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ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit
Well, those "as required based on collisions" ones are in places where there is nothing "out of the ordinary" about the track alignment.  It's no different than a lane of regular traffic, except that it's a vehicle on rails instead of asphalt.

For the most part, one should be able to assume that cars will be able to handle themselves just as well around a fixed-track vehicle, as they would a non-fixed vehicle doing the same thing.

As you rightfully point out, the trains are not exactly the same as a regular vehicle, because they are quite heavy.  But how heavy are they? And how does that compare to what's on the roads already?

Toronto's new streetcars weigh about 48,200 kg (source)
The LRV we'll be getting is a little larger, maybe ~65,000 kg
Meanwhile tractor trailers are allowed to be 49,500 kg (source) in Ontario.

A collision between a car and an LRV will be roughly the same, in terms of energy, as one between a car and a tractor trailer.

Charles and King streets have been home to a lot of tractor trailer traffic. Was there an epidemic of vehicular collision deaths on those streets that I was unaware of? Or, more morbidly, what vehicular deaths we have had so far between trucks and cars on those streets are clearly established to be within accepted levels of the existing social contract that we are all signed up for by having cars and trucks on our streets at all.

Looking to Toronto, where they have similar vehicles already plying their streets, they do not have anything beyond the regular level of traffic accidents. Queens Quay, where they have a unique track alignment that lends itself to LRVs sideswiping (illegally-)left-turning cars (impacting into the driver's side, no less) I have yet to hear of a fatality, despite many reported collisions.

Is it suddenly so different, here in KW, now that this particular vehicle is fixed on a track that we necessarily need to restrict traffic movements more? Even beyond the amount they're already being restricted?

Personally, I already feel safer with LRVs than I would with tractor trailers. I can trust that they won't swerve. That the driver knows they're dealing with the safety of 100 passengers in addition to their own.

Everyone is going to have a different opinion on when something it just different enough that it starts to need special consideration, but I don't think this is it.
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RE: ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit - by Markster - 01-13-2016, 01:19 PM
[No subject] - by Spokes - 08-28-2014, 04:16 PM

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