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ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit
I've thought about this a lot, and I've convinced myself that the first (of many) collisions we'll have will be on Borden when someone backs out of their driveway and forgets to check if a train is coming.
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(04-22-2016, 09:29 AM)Canard Wrote: I've thought about this a lot, and I've convinced myself that the first (of many) collisions we'll have will be on Borden when someone backs out of their driveway and forgets to check if a train is coming.

Out of curiosity, why Borden and not Ottawa St?
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Oh, only because I've spent a lot of time exploring the finished Borden alignment. You're right, Ottawa's even worse, with far more houses. Although Ottawa is far busier, so those folks will be used to always paying super close attention to traffic before backing out. Traffic on Borden is very minimal so those people may not be accustomed to checking as diligently if something is coming along.
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Was that on purpose? I mean there is barely enough space in that gap for the flange.


[Image: index.php?i=L3Zhci9zdGFnaW5nL3VwbG9hZC9u...cxMi5qcGc=]
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I'm going to go check this out on the weekend - I have some wheel data and measurements and I'm very curious about this. I've never seen this style of embedded track in all my travels.
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(04-22-2016, 09:11 AM)chutten Wrote: It's hard to tell with the clouds flattening the light, but the level of the concrete between the rails appears to be lower than the level of the concrete outside it.

Yeah, I walked past it this morning. The concrete between a pair of rails is about an inch lower than the concrete outside of them.

It's an interesting design, which has the notable benefit of preventing debris from collecting within the flange gap. When it's a thin groove, stones fall in and accumulate. If enough fall in, you'll end up with the LRT's wheels crushing these rocks, which is not going to be the best for maintenance. With this larger area of lowered concrete, any debris will fall into the larger depressed area, and not be stuck right up against the rail. It'll be easier for a street sweeper to clean it out.

(04-22-2016, 09:21 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: That said, I wonder where all of these locations would be? Imagine if a property abutted by this type of rail suddenly had need of a driveway entrance across the track. To level it out, you would need quite the effort, especially if the rubber inserts were needed to be added.

This technique is only going to be used in the centre-running sections, so new developments would end up having right-in-right-out access. I don't expect that the Region will ever permit a net-new crossing of the LRT tracks. All side streets and driveways will be right-in-right-out in perpetuity. Also, I fully expect the region to aggressively close down driveways across the side-running sections as properties get redeveloped.

(04-22-2016, 09:29 AM)Canard Wrote: I've thought about this a lot, and I've convinced myself that the first (of many) collisions we'll have will be on Borden when someone backs out of their driveway and forgets to check if a train is coming.

My bet is on a car turning right, across a section of side-running LRT. Someone forgets to check their blind spot for an LRV, and gets side-swiped as they turn across the tracks.
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(04-22-2016, 11:02 AM)Markster Wrote:
(04-22-2016, 09:11 AM)chutten Wrote: It's hard to tell with the clouds flattening the light, but the level of the concrete between the rails appears to be lower than the level of the concrete outside it.

Yeah, I walked past it this morning. The concrete between a pair of rails is about an inch lower than the concrete outside of them.

It's an interesting design, which has the notable benefit of preventing debris from collecting within the flange gap.  When it's a thin groove, stones fall in and accumulate.  If enough fall in, you'll end up with the LRT's wheels crushing these rocks, which is not going to be the best for maintenance.  With this larger area of lowered concrete, any debris will fall into the larger depressed area, and not be stuck right up against the rail.  It'll be easier for a street sweeper to clean it out.

(04-22-2016, 09:21 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: That said, I wonder where all of these locations would be? Imagine if a property abutted by this type of rail suddenly had need of a driveway entrance across the track. To level it out, you would need quite the effort, especially if the rubber inserts were needed to be added.

This technique is only going to be used in the centre-running sections, so new developments would end up having right-in-right-out access.  I don't expect that the Region will ever permit a net-new crossing of the LRT tracks. All side streets and driveways will be right-in-right-out in perpetuity.  Also, I fully expect the region to aggressively close down driveways across the side-running sections as properties get redeveloped.

(04-22-2016, 09:29 AM)Canard Wrote: I've thought about this a lot, and I've convinced myself that the first (of many) collisions we'll have will be on Borden when someone backs out of their driveway and forgets to check if a train is coming.

My bet is on a car turning right, across a section of side-running LRT.  Someone forgets to check their blind spot for an LRV, and gets side-swiped as they turn across the tracks.

We are Waterloo Region.  I have every confidence that our local drivers will find every way imaginable to bring their cars into unanticipated contact with ION.  Including in ways that we cannot imagine!
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(04-22-2016, 11:09 AM)panamaniac Wrote: We are Waterloo Region.  I have every confidence that our local drivers will find every way imaginable to bring their cars into unanticipated contact with ION.  Including in ways that we cannot imagine!

That's just my bet for the first collision!
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(04-22-2016, 11:42 AM)Markster Wrote:
(04-22-2016, 11:09 AM)panamaniac Wrote: We are Waterloo Region.  I have every confidence that our local drivers will find every way imaginable to bring their cars into unanticipated contact with ION.  Including in ways that we cannot imagine!

That's just my bet for the first collision!

I can't get "Scratch and Dent" out of my mind!  Sad
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I'm not sure I agree with the notion that somehow we're (Waterloo Region) some outlying case for accidents or stupidity. I think everybody likes to pretend that their group (race, nation, region, whatever) is somehow so much different from everyone else - it's what make all those silly viral videos and clickbait campaigns get so much attention. "Oh yeah, that IS totally us!"

I guess what I mean is, we won't have crashes because we're "Waterloo Region", we'll have crashes because it's Light Rail.

Light Rail as a technology choice comes with advantages and disadvantages, and the primary disadvantage is that collisions are, sadly, unavoidable and inevitable, because the track is at the same grade as other modes of transportation.

I feel like now is the time (sooner than later) to be in a very strong social media campaign to get the word out about safety around the tracks. Tell people what kind of new signals they need to get used to obeying, how important it is to not jaywalk across the tracks, how to ride your bicycle at right angles across the tracks, etc...
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I hope such a campaign would be more successful than trying to educate people about roundabouts.
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I think the ideal time to start such a campaign is once the vehicles arrive and are in regular testing among the streets. If you start any earlier, people will feel it doesn't apply to that present situation and tune it out; but this would work while both local drivers andtrain operators are getting accustomed to it.
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So when driving thru Toronto recently (on my way to Ottawa), as I drove along the 401, I saw the subways pass overhead at Yorkdale, and it got me thinking... 

When Ion Stage 2 crosses the 401, will there be a bridge built, or will it be hidden out of sight?  I ask as (IMO) this would be great (free) advertising of our system, as well highway overpasses of the OC system have actual Transpo ads on them.

Additionally, I thought a station at/near Kinsman Park would be a great park/ride location... at the cost of a parking lot, maybe get those out of towners to take their trips into Kitchener or Cambridge.....

Coke
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Depends on the final route for Stage 2.

The original plan was to use the CP corridor, which passes under the 401 just east of Fountain Street. In that scenario it would be invisible from the highway for the most part.

If an alternate alignment, like Speedsville, is used then it could well be more visible.
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Anyone know if there have been provisions made in the current work on the 401 for a future LRT passing under the rail corridor. It doesn't look like the current space would be wide enough to handle 3 tracks. That is, assuming CP doesn't want to share their track.
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