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ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit
(09-12-2018, 04:10 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: It was nice to hear Beisan Zubi (Communitech Community Manager and candidate for Waterloo Regional Council seat) talk about LRT and GRT needing to serve more people by having schedules that better serve those who don't work 9 to 5.

Without derailing this thread and making it about politics, the more I hear from her the more I'm impressed.
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(09-12-2018, 12:35 PM)Canard Wrote: Jamincan: they are what they are thanks to Transport Canada, and the FRA (US). Things move verrrrey slowly in North American rail.

Other cities in NA with Light Rail have exactly the same setup.

Canard, this is an interesting point, any idea why?  I'll admit I lack the rail knowledge that you have, but i wonder if it's a cultural thing?  Rail is definitely not a part of our communities the way it is like in Europe and elsewhere.
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(09-12-2018, 04:10 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: It was nice to hear Beisan Zubi (Communitech Community Manager and candidate for Waterloo Regional Council seat) talk about LRT and GRT needing to serve more people by having schedules that better serve those who don't work 9 to 5.

That's good to hear.

I was reading an article that the MTA is reducing overnight service with their subways, including shutting down the L-Train overnight. I guess factors are always ridership.
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(09-12-2018, 04:10 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: It was nice to hear Beisan Zubi (Communitech Community Manager and candidate for Waterloo Regional Council seat) talk about LRT and GRT needing to serve more people by having schedules that better serve those who don't work 9 to 5.

Overnight service on the 7 is long overdue.

(09-13-2018, 04:14 PM)jeffster Wrote: I was reading an article that the MTA is reducing overnight service with their subways, including shutting down the L-Train overnight. I guess factors are always ridership.

I think that's part of their repair backlog. They need to start shutting down overnight service so they have time to do long-needed track maintenance.
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(09-13-2018, 09:03 PM)Markster Wrote:
(09-12-2018, 04:10 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: It was nice to hear Beisan Zubi (Communitech Community Manager and candidate for Waterloo Regional Council seat) talk about LRT and GRT needing to serve more people by having schedules that better serve those who don't work 9 to 5.

Overnight service on the 7 is long overdue.

(09-13-2018, 04:14 PM)jeffster Wrote: I was reading an article that the MTA is reducing overnight service with their subways, including shutting down the L-Train overnight. I guess factors are always ridership.

I think that's part of their repair backlog. They need to start shutting down overnight service so they have time to do long-needed track maintenance.

You're right Mark. And I couldn't find the information I was looking for; what I had meant to say that there will be subway line being cancelled between 2 & 5 (in the morning, obviously) if I recall correctly. I don't think it was the L-Line either. Now when I try to google the information, it's being populated by these LTS's overnight.

Places like New York really do need transit 24/7 though, housing unaffordable, so most choose to not own a car, which give you probably close to $700 or $800 extra to spend on lodging.
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An LRV will be in place for open tours at UW station, 11-2 on Wednesday. https://www.facebook.com/events/1529497047196471/
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The King St Grade Sep is the focus of 3 guided tours today, at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. It’s great, and worth a stop by! Lots of interesting facts shared. I had no idea there was a huge underground water vault that can store flash flood water and trickle it back out into the Schneider Creek!

Was also pleased to see a know-it-all concrete worker get schooled about the Dome when he brought up how it was totally unnecessary. Big Grin
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I take it you checked out the 11am viewing?  

That flash flood water storage is incredibly cool.  I wonder if there would be any way to do it all the time, or just when there's a ton of water from a flood.  The innovation is very very smart.

Loving seeing so many pictures and videos of iON trains around.  Sadly I still haven't seen one in person  Sad
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(09-14-2018, 08:48 PM)KevinL Wrote: An LRV will be in place for open tours at UW station, 11-2 on Wednesday. https://www.facebook.com/events/1529497047196471/

Seems like they are targeting the student populations in these first few events. The last one, at the public square, coincided with a student related event.


Have they finished commissioning all the track lubricators? The screeching still seems pretty loud the few times I've seen Ion in person in videos lately.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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I wonder if you're right. And if so does that make sense?

Seems like an odd choice to me.

You'd think they'd want to sell the general public and hype it up to them first. (Nothing against students of course)
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Almost all of the close calls and e-stop applications have been with students, so it makes sense to get them familiar with them, from a safety standpoint.
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(09-15-2018, 12:15 PM)Spokes Wrote: I take it you checked out the 11am viewing?  

That flash flood water storage is incredibly cool.  I wonder if there would be any way to do it all the time, or just when there's a ton of water from a flood.  The innovation is very very smart.

Loving seeing so many pictures and videos of iON trains around.  Sadly I still haven't seen one in person  Sad

I think it's something based on flow rate. heavier than usual flow will divert into the storage vault and then when flow decreases below a certain level, gravity will empty the vault back into the stormwater system.
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(09-15-2018, 12:15 PM)Spokes Wrote: Loving seeing so many pictures and videos of iON trains around.  Sadly I still haven't seen one in person  Sad

Well if you go and watch the tracks during the day most weekdays you probably won't have to wait long to see one or more... as recently they've been having 3 out testing at a time. But lately they haven't really been going any further south than Cameron crossover. I guess there's been more trackwork that needed to be done over there? Unsure how much longer that'll be
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(09-15-2018, 12:05 PM)Canard Wrote: Was also pleased to see a know-it-all concrete worker get schooled about the Dome when he brought up how it was totally unnecessary. Big Grin

Awesome! Does it turn out that there is a difference between paving your front walk and building a multi-track railway bridge over a four-lane road that is expected to last for a century or more? Big Grin
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(09-15-2018, 12:56 PM)Canard Wrote: Almost all of the close calls and e-stop applications have been with students, so it makes sense to get them familiar with them, from a safety standpoint.

I didn't know that. That makes a lot more sense now.  Thanks
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