User:The Canadian Roadgeek/Sandbox

PLEASE DO NOT EDIT ANY OF THE FOLLOWINGS. This sub page is dedicated to Smcafirst's experiment at Wikipedia, and this page, he believes, will make Wikipedia a much better community.

New Signature
-- Smcafirst or Nick  • Sign   • Chit-Chat •  I give ''' at 23:22, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

What is atn?
atn


 * Wow, it looks pretty good. I'll put it on my talk page.

Can charts have headings too?

 * No, it can't. What a disappointment.

Castlemore Avenue Reminder
Hey Smcafirst,

Remember you have an article at User:Smcafirst/Sandbox/Castlemore Avenue? Edit it now!

You are talking to yourself, Smcafirst at 22:03, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

Markham Public Libraries Draft
Markham Public Libraries (MPL) is a library system operated by the Town of Markham's municipal government. There are 6 branches spreading throughout the town, servicing about 250,000 residents in Markham. The libraries are managed by the Administration Centre, located at 6031 Highway 7.

Administrator of MPL
The administrative of the MPL is broken down by several categories:
 * Chief Executive Officer - Catherine Bliss
 * Service Excellence Director - Moe Hosseini-Ara
 * Administrative & Operational Support Director - Larry Pogue
 * Library Strategy and Innovation Director - Deborah Walker
 * Marketing and Programming Strategist - Diane Macklin

Membership
People who work, live, or go to a school in York Region, or part of a the York Public Libraries Network (YPLN) may apply a free membership. Otherwise, a $30 fee will apply. A temporary library card is issued for the first 21 days. During this period, the member could only borrow a maximum of 3 books. After a proper library card is issued, the membership continues for 30 years. During this period of 30 years, the member could use the service offered by the Markham Public Libraries.

Services
Like many other libraries across Ontario, the Markham Public Libraries allow members to borrow books and other medias.

Borrowing Privileges
Other than borrowing books and medias, members could also use the following services:
 * Placing 50 holds per one membership account
 * Interlibrary loan service
 * Taking out 100 books per one membership account
 * One hour internet access per day per membership account
 * Use the Lunaweb, and electric database for research
 * Renting meeting rooms
 * WiFi Internet
 * TeleCirc Telephone Library Service
 * Photocopying
 * One hour of Microsoft Office and Library Catalogue access per day per membership account

ONThighways template
Provincial Highways in Ontario, Canada

Draft of Transportation in Markham
The Town of Markham offers a complex transportation infrastructure. These include airports, highways, public transit, regional roads, municipality-funded roads, and train services.

Air


Due to Markham's proximity to Toronto, Markham residents uses the Toronto Pearson International Airport in order to travel to various international destinations. However, the Town of Markham itself does provide a local alternative to airports.

There are 2 airports in Markham, operated by 2 different operator. The 2 airports are Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport and Toronto/Markham Airport. Their names are signed under Toronto because of Markham's proximity to Toronto, and are some of the alternative ways for air travelling for residents in Toronto.

Operated by Toronto Airways Limited, the Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport is the Canada's 8th busiest airport by aircraft movement in 2006. The airport is located at the town's west end, at 16th Avenue and Highway 404.

The Buttonville Municipal Airport is privately owned, and that is until the license expires in 2010. The Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) plans to cease the airport operation in 2011. By then, Markham residents will use the nearby Pickering Airport in Pickering.

The Buttonville Municipal Airport currently offers domestic airlines, and flights for United States destinations. Operators of the airport include NexJet Aviation Inc, Million Air, Executive Edge Air Charter, Aviation Limited, Canadian Flyers International. The airport also offers flight school hosted by the Seneca Community College.

The Toronto/Markham Airport is located at the northeastern end of the town, at Highway 48 and 19th Avenue, also serve the town. It is hosted privately by Markham Airport Incorporated. The airport might disappear when the nearby Pickering Airport is completed its construction, or it will serve as a re-location for the Buttonville Airport.

There is only one heliport in Markham. The Toronto/Markham Stouffville heliport, is located on the roof of the Markham-Stouffville Hospital in the eastern end of town, at Highway 7 and Bur Oak Avenue. The heliport is privately owned, shared between Markham and Whitchurch-Stouffville, a relatively smaller town (in terms of population) to the north of Markham.

Cycling


Markham designated almost 400 km as "Cycling devoted routes", as part of the town's Master Cycling Plan. There are 3 signs showing the route is designated for cyclists. The first one, with the diamond shape, and a bicycle, is an exclusive bicycle lane for cyclists. Roads that are designated with this, such as Castlemore Avenue, is marked with an extra lane on the pavement, and one of them is for cyclists.

The second sign is a green sign with a bicycle on top, and is the most frequent sign across Markham. Roads that are designated with this, such as Carlton Road, has no specially marked bicycle lane, but other lanes are wide enough that motorists and cyclists do not have to share a lane.

The third sign is the most rare of all, with a car on the left side, a cyclist on the right , and a sign saying "Share the road". This sign is designated to busy roads, and is narrow enough that motorists and cyclists have to share a lane.

Bicycle lanes are also designated in some of the town's parks.

The Town of Markham proposed a final draft of the "Cycling Master Plan" in 2007. The plan would be put in place in the next 15 years. The plan includes designating various major municipal roads into the following categories:


 * Signed-Only Routes : On-road bicycle routes denoted strictly with bicycle route signs with no other physical changes to the roadway geometry. Users share the pavement with motor vehicles. There are no special lane designations.
 * Bike Lanes and Paved Shoulder Bikeways : Facilities located in the traveled portion of the roadway and designed for one-way cyclist traffic. Bike lanes are typically located on urban streets with curbs, and paved shoulders are typically used to accommodate cyclists on rural cycling routes where no curbs exist.
 * Multi-Use Trails : Facilities that are completely separate from the traveled portion of a roadway. They may take the form of a boulevard trail in a public road right-of-way or greenway / hydro corridor. The proposed cycling network will expand on the spine network developed as part of the first phase this study and is intended to provide access to existing and proposed utilitarian and recreational cycling routes and trail systems in the Town of Markham and adjacent municipalities.

Public Transport
Within the Town of Markham, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), Viva (a type of bus rapid transit), and York Region Transit (YRT) offers public transit services for the local residents. Since 1973, Markham has been providing a public transit of its own, namely Markham Transit, and was funded by the municipal government. In 2001, the York Regional government "merged" the Markham Transit with 4 other municipal-managed transit systems to form York Region Transit. In 2005, York Region Transit launched Viva, which operated in parts of Markham on Yonge Street and Highway 7.

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
thumb|150px|right|Toronto Transit Commission's logo. Due to Markham's proximity to Toronto, some bus routes in Markham are operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). They are called the "TTC contracted routes operating within York Region". These buses all connect to subway or RT stations in Toronto, and thus help to connect Markham (or the whole York Region) with Toronto.

There are a total of 8 TTC contracted bus routes operating within Markham (that is 47% of all 17 TTC routes operating in York Region). There is a special fare policy to go with this special contracted bus program. If a passenger boarded a TTC contracted bus route in York Region, and only travel within York Region, the passenger must pay according to the YRT's fare policy. The passenger is entitle for another free ride of other York Region Transit/Viva operated bus routes, or TTC contracted bus routes (and that is, if the passenger does not travel into Toronto). If a passenger boarded a TTC contracted bus route in York Region and travel into Toronto, the passenger must pay an extra fare (YRT's fare and TTC's fare). The passenger is entitle for a free ride on the subway or RT or streetcars, or TTC bus routes operating within Toronto. If the passenger enters York Region again, he or she must pay another fare for the YRT.

York Region Transit (YRT)
thumb|150px|right|YRT Logo.

A merged system of Markham Transit and 4 other municipal-managed transit systems, forming York Region Transit in 2001. The York Region Transit is now serving all over Markham with over 40 routes. The system operating system operates in a grid-like system. Most of its bus routes are operating on the main routes throughout Markham, which is laid in a grid-like system. Transfers between bus routes are available at major intersections. Passengers are required to pay a flat fee of $2.75, no matter of age. Unlike travelling on TTC contracted routes, travelling on the YRT and entering Toronto does not require an extra fee. The York Region Transit allows Markham residents to travel around York Region, Toronto, Brampton (YRT Route#77 travels to Bramalea City Centre), and Hamilton (YRT connects to GO shuttle)

Other than that, YRT offers 4 express routes (80% of 5 YRT express routes -- not counting the Bayview Express, which is scheduled to be discontinued in September 2007). The express travels on higher speed limit roads, such as Highway 407. The express routes include # 300 (Business Express), 301 (Markham Express), 302 (Unionville Express), and 303 (Cornell Express). All of the express routes connects to GO Finch Bus Terminal.

YRT hosts 2 major terminals in Markham : Unionville GO Terminal and Markham-Stouffville Hospital Bus Terminal.

Viva


Due to the increase congestion on York Region's roads, the York Region Transit launched a bus rapid transit (BRT) on September 4, 2005 at 9am EDT, and named it Viva, meaning "praised by everyone" in Italian. Unlike YRT, viva only stops at Vivastation, an especially designed station which incorporate a ticket vending machine and a ticket validator (fares are on a proof-of-payment basis to speed up boarding times), as well as a real-time "smart" display that notify passengers when the next vehicle is expected to depart. Most Vivastations are blue, but several stops on Yonge Street have a unique bronze design referred to as "vivavintage" in order to better suit the historic areas, especially along Yonge Street in Thornhill, where space is short, and will be served by miniature "vivamicro" stations. Passengers must pay the YRT's fare policy.

It is the brand name for the York Region Rapid Transit Plan, and was funded through a Public-Private Partnership (P3) consortium called the York Region Rapid Transit Corporation. York Region has control over all fares and service planning. Viva service is integrated with York Region Transit's conventional transit service and operated as one regional transit system (1system) that enables customers to travel across the Region.

The system was opened to public in 4 stages. The second phase was opened on October 16, 2005, the third phase was opened on November 20, 2005, and the first part of the fourth phase was opened on January 2, 2006 (the Cornell extension is the second part of Phase 4).

There are 4 viva lines operating within Markham (80% of Viva lines operating within York Region): Viva Blue (on Yonge Street), Viva Purple (on Highway 7), Viva Green, and Viva Pink (an alternative to Viva Blue at peak-hours).

All of the Viva bus lines operate in the south zone of the Viva transit system. Viva bus lines operate using Van Hool blue buses. The Viva buses are given with priorities of traffic signals, meaning that the bus driver could "adjust" the traffic lights when the bus are behind schedule due to a traffic congestion. This significantly improve the efficiency of the viva bus. Buses are operated 18 hours a day, 7 days per week, and 365 days a year. Bus frequency ranges from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.

In the future, viva would be upgraded to an elevated rail, connected to the Toronto's subway system. Viva is also considering extending its route into the fast-growing community of Cornell in eastern Markham.

Roads
In terms of road systems, Markham is strongly influenced by its southernly neighbour, Toronto. Like Toronto, Markham inherits a grid-like road network, funded by 3 different levels of government. The government of Ontario funds the provincial highways across the town; the government of York Region funds most of its arterial and main routes throughout the town; and the government of Markham funds all local routes, and some arterial routes.

Roads in other cities template
Other roads in Ontario:

400-series highways· 7000-series highways· King's Highways· Secondary Highways· Tertiary Highways Chatham-Kent· Essex County· Hamilton· London· Markham· Mississauga· Niagara Region· Ottawa· Peel Region· Simcoe County· Toronto· Waterloo Region· Windsor· York Region

Other provinces: Alberta • British Columbia • Manitoba • Nova Scotia • Quebec • Saskatchewan

Other roads in British Columbia: BC Expressways • BC Provincial • Vancouver • Victoria

Other Provinces: Alberta • Manitoba • Nova Scotia • Ontario • Quebec • Saskatchewan

Roads in other Alberta places: Alberta Provincial • Calgary • Edmonton

Other provinces: British Columbia • Manitoba • Nova Scotia • Ontario • Quebec • Saskatchewan

Roads in other Manitoba places: Manitoba Provincial • Winnipeg

Other provinces: Alberta • British Columbia • Nova Scotia • Ontario • Quebec • Saskatchewan

Roads in other Nova Scotia places: 100-series Highways • Halifax • Nova Scotia Provincial

Other provinces: Alberta • British Columbia • Manitoba • Ontario • Quebec • Saskatchewan

Other roads in Quebec: Autoroutes • Primary Highways (100-199) • Secondary Highways (200-299) • Secondary Highways (300-399) Gatineau • Montreal

Other Provinces: Alberta • British Columbia • Manitoba • Nova Scotia • Ontario • Saskatchewan

Roads in other Saskatchewan places: Saskatchewan Provincial • Saskatchewan Expressways

Other provinces: Alberta • British Columbia • Manitoba • Nova Scotia • Ontario • Quebec