UPDATE: Cornell YRT Bus Terminal

From VivaNext – Fall/Winter 2021

Designed for Growth

Located in the heart of Cornell Centre at Rustle Woods Avenue and Diamondwood Road, near Highway 7 East and Ninth Line, the Cornell Bus Terminal provides an accessible and central connection to rapid and local transit services in Markham. The terminal will help service essential infrastructure and institutions, such as Markham Stouffville Hospital, the Cornell Community Centre & Library and Bill Hogarth Secondary School.

Cornell Centre was designed for growth, based on concepts of new urbanism where access to transit is one of the key principles, along with walkable neighbourhoods and a mixed-use community.

The Cornell Bus Terminal’s attractive modern design includes weather-protected and heated waiting areas, covered pedestrian plazas, bike racks, large planters, retail amenities, and a passenger pick-up and drop-off area. Passengers will access the terminal by walking, cycling, taking transit, or being dropped off.

Designed to Connect

The Cornell Bus Terminal is designed to connect people to places seamlessly. The 11-bay bus terminal is strategically located near the border of York Region and Durham Region—just a two-minute walk from Markham Stouffville Hospital and close to Cornell Community Centre & Library. The terminal will serve the hospital and residents, while easing bus traffic on Church Street and congestion around the hospital’s main entrance. It will also host York Region Transit’s [YRT] local routes and Viva buses, with the capacity to host GO Transit and Durham Region Transit in the future.

The Cornell Bus Terminal will enable transit access to the Region’s rapid transit network, including 34 kilometres of completed bus rapidways that connect busy urban centres in Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Newmarket.

In partnership with the City of Markham and local developers, a new road network was built adjacent to the terminal for the passenger pick-up and drop-off and for access to future residential and commercial development. Once complete, the terminal will play a key role in bringing together the Cornell community as an urban, mixed-use, pedestrian and transit-oriented community.

As part of phase three of York Region’s rapid transit program, we continue to connect the existing bus rapid transit [BRT] corridors to the Region’s future development through our centres and corridors, and to Toronto, Peel and Durham Region. Phase three includes extending the Highway 7 segment, connecting Markham Centre east across Highway 7 to the Cornell Terminal.