The city of Markham, in Ontario, Canada, offers a complex transportation infrastructure that includes airports, highways, public transit, regional roads, municipality-funded roads, and train services.

Air

Markham's proximity to Toronto makes its residents use Toronto Pearson International Airport to travel to various international destinations. However, the city of Markham has a local alternative to Pearson.

There are two airports in Markham, operated by two different operators. They are Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport and Toronto/Markham Airport. Their names are signed under Toronto because of Markham's proximity to Toronto.

Operated by Toronto Airways Limited, Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport is Canada's 8th busiest airport by aircraft movement in 2006.Transport Canada TP 577 - Aircraft Movement Statistics Annual Report 2006 The airport is located at the city's west end, at 16th Avenue and Highway 404.

Buttonville Municipal Airport is privately owned until the licence expires in 2010. The Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) has plans to cease airport operation in 2011 and redirect Markham residents will use the nearby Pickering Airport in Pickering. In 2010, Toronto Airways announced the gradual closure of the airport (by 2017) and redevelopment of the airport site."Airport to become business park", Markham Economist and Sun, September 3, 2009, p1,3 As Pickering Airport remains unbuilt, tenants and users will need to find an alternate site. Owners of the current airport hope to relocate somewhere within York Region.

Buttonville Municipal Airport offers domestic flights and flights for United States destinations. Operators using the airport include NexJet Aviation Inc, Million Air, Executive Edge Air Charter, Aviation Limited and 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 city, at Highway 48 and 19th Avenue. It is operated privately by Markham Airport Incorporated and owned by the Thomson family. Further growth of this airport is being explored.

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 city, at Highway 7 and Bur Oak Avenue. The heliport is privately owned, with ownership shared between Markham and Whitchurch-Stouffville. The pad will move to the roof when the new hospital expansion is completed in 2014.

Cycling

Markham designated almost 400 km as "Cycling devoted routes" as part of the city's Master Cycling Plan. There are three primary cycling route signs. The first one, which displays a diamond and a bicycle, indicates an exclusive bicycle lane for cyclists.

The second sign is a green sign with a bicycle on top, and is the most frequent sign across Markham. Roads bearing this sign have no specially marked bicycle lane, but have other lanes wide enough for motorists and cyclists to comfortably share a lane.

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

The Markham Council 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 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 a greenway completely separate from roads. 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 city 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. In addition, GO Transit provide passenger trains and shuttles to help commuters to get to their work.

Early modesL 1897–1977 The Thornhill area of Markham was served by Metropolitan Street Railway Company from 1897 to 1930 (renamed Toronto and York Radial Railway Metropolitan Division in 1904 and Simcoe line by the TTC from 1927) and then by North Yonge Railways from 1930 to 1948.

After radial rail service ended in 1948, the TTC North Yonge buses took over. The route was renamed as 59 North Yonge in 1956 and eliminated in 1977, when the 97 Yonge buses began with service to Steeles only. GO Transit gradually replaced the TTC buses with Newmarket B/Route 62 and Yonge C/Route 63 in 1975.

GO Bus

Because GO Transit only train service to Markham only during rush hours, and GO train stations are not very frequent, GO buses serve as a popular alternative. GO operates east–west bus service through the city along Highway 407 ETR and shuttle bus service to Downtown Toronto when the Stouffville line is not running. GO buses also connect with other YRT routes and TTC routes.

GO buses also extend the service area of the GO trains. In Markham, there are only two lines independent of trains, one operating on Highway 7, linking Brampton and Markham, and the other one is the York University express, operating on Highway 407.

GO Transit is developing an east–west bus rapid transit line, called the 407 Transitway across Markham. It will consist of buses operating on a bus-only road, serving destinations such as Downtown Markham, Richmond Hill Centre and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

Toronto Transit Commission

Markham's proximity to Toronto makes some bus routes in Markham operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). They are called the "TTC contracted routes operating within York Region," 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 4 TTC contracted bus routes operating within Markham. There is a special fare policy to go with the special contracted bus program. A passenger who boards a TTC contracted bus route in York Region and travels within York Region must pay according to the YRT's fare policy and is entitled to another free ride of other York Region Transit/Viva operated bus routes, or TTC-contracted bus routes (if the passenger does not travel into Toronto). A passenger who boards a TTC-contracted bus route in York Region and travel into Toronto pays an extra fare (the YRT fare and the TTC fare). The passenger is entitled for a free ride on the subway or RT or streetcars or TTC bus routes operating within Toronto. A passenger who enters York Region again must pay another fare for the YRT.

In 2017, York Region began serving Toronto's Line 1 Yonge–University subway. In 2017, Vaughan was the first one to be served, and in the next decade, both Markham and Richmond Hill will be served on Yonge Street.

York Region Transit

Markham Transit was merged with four other municipally managed transit systems in 2001 to form York Region Transit (YRT). York Region Transit serves Markham with over 40 routes. Most bus routes operate on arterial roads throughout Markham, which are laid in a grid.

YRT has a cash fare of $4.00 but discounted tickets are available in packs of 10 in some stores. YRT fare applies to all York Region Transit, Viva, Brampton Transit and Toronto Transit Commission routes within York Region, with the exception of five express routes.

As well as local service, YRT provides two different types of express services in Markham. The 91E Bayview Express is a limited-stop branch of the 91 Bayview bus, operates along Bayview, and requires regular YRT fare. The 300 (Business Express), 301 (Markham Express), 302 (Unionville Express), 303 (Bur Oak Express), and 304 (Mount Joy Express) are express routes that travel from Markham to Finch Bus Terminal via Highway 407 and require a YRT express fare.

YRT has two major terminals in Markham: Unionville GO Terminal and Markham Stouffville Hospital Bus Terminal. The new Cornell Terminal will be located on Rose Way, near Ninth Line and Highway 7. Construction began by Summer 2018 and is be completed by late 2019, which will result in a major restructuring of routes in Markham. This new bus terminal will replace the transit hub along Church Street at Country Glen Road.

Viva

The increase in congestion on York Region's roads made York Region Transit launch an express bus service, called "Viva," on September 4, 2005. Viva buses stop sonly at Vivastations, which are specially designed bus stops that incorporate a ticket vending machine and a ticket validator (Viva uses a proof-of-payment fare system to speed up boarding times), as well as a real-time display, which predicts when YRT and Viva buses arrive at the stop. Most Vivastations are blue, but several stops have a bronze design referred to as "vivavintage" to better suit the historic areas, especially along Yonge Street in Thornhill. Where there is limited space, miniature "vivamicro" stations are used. Viva abides by YRT's fare policy.

Viva is the brand name for the York Region Rapid Transit Plan and was funded through a public-private partnership (P3) consortium, 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 opened to the public in four 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: Viva Blue (on Yonge Street), Viva Purple (on Highway 7), Viva Green, and Viva Pink (an alternative to Viva Blue and Viva Purple at peak hours).

Viva bus lines operate using a separate fleet of blue NovaBus and Van Hool buses. When Viva buses are behind schedule, they are given priority at traffic signals improves their efficiency. Buses operate 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year and are every 5 to 25 minutes.

Viva is being upgraded to bus rapid transit with the construction of bus-only lanes along Highway 7, Yonge Street, Davis Drive, and Enterprise Drive. Viva is also considering extending its route into the fast-growing community of Cornell, in eastern Markham.

Paratransit York Region Transit Mobility Plus provides paratransit services to those with mobility needs in the region that offer transport in York Region and some trips within Toronto.

Rail Passenger