the earlier operators continuing to operate the new systems in some cases (the history of these predecessor local services are also described for each municipality). Markham Transit was created in 1973 and operated by Travelways and Miller Transit Limited after 1984 on behalf of the then–Town of Markham. Richmond Hill Transit

6930-596: The government of Ontario prepares for the construction of the Yonge North Subway Extension. In addition, the Yonge Street Rapidway located North of Toronto, is a comprehensive BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) in York Region allowing for convenient access to Finch Subway Station , in Toronto. Moreover, Yonge Street hosts numerous modes of public transportation, which connects people to major infrastructure spanning over 30 kilometres. From

7035-653: The historic Simpson's building. Yonge Street's entire west side, from Queen to Dundas Streets , is occupied by the Eaton Centre , a multi-storey indoor mall featuring shops along its Yonge Street frontage. The east side has two historic performance venues, the Ed Mirvish Theatre (formerly the Canon Theatre and before that, the Pantages) and the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres . In addition, Massey Hall

7140-758: The impracticality of a payment-on-exit system. Under the fare integration policy, riders using card payment can transfer between YRT and TTC subway or bus routes in Toronto within two hours of initial payment, with the additional fare for cash payment still required when transferring between YRT bus routes and the subway at these stations, as it is at stations located in or bordering Toronto, such as Finch or Pioneer Village as well as with connecting TTC bus routes operating in Toronto. An agreement between YRT and Brampton Transit means passengers boarding Züm Queen east of Highway 50 (which largely duplicates service with Viva Orange while in York Region) will be assessed YRT fares even if they intend to disembark in Brampton. As

7245-694: The inauguration of YRT in 2001, public transit in York Region ( York County prior to 1971) was delivered by a patchwork of various operators in some of the lower-tier municipalities, with some cross-boundary services in more heavily urbanized areas. Most of the cross-boundary service was either GO Transit running "city"-type bus routes or the present TTC-contracted routes (with some being replaced with YRT routes or cancelled) coming north from Metropolitan Toronto or later (and present) Toronto. Gray Coach also provided some medium-distance commuter services. Stagecoaches or omnibuses ran along Yonge Street to hotels in Richmond Hill from York (now Toronto) beginning in

7350-427: The location for a new naval base and port. On his return, he met with an Ojibway named 'Old Sail' and was shown a new route along another arm of the trail, this one starting on the eastern branch of the Holland River and thereby avoiding the marshes of the western branch (today's Holland Marsh ). They left Pine Fort on October 11 and reached York on the 15th. Simcoe selected this eastern route for his new road, moving

7455-412: The location of Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake ), the first and former capital of Upper Canada, was in danger of being attacked by the Americans from the nearby border. Additionally, U.S. forces could easily sever British access to the upper lakes at Lake St. Clair or the Detroit River , cutting the colony off from the important trading post at Michilimackinac . Simcoe planned to move the capital to

7560-408: The majority of passengers are assumed to be transferring to and from TTC services, no extra fare is charged for riders boarding or disembarking YRT buses within Toronto. In the fourth quarter of 2022, average weekday ridership was approximately 64,800 on buses and 1,200 on MobilityPlus, a service for people with disabilities. 22.8 million riders used YRT in 2016, a 1.4% increase over 2015. Prior to

7665-465: The map inlay has now been removed. Interestingly, the true longest named street in the world may be another street originating in Toronto; Dundas Street . It runs west from the city (crossing Yonge) to London, Ontario ; with that name throughout most of its length, including at both ends. It was conceived and constructed as a single street, although it has several bypasses and discontinuous sections today. In 2008, Toronto's first pedestrian scramble

7770-402: The name Yonge Street ends. Although current tourist campaigns do not make much of Yonge Street's length, its status as an urban myth was bolstered by an art installation at the foot of Yonge Street and a map of its purported length laid out into the sidewalk in bronze at the southwest corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets. However, possibly due to wider recognition of the street's actual length,

7875-579: The road passes through the east side of the Financial District , which holds many of Canada's tallest buildings, and passes an entrance to the Allen Lambert Galleria . Between Front and Queen Streets , Yonge Street is bounded by historic and commercial buildings, many serving the large weekday workforce concentrated here. These include the flagship Toronto locations of the Hudson's Bay Company and Saks Fifth Avenue , both in

7980-492: The route around Thornhill . However, the settlement was hit by a series of setbacks and road construction stalled. Work on the road started again in 1795 when the Queen's Rangers took over. They began their work at Eglinton Avenue and proceeded north, reaching the site of St. Albans on 16 February 1796. Expansion of the trail into a road was a condition of settlement for farmers along the route, who were required to spend 12 days

8085-403: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title YRT . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=YRT&oldid=1152970839 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

8190-406: The second colour theme, some buses were all white with the old "YRT" label remaining. Fare inspectors and special constables patrol the entire YRT transit system for the safety and security of passengers and to ensure compliance with the proof-of-payment system used on Viva buses. They do random spot checks on board Viva buses to ensure the proper use of tickets, transfers and Presto cards. There

8295-621: The second joining Lake Simcoe with Georgian Bay . This would allow overland transport to the upper lakes, bypassing U.S. strongholds. The route from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe is still known as Yonge Street, and the second leg to Georgian Bay was long known as the Penetanguishene Road . Before the construction of Yonge Street, a portage route, the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail , had already linked Lakes Ontario and Simcoe. On September 25, 1793, Simcoe and

8400-525: The shores of Lake Simcoe. By 1860 the Muskoka Road penetrated the southern skirts of the Canadian Shield , advancing towards Lake Nipissing . The government of Upper Canada had a limited tax base and a vast area to settle, so they asked private individuals to build and maintain roads in exchange for the right to toll wayfarers. This was a commonplace arrangement at the time: For example,

8505-525: The site of one of the last of the former toll gates. The lower-density residential community and park-like setting here represent an interlude between North Toronto and the newer high-rise district beyond, towering over the valley. Canada's busiest section of highway ( Highway 401 ) spans the valley via the Hogg's Hollow Bridge (exit 369). Leaving the valley north of Highway 401, densities and traffic both significantly increase on entering North York City Centre ,

8610-522: The six Viva Rapid Transit bus routes and uses the 196-bus garage near Leslie Street and 16th Avenue in Richmond Hill. In 2015, TOK Transit began a seven-year contract, replacing Veolia Transportation ( Transdev ) as operator. The North Division includes several bus routes in Newmarket , Aurora , King Township , East Gwillimbury and Georgina . TOK Transit also operates this division and

8715-833: The southern end from the Rouge River to the western outskirts of the settled area in York, and the northern end to a proposed new town on the Holland River, St. Albans. The road was actually called Concession 1 at first with Concessions 2 etc. on either side. For instance Concession 1 Whitchurch Township faces Yonge St. and goes east to Concession 2, which starts at Bayview Ave. Concession 1 King Township faces Yonge St. and goes west to Concession 2, which starts at Bathurst St. There are 10 concessions in York County going east and west from Concession 1, Yonge Street. The east side ending at then-Ontario County, now Durham Region, and

8820-509: The street as well. Sections of the street are often closed for other events, such as an annual street festival. In 1999 Ricky Martin held an autograph session at Sunrise Records and had a large section of the street closed for the day. The intersection of Yonge and Dundas Streets, centred on the plaza at Yonge-Dundas Square , has been closed on occasion to host free concerts, including performances by R.E.M. on 17 May 2001, by Beyoncé on 15 September 2006 and by John Mayer on 16 September of

8925-402: The street is part of the old town of Yorkville , today a major shopping district extending west of Yonge Street along Cumberland and Bloor streets. North of Yorkville, densities and traffic decrease somewhat and the speed limit increases slightly (to 50 km/h, which it remains for most of its urban length) as Yonge Street forms the main street of Summerhill , which together with Rosedale to

9030-530: The street will be closed to vehicular traffic. Streetcars on routes crossing Yonge in that area (Carlton, Dundas, Queen, King) during those celebrations will often have to cease operations a few hundred metres east or west of Yonge Street due to the crowds. In recent times, these celebrations particularly occurred after the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series of Baseball in 1992 and 1993, when

9135-514: The three months of service disruptions, York Region Transit provided two months of free service, using the money saved by not having to pay striking workers. In December 2014, the executive of YRT consisted of: Operational executives are: Yonge Street Once the southernmost leg of provincial Highway 11 , linking the provincial capital with northern Ontario , Yonge Street has been referred to as "Main Street Ontario". Until 1999,

9240-488: The town of Holland Landing eventually grew up on the site, a somewhat more descriptive name. Holland Landing was settled by Quakers who moved into the area after having left the United States in the aftermath of the American Revolution . The settlers were branching out from their initial town of "Upper Yonge Street", which later became Newmarket . The road almost served its original military purpose during

9345-470: The transit service in the town was transferred to Newmarket Transit. The latter became part of the York Region Transit on January 1, 2001, when the four regional transit systems were merged. YRT was created by the regional government in 2001 by amalgamating the four municipal transit authorities in the region as increasing urbanization made separate municipal transit agencies impractical. Viva

9450-439: The west side ending at Peel County (now Peel Region). The following spring, Simcoe instructed Deputy Surveyor General Augustus Jones to blaze a small trail marking the route. Simcoe initiated construction of the road by granting land to settlers, who in exchange were required to clear 33 feet of frontage on the road passing their lot . Certain seasons saw the muddy sidewalks of York in deplorable condition, and Yonge Street

9555-476: The world. Running (mostly) concurrent with Yonge as far north as Barrie, then continuing beyond through central and northern Ontario to the Ontario– Minnesota border at Rainy River , the highway was over 1,896 kilometres (1,178 mi) long. But Yonge Street could only be called the longest street in the world if it were fully synonymous with Highway 11 over the highway's entire length, which has never been

9660-402: Was built along this established route, between Toronto and Kempenfelt Bay and extended to Collingwood by 1855. Settlement along the Penetanguishene Road pre-dated the road itself. Subsequent extensions of Yonge Street (though never named as such) which later became the more northerly parts of Highway 11, built in the 1830s (some with military strategy in mind), pushed settlement northeast along

9765-629: Was completed in 1965, the Rainy River Chamber of Commerce responded with a publicity stunt requesting that Toronto change the name of Yonge Street to Atwood Avenue so that the highway could have the same street name at both ends, but this did not occur. The claim was first added by the Guinness Book of Records in 1977 at the request of Toronto writer Jay Myers, supplanting Figueroa Street in Los Angeles . Myers had sought

9870-498: Was converted into a residential and commercial complex after the building of the Eaton Centre. From College Street north to Bloor Street , Yonge Street serves smaller street-level retail, mostly in two- to three-storey buildings of a hundred years' vintage. The businesses here, unlike the large chains that dominate south of Gerrard Street, are mostly small independent shops and serve a dense residential community on either side of Yonge Street. The intersection of Yonge and Bloor streets

9975-561: Was created in 1960 to provide public transit service in Richmond Hill. It was initially operated by Trailways of Canada Limited, then Travelways starting in 1976 and Laidlaw in the 1980s. Vaughan Transit operated from 1973 until the merger into YRT. Before (and for two years after) the creation of Vaughan Transit, transit service was provided to the community of Woodbridge by the TTC-operated 93 Woodbridge bus between 1954 and 1975. Prior to that, various private operators provided

10080-583: Was defined as the portion of York Region north of Ravenshoe Road , and Zones 1 and 2 were divided by Bloomington Road for northbound passengers, just south of King Road for southbound passengers. Passengers crossing a zone boundary had to pay a zone fare supplement in addition to the regular fares. As with many other transit agencies within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, YRT offers free transfers between YRT or Viva buses and GO Transit under its "Ride to GO" program. Passengers may transfer from

10185-451: Was inaugurated in 2005. In mid-2006, the YRT logo was modified to bear closer resemblance to the Viva logo and, by the end of the year, most of the YRT fleet and bus stop signs had their looks changed to bear the new colours. Transit services in York Region are divided into four divisions and are provided by private operators under contract. The bus rapid transit (BRT) division operates

10290-476: Was later extended as a bypass was added, curving off the original alignment. A second bypass was later constructed, bypassing the entirety of Holland Landing Road and joining Bradford at Bridge Street. At its intersection with 8th Line in Bradford, the former Highway 11 route does pick up the name Yonge again (the only stretch of the former highway aside from the original Yonge Street to carry it), retaining it through Innisfil until transitioning into Burton Avenue in

10395-558: Was opened at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas Streets . On April 23, 2018, a driver intentionally struck numerous pedestrians , killing 11 and injuring 15 others. The attack started at the intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue and proceeded south along the sidewalks of Yonge Street to near Sheppard Avenue . As Toronto's main street, Yonge hosts parades, street performances, and protests. After major sporting victories thousands of people will gather on its downtown portions, particularly near Dundas Square , to celebrate, and

10500-477: Was opened in 1954 as Canada's first subway line at a cost of $ 59m. The line has subsequently been extended several times, most recently to Vaughan , York Region in 2017. The line – now Line 1 Yonge–University – is the busiest subway line in Canada, and one of the busiest in North America. Yonge Street was formerly a part of Highway 11 , which led to claims that Yonge Street was the longest street in

10605-402: Was painted with a white base with blue and gold stripes. During the agency's early years, many buses still sported the pre-2000 colours of their previous operators, with "YRT" painted on the front and sides. The livery was changed in 2007 to white and several tones of blue. Only the Viva fleet is all-blue, but one Orion I YRT (#2028) was painted all-blue for a colour demo. During the transition to

10710-433: Was renowned as being particularly bad, making it difficult to transport loads along it. The first Toronto resident known to have introduced sidewalks was Jesse Ketchum , who used tanned bark. In the summer of 1794, William Berczy was the first to take up the offer, leading a group of 64 families northeast of Toronto to found the town of German Mills , in modern Markham . By the end of 1794, Berczy's settlers had cleared

10815-486: Was replaced by GO Transit–operated Yonge C and B bus routes, with C providing local suburban bus service to Richmond Hill, and B providing service all the way to Newmarket until being replaced in turn by Viva Blue in 2010. Another local C route, starting in 1972, ran on Bayview Avenue as far as Richmond Hill. Before the 1970s, several private and public transit operators provided local transit services around York Region communities: These services were later replaced by

10920-568: Was then and still is the point at which Highway 11 switches from a north–south alignment to an east–west alignment toward Nipigon . It continued to be listed by Guinness until 1999, when it was dropped in favour of recognizing the Pan-American Highway as the world's longest motorable road. Provincial downloading separated Yonge Street from Highway 11 in the late 1990s. As a result, Highway 11 does not start until Crown Hill just outside Barrie , several kilometres north of where

11025-453: Was used to expand the road between Aurora and Newmarket. The Yonge Street corridor has evolved significantly over the past century, and is currently seeing a new wave of mixed-use high rise developments. The everlasting construction of office buildings, high-rise residential towers, along with a variety of shops populating the major corridor across the towns and cities it traverses. This unique and extensive built-form encourages residents from

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