Driving
Innovations

Markham Centre is the City’s long-term vision for the creation of a vibrant, intensive downtown featuring mixed-use retail, residential, and office space, as well as being home to York University's new Markham campus (opening 2024). Planning for the sustainable, efficient and equitable transportation needs of travelers to Markham Centre is a high priority for the City. How might the City of Markham employ innovative solutions to assist workers, residents, students and visitors in their First and Last Mile travels?

We invite companies to propose solutions that address the “First and Last Mile Problem”.

A transportation challenge across many municipalities is the “First and Last Mile Problem” – this is the distance a commuter travels from a transit stop to their destination, or vice versa. Transit stops often provide transportation to higher-traffic locations, leaving many commuters to walk the first leg or last leg of their trip. Markham Centre is facing this challenge.

Located in the heart of Canada’s innovation community, Markham Centre is a vibrant 243-acre urban centre immersed with more than $25 million of thought-provoking public art, connected to public transit and major roadways, adjacent to North America’s largest urban park, with 72 acres of landscaped green space and a unique mix of amenities. Markham Centre is powered by district energy, reducing community emissions by 50%, and features the Markham Pan Am Centre, Unionville GO Station, and will be home to York University’s new Markham Centre campus, opening in 2024.

An example of the “First and Last Mile Problem” within Markham Centre includes the distance between Unionville Go Station or York University campus to the amenities and businesses on the other side. The Unionville Go Station is located at 155 YMCA Boulevard. The Unionville Go Station sees 2,500 riders board its trains every day, the most of any stop on the Stouffville Go line. This alongside the seven bus routes that pass through the Unionville Go make it an important travel hub in Markham. The York University campus is located at 1 University Boulevard. In 2024, the Markham York University campus will open its doors to its first 4,400 students, which will grow over time to 10,000 students. Yet, many of the businesses, amenities and residential corridors of Markham Centre are located along Enterprise Boulevard between Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road. The walk from Unionville Go or the York University campus to and from businesses and amenities is approximately 25-35 minutes.

Innovations must meet at least one of the following outcomes:

• Software solutions that are ready to be tested
• Hardware solutions that are ready to be tested in a controlled environment

The City of Vaughan is committed to improving healthy and sustainable living. Cycling contributes to this as it has significant community-wide health, environmental, economic, social, and safety benefits. How might the City of Vaughan use innovative solutions to maintain cycle lanes safely and efficiently throughout the spring and winter seasons?

We invite companies to propose solutions to enhance operational efficiency and maintain the safety standards in cycle lane maintenance operations.

In the last ten years, there has been a steady increase in interest, support and understanding of cycling as a viable and healthy mode of transportation and recreational activity.

The City of Vaughan's Public Works department ensures the sidewalks, cycle tracks, bicycle lanes and multi-use trails are compliant with provincial minimum maintenance standards. Cycle lanes, like roadways, require frequent street sweeping to remove dangerous debris and obstacles. Additionally, they require snow clearing during the winter seasons.

Preliminary monitoring suggests that there is a 60% increase in people cycling along Clark Avenue since the implementation of the new cycle tracks. The City is looking to test maintenance innovations on cycle lanes along Clarke Avenue from Bathurst Street to Dufferin Street.

Innovations must meet at least one of the following outcomes:

• Cycle lane snow clearing solution, autonomous, electric or other innovative approaches and is available to demonstrate the solution during the winter season (starting January/February 2024, weather dependent)
• Cycle lane sweeping solution could be autonomous, electric or other innovative approaches and is available to demonstrate the solution during the spring season (starting March/April 2024, weather dependent).

The relevance of proposed innovations will be assessed according to how they address and resolve the Challenge Statement above.