ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[ijmorlan]

Rob Ford is to blame for just under 2 years of delay. Dalton McGuinty gets the blame for the rest.

It’s kind of funny. Right wingers are constantly referring to the Liberals as some sort of criminal enterprise (e.g., “McGuilty”, etc.) which of course is absurd; but they actually did do something big wrong. The thing they did wrong, though, is something most right wingers probably support: obfuscating and delaying public transit!

So I'm confused here, wasn't Transit City a Toronto project? How is the province to blame, unless they withheld funding, or unless something else changed to cause the province to be involved.  If anything, it really just shows uploading the province isn't a good idea.

I’m not totally clear. It was a Toronto proposal, but a Metrolinx project. I’m now thinking that the province promised funding, on the basis that they would be Metrolinx projects — rather than sending grants to the City. I think.

My impression is that they just didn’t move on the projects, as a way of keeping spending off the books. I don’t believe there was ever an explicit public decision not to proceed, or even to delay; they just didn’t keep moving on the projects as one would have expected.

[Pheidippides]

Does GrandLinq/GRT/Region of Waterloo need a Railway Operating Certificate from Transport Canada? If so, when would that be issued?

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/railsafety/rail....html#rocr

Who needs a Railway Operating Certificate?
All companies that fall under the authority of the Railway Safety Act are required to obtain a Railway Operating Certificate. This includes:

• federal railway companies, who must also hold a Certificate of Fitness from the Canadian Transportation Agency; and
  
• local railway companies, which include provincially-regulated shortlines, light rail transit, and tourist trains that operate equipment on federally-regulated tracks.
  

We might need a Railway Operating Certificate because we operate equipment on federally-regulated tracks (GEXR  Waterloo Spur, and adjacent to GEXR Huron Spur). Edmonton, Calgary and the TTC don't need one because all their trackage is not federally regulated.

Did we ever reach a conclusion on whether the Ion needs a Railway Operating Certificate or Certificate of Fitness because of the spur? If so, can they even apply before the system (lights, bells, arms, etc.) are tuned and working properly?

According to the FAQ it can take up to 120 days.

How long does it take to obtain a Railway Operating Certificate?
Transport Canada has 120 days, from when the complete application is received, to decide whether to issue, refuse to issue or place terms and conditions on a company's Railway Operating Certificate.

[Canard]

Anyone know if there is any testing happening today or tomorrow?

[danbrotherston]

Anyone know if there is any testing happening today or tomorrow?

I saw a train heading south at Victoria Park station this morning at 8:50.

[urbd]

Anyone know if there is any testing happening today or tomorrow?

I saw a train heading south at Victoria Park station this morning at 8:50.

I saw this same train (probably) passing Uptown around 8:30 am.

[urbd]

Anyone know if there is any testing happening today or tomorrow?

Wouldn't it be safe to assume that from now on testing will be happening almost every single day?

[timc]

I saw a train crossing Columbia heading north on my way into work this morning.

[JCnb]

Something I am beginning to notice as I regularly encounter an LRV turning to or from Northfeild:

Once the train has cleared the intersection and is either heading back down the spur or down Northfeild, once the crossing lights turn off and the gates come up, the pedestrian crossing lights remain red for a few seconds longer. Each and every-time, at least a dozen or so vehicles proceed through the red light before it turns green. This only affects the north/eastbound side of Northfeild.

Since the red light is only activated in addition to the crossing signals i.e. not a pedestrian crossing as the south/westbound side of Northfeild is still flowing, would a timing adjustment make sense here? Drivers are clearly only focusing on the gates coming up and not seeing that the traffic light is still red...

EDIT: This happened this morning therefore yes, ION is testing today

[KevinT]

Once the train has cleared the intersection and is either heading back down the spur or down Northfeild, once the crossing lights turn off and the gates come up, the pedestrian crossing lights remain red for a few seconds longer. Each and every-time, at least a dozen or so vehicles proceed through the red light before it turns green. This only affects the north/eastbound side of Northfeild.

Since the red light is only activated in addition to the crossing signals i.e. not a pedestrian crossing as the south/westbound side of Northfeild is still flowing, would a timing adjustment make sense here? Drivers are clearly only focusing on the gates coming up and not seeing that the traffic light is still red...

I noticed this at the University Ave crossing on two separate occasions a few weeks ago, and there the pedestrian signal continued to block both pedestrians and cars for an extended period of time, like 3 or 4 extra minutes.

There's clearly integration between the rail signals box and the street signals box, but they're probably under two different jurisdictions which means getting it sorted out is going to be painful.  I fear that each side will simply finger point to the other before grudgingly agreeing to sit down together and work it out.  Hopefully that won't be the case.

I tried calling the region to report the University one, but all they would say is 'testing is active in that area'.  Not even a thank you, or a "we'll take that under advisement". 

[Canard]

Anyone know if there is any testing happening today or tomorrow?

Wouldn't it be safe to assume that from now on testing will be happening almost every single day?

No, there was no testing on... Tuesday I think.

[danbrotherston]

Something I am beginning to notice as I regularly encounter an LRV turning to or from Northfeild:

Once the train has cleared the intersection and is either heading back down the spur or down Northfeild, once the crossing lights turn off and the gates come up, the pedestrian crossing lights remain red for a few seconds longer. Each and every-time, at least a dozen or so vehicles proceed through the red light before it turns green. This only affects the north/eastbound side of Northfeild.

Since the red light is only activated in addition to the crossing signals i.e. not a pedestrian crossing as the south/westbound side of Northfeild is still flowing, would a timing adjustment make sense here? Drivers are clearly only focusing on the gates coming up and not seeing that the traffic light is still red...

EDIT: This happened this morning therefore yes, ION is testing today

Even better, train gates at all ped crossings

You're right, it totally makes sense to sync them up.

[trainspotter139]

[Spokes]

I would hope they would test every day. If trains need X hours of testing, every day that they don't test is another day that operations is pushed back is it not?

[Canard]

Thanks, I was just asking. I work insane hours and can’t always have the radio on and it’s very rare I get to slip away to watch the fun. Still very much a magical unicorn to me.

[plam]

I noticed this at the University Ave crossing on two separate occasions a few weeks ago, and there the pedestrian signal continued to block both pedestrians and cars for an extended period of time, like 3 or 4 extra minutes.

There's clearly integration between the rail signals box and the street signals box, but they're probably under two different jurisdictions which means getting it sorted out is going to be painful.  I fear that each side will simply finger point to the other before grudgingly agreeing to sit down together and work it out.  Hopefully that won't be the case.

I tried calling the region to report the University one, but all they would say is 'testing is active in that area'.  Not even a thank you, or a "we'll take that under advisement". 

I think that's been fixed? I was checking how long the gates and signals were blocking this week and it seemed just right.