ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[timc]

So, in reality, not at all practical for sharing a line when one of NB/SB is out of commission for some reason.

I expect that such an event would be exceptionally rare.

[Markster]

So, in reality, not at all practical for sharing a line when one of NB/SB is out of commission for some reason.

Correct.

And similarly, there will be no two-way usage of tracks in the one-way loop areas.
It's tough to see them getting legal signoff to do wrong-way service on the tracks. Certainly not without full bidirectional signage and signalling. That's an expense which is hard to justify when we're talking about something that would be used only in exceptional circumstances. Instead, we're probably just going to see replacement bus service in the event of critical issues.

Other dashed dreams:
Allowing the one-way loop sections in the downtowns to actually work as loops.

[danbrotherston]

So, in reality, not at all practical for sharing a line when one of NB/SB is out of commission for some reason.

I expect that such an event would be exceptionally rare.

It would perhaps have been nice to be able to reroute the train off King St. in uptown for regular festivals.  I mean, not that it's necessary, because pedestrians and LRTs can co-exist, but in that it seems like we're unwilling to give that a try.  But time will tell I suppose, maybe we're simply forcing the issue here.

[timc]

It would perhaps have been nice to be able to reroute the train off King St. in uptown for regular festivals.  I mean, not that it's necessary, because pedestrians and LRTs can co-exist, but in that it seems like we're unwilling to give that a try.  But time will tell I suppose, maybe we're simply forcing the issue here.

Ah, now that would be interesting. If there was signalling for it, then you could have bidirectional service between GRH and the Perimeter Institute. It's probably not really worth the expense though.

On a related note: does Waterloo still plan to have Open Streets with ION running through it?

[Pheidippides]

Sod going in along King between Allen and William:
   

Another unfortunate utility box that should have been 0.5m to the west (right):
   

That no stopping sign that was right in front of the new KCI signage has disappeared:
   

[Pheidippides]

Some horrible, myth perpetuating, fear instilling reporting locally:
Could LRT crash in Calgary happen here?
 
I guess the dozens of vehicular crashes in Calgary that day (and every day) did not warrant concern? Or the average one pedestrian hit by a vehicle per day?
 
Never mind that LRT is an order of magnitude and then some (30x) safer than passenger vehicles in fatalities per unit of travel (7.28 death per billion passenger miles vs. 0.24). Oh and unlike passenger vehicles, transit crash rates per capita decline with increased users.

All just facts getting in the way of a good click bait.

[Canard]

Oh that's rich. Hah!

I'm surprised they haven't clued in about Houston.



All part of the fun with Light Rail.

[danbrotherston]

I believe statistically Houston is somewhat of an outlier on LRT collisions. I do hope that things run smoother in KW. I'm not sure *what* about Houston is different, but something is different there.

[DHLawrence]

I guess the dozens of vehicular crashes in Calgary that day (and every day) did not warrant concern? Or the average one pedestrian hit by a vehicle per day?
 
Never mind that LRT is an order of magnitude and then some (30x) safer than passenger vehicles in fatalities per unit of travel (7.28 death per billion passenger miles vs. 0.24). Oh and unlike passenger vehicles, transit crash rates per capita decline with increased users.

All just facts getting in the way of a good click bait.

"Don't ride the dangerous old trains, take the safe old highways and get yourself killed."

[clasher]

I drove past the Ottawa/Mill intersection tonight, things seem to moving along nicely... there's a large stretch of chainlink fence running between the rails starting near Mill and going toward Borden, I assume to discourage people from crossing where the old path followed there. There are also some large crossing signals that have gone up over the Ottawa and railway crossing. Quite the change in that intersection.

[GtwoK]

The road in front of the gaukel station is completely torn up again! A gigantic pit in the middle of the road, was fairly deep too. Something wrong with utilities?

[Canard]

Oh dear. So much for Charles opening in full in the next few days.

[tomh009]

The road in front of the gaukel station is completely torn up again! A gigantic pit in the middle of the road, was fairly deep too. Something wrong with utilities?

Not sure.  But it's definitely a big hole.

   

[tomh009]

Pavement at King & Victoria:
   

Not so much yet toward the underpass:
   

Sidewalk at Manulife has also been dug up:
   

[jamincan]

Some good news regarding deliveries from Bombardier:

Bombardier completes first delivery of horse-drawn omnibuses to TTC

TORONTO – After more than a century of delays, the TTC has received the new omnibuses it ordered to replace the aging wagons used on the Cabbagetown – St. Lawrence line.

“These new omnibuses will reduce congestion and commute times for the growing Irish communities of Corktown” said Pierre Lemieux, spokesperson for the company’s Transportation for the Americas division. “While of course we regret the delays, these omnibuses will afford commuters more time to spend with their families and at work in the abattoir.”