YRT Page

On January 1^st, 2001, the four transit systems servicing the Regional Municipality of York—Markham Transit, Vaughan Transit, Richmond Hill Transit and Newmarket Transit—were combined into a single transit agency providing local bus service for the entire region, which is home to 892,000 residents. Each system provided a variety of vehicles: Newmarket provided Orion I, II and VI buses; Richmond Hill used Champion SoLo, New Flyer D40, Grumman 870, and Orion I, II and VI buses; Vaughan provided Champion SoLo, Flyer D900, GM New Look, Grumman 870, and Orion I, II, V and VI buses; while Markham provided the largest number of buses, including Champion SoLo, GM New Look, MCI Classic, New Flyer D40S (second-hand from GO Transit), and Orion I, V and VI buses. In addition, YRT has purchased Thomas-Dennis SLF200, Orion V and New Flyer D40LF buses to replace the oldest buses in the fleet, as well as some Orion I and V buses from GO Transit. In total, York Region Transit has a fleet of about 400 buses.

In 2005, YRT launched its Viva service, a mass-transit bus service using special reserved bus lanes and coordinated traffic signals along Yonge Street and Highway 7. The Van Hool A330 and AG300 buses are painted in a special blue livery and stop at special stations where prepaid Viva tickets can be purchased. The buses operate on a proof-of-payment system using passes, tickets or transfers only.

All photos are by the webmaster.

YRT Viva

	5119 is a 2005 Van Hool A330, spotted at Downsview subway station in Toronto on Sept. 3, 2007.
	5224 is a 2005 Van Hool AG300, seen boarding riders at the Finch GO bus terminal on Oct. 15, 2007.
	5225 is another 2005 Van Hool AG300, spotted resting at the Finch GO bus terminal on Oct. 15, 2007.
	7205 is a 2007 Van Hool AG300, seen laying up at the Finch GO bus terminal on Oct. 15, 2007.

York Region Transit

	Vaughan Transit 910 is a 1969 GM T6H-5305, formerly TTC 7330, acquired by Vaughan in the late 1990’s. In this photo, the bus has just arrived at York Region Terminal (now the Finch GO bus terminal) on Nov. 22, 2002. Like all TTC buses New Looks between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s, this bus was built without standee windows. This bus has since been withdrawn from service.
	Markham Transit 2006 is a 1978 GM T6H-4523N, seen waiting to enter service at the York Region Terminal on Nov. 22, 2002. When this bus was rebuilt, the standee windows were plated over, though they are still visible inside the vehicle. As of October 2008, this bus is still on the active transit roster.
	Markham Transit 2029 is a 1986 Orion 01.508, shown boarding passengers at the York Region Terminal on Nov. 22, 2002. This bus has since been retired from service.
	8714 is a 1987 Orion 01.508, formerly GO Transit 1134 and still largely painted in the old paint scheme, seen at the Finch GO bus terminal on Sept. 3, 2003.
	8715 is ex-GO transit 1135, seen at the Finch GO bus terminal on Sept. 3, 2003. These two buses were sold to YRT on Aug. 30, 2003, and have since been retired.
	8717 is ex-GO Transit 1137, by now fully painted into the YRT livery. It is seen waiting to enter service with 8505, originally GO Transit 1128, at the Finch GO bus terminal on Dec. 30, 2004.
	8922 is a 1989 New Flyer D40, formerly Richmond Hill 522. This photo was taken on Sept. 3, 2003, at the Finch GO bus terminal. This bus is still based out of the Miller garage in Richmond Hill
	Vaughan Transit 526 is a 1989 Orion 05.501, seen at York Region Terminal on August 9, 2001. This bus is shown painted in an overall white livery in preparation for the application of YRT colours; most Vaughan buses were painted with either with a two-tone blue stripe, or with a dark blue and a dark green stripe.
	Vaughan Transit 527 is seen at the Finch GO bus terminal on Sept. 3, 2003. This bus was still painted in the old Vaughan paint scheme. These buses are now based out of the Car-Ar garage in Vaughan.
	Markham Transit 2049 is a 1990 MCI TC-40102A, seen at the York Region Terminal, across from Finch subway station, on August 9, 2001.
	2049 is seen again at the Finch GO bus terminal on Sept. 3, 2003. The bus has now been repainted into YRT colours.
	2051 is another ex-Markam Transit Classic, shown boarding riders at the Finch GO bus terminal on Dec. 30, 2004. These buses are based out of the Miller garage in Markham.
	Markham Transit 2071 was a 1991 New Flyer D40S, formerly GO Transit 1949, seen at the York Region Terminal on Nov. 22, 2002. These buses, which were retired in 2006, were used to provide express service via Highway 407, Toronto’s toll expressway.
	2064 is an ex-Markham Orion VI, spotted at the Finch GO bus terminal on Dec. 30, 2004.
	Markham Transit 2067 is a 1998 Orion 06.501, seen at the York Region Terminal on August 9, 2001.
	2067 is seen again, still in the same paint scheme, on Sept. 3, 2003. This photo was taken at the Finch GO bus terminal.
	Richmond Hill Transit 9931 is a 1999 Orion 06.501, shown loading riders at the Yonge-Bernard Terminal in Richmond Hill on Dec. 30, 2004. This bus was one of the few still in the original livery by 2005.
	Richmond Hill Transit 9932 is another 1999 Orion VI, seen at the York Region Terminal on August 9, 2001. This bus was originally numbered 532, but it was later changed so that it would not conflict with the former Vaughan Transit buses.
	009 is ex-GO Transit 1159, a 2000 Orion V. It was spotted at the Finch GO bus terminal on Dec. 30, 2004. This bus is based out of the Car-Ar garage in Vaughan.
	206 is a 2002 Dennis SLF 235, one of the first buses purchased new by York Region Transit. It is shown at the Yonge-Bernard Terminal in Richmond Hill on Dec. 30, 2004. These buses are used both in Newmarket and Richmond Hill.
	225 is a 2002 Orion 05.501, formerly GO Transit 1165, shown at the Finch GO bus terminal on Sept. 3, 2003. When GO Transit transferred its “Yonge C” and “Bayview” routes to YRT, it also sold its Orion I and V buses used to provide service on those routes.
	227 is another ex-GO Transit Orion V, originally numbered 1167, and is seen waiting with ex-Vaughan Transit 527 at the Finch GO bus terminal on Sept. 3, 2003.
	227 was spotted again on Dec. 30, 2004, repainted into the full YRT livery by this time.
	302 is a 2003 Orion 05.501, shown laying up with GO Transit 1465 at the Finch GO bus terminal on Dec. 30, 2004.
	311 is a 2003 New Flyer D40LF, seen at the Finch GO bus terminal on Sept. 3, 2003.
	322 is another 2003 D40LF, shown at the Finch GO terminal on October 15, 2007.
	326 was spotted boarding passengers at the Finch GO bus terminal on Dec. 30, 2004.
	332 is shown waiting to resume service at the Yonge-Bernard terminal on Dec. 30, 2004.
	334 was seen parked at the Finch GO terminal on Oct. 15, 2007.
	605 is a 2006 NFI D40LF, spotted boarding passengers at the Bramalea City Centre in Brampton on Oct. 15, 2007.
	610 is another 2006 D40LF, shown in a variation of the new YRT livery. This photo was taken at the Finch GO terminal on Oct. 15, 2007.
	610 was spotted again leaving the Finch GO terminal later in the day on Oct. 15, 2007.
	612 is shown laying up at the Finch Go terminal on Oct. 15, 2007. This bus was seen painted in an all-white paint scheme being readied for the application of the new YRT colours.

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