ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Markster]

They're welding together some long segments of rail in Waterloo Park.

[chutten]

Looks like we've gone with the "industry-leader and pioneer" for the rail welding, Hollandco: https://hollandco.com/index.php?option=c...tails&id=8

Visited the website for the marketing hype, stayed to see how many times they could write "flash-butt" before it stopped being funny.

[Markster]

North of the Laurel Creek bridge, they have the long rails that were delivered months ago.
South of the bridge, they seem to be making the rails out of the smaller (~20m?) segments that have been delivered in the past week.

[Lens]

ABRT starting in September

http://www.grt.ca/en/travelwithus/ION.asp

[Canard]

That's the first confirmation I've seen of priority at all intersections on 24 - that's great!

A couple of guys were out working tonight in the yard by Waterloo station, moving rail sections around.

[BuildingScout]

That's the first confirmation I've seen of priority at all intersections on 24 - that's great!

Awesome news! Measures such as this help make public transit competitive with driving. Yes you lose time when the bus comes to a stop, but you regain it by having synchronized lights. So end-to-end should be comparable time wise. Now take into account that you can read a book or play with your tablet while on the bus, rather than driving and the ABRT becomes the choice of convenience for at least some of the people.

[KevinL]

The GRT post also indicates that iXpress buses will continue to be used for aBRT service until 2017. Looks like this means a straight 200-Ion interlining at Fairview (no transfer) until LRT launches.

[MidTowner]

Awesome news! Measures such as this help make public transit competitive with driving. Yes you lose time when the bus comes to a stop, but you regain it by having synchronized lights. So end-to-end should be comparable time wise. Now take into account that you can read a book or play with your tablet while on the bus, rather than driving and the ABRT becomes the choice of convenience for at least some of the people.

This is all true, and well-said. Transit signal priorities are not only logical (we are talking about prioritizing a vehicle with potentially dozens of riders over vehicles with one or two) but as you say a big piece of the puzzle to making transit competitive.

This Region is doing great when you can read something like "Signal priority for approaching buses at all intersections on Hespeler Road" and not read articles about councillors calling for traffic "chaos" and the like. Many municipalities in these parts of our size or larger do not have the guts to introduce signal priority on a single intersection, let alone every one of a major road.

Those features listed in that link are all important for getting people out of their cars and on to fast and comfortable transit. Those stations look great, and these buses will hopefully be fast and frequent enough to offer real choice. Now that we have the model in the Region (or will, when this starts running), what we should be doing next is pushing for "aBRT Ion" on the current iXpress routings, and replace the iXpress altogether.

[Markster]

I'm going to be pessimistic here, and assume that it's the same ol' signal priority we've had on the iXpress for years.
That is, it's reactive priority, to help out buses that are behind schedule. Not active signal priority to make the route faster.

[BuildingScout]

I'm going to be pessimistic here, and assume that it's the same ol' signal priority we've had on the iXpress for years.  
That is, it's reactive priority, to help out buses that are behind schedule.  Not active signal priority to make the route faster.

Quote from the text:

Signal priority for approaching buses at all intersections on Hespeler Road

This sounds like active to me.

[Markster]

Yeah, I know what it said, but my pessimism remains. :S

[Viewfromthe42]

Any time I've talked to ION engineers, they've seemed pretty clear that signal priority designs for both the LRT and aBRT portions will be reactive, intended to give stable traffic patterns priority in all but the most dire of scheduling mishaps.

So what will likely happen is that all timing for corridors affected by these intersections will be maintained, and schedules will be based on aBRT and LRT fitting into the existing timelines at those intersections, and what existing timelines at other, affected intersections already are. It'd be nice if the smooth operation of both systems was prioritized, and the signals at their intersections and affected personal vehicle intersections were adjusted to work with it. It'd be nice.

[mpd618]

I'm going to be pessimistic here, and assume that it's the same ol' signal priority we've had on the iXpress for years.  
That is, it's reactive priority, to help out buses that are behind schedule.  Not active signal priority to make the route faster.

I think the Record article gives good reason for such pessimism:

Traffic signal priority will also be in place. When buses are behind by more than two minutes, green lights on Hespeler can be extended or red lights shortened to allow the buses to make up time.

[Markster]

At Columbia, a future transformer station?
Lots of conduit going into these.
   
   

This one is on the south side of Columbia
   

Progress at University Ave.  As I was leaving, I saw that they were bringing in more ballast.
Note, those are still the old tracks in place.
   

[KevinL]

At Columbia, a future transformer station?

Yep, see page 5 of this PDF.