(06-18-2020, 07:27 PM)ac3r Wrote: I have to say...the entire launch of light rail transit in Waterloo Region was pretty bad. Businesses lost money from construction, the trains were years late, ATP is nowhere to be seen anytime soon, people kept crashing into the vehicles because we ran it like a streetcar in the downtown/uptowns. It is not as bad as the LRT in Ottawa, where the malfunctions lead to massive logistical failures and thousands of people unable to get anywhere (granted, Ottawa has nearly 1'000'000 people), but the roll-out of everything was a bit messy.
Every new line has problems. Edmonton has been struggling not unlike Ottawa too.
Cost per mile of light rail is typically ~$100M (USD) /mile
Not sure on exact figure but let's say ION cost $900M.
900/12 = $75M/mile or roughly $55M (USD) /mile
I think compared to a typical American light rail, Waterloo did it quicker (once actual construction started)and much less expensive.