ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[ert86]

Ummm, isn't this map for Sept 2019, and currently undergoing public consultation?

[KevinL]

No, that matches Ion launch routes, I believe. What elements make you think otherwise?

[trainspotter139]

Ummm, isn't this map for Sept 2019, and currently undergoing public consultation?

that's the map for ION Launch... oddly enough that map will need to be changed in September as Route 76 is being split and Cambridge routes are changing as well.

This is the planned service changes for September 2019:

https://www.grt.ca/en/about-grt/resource...190212.pdf

[ert86]

Look at the 12 skipping Forest Glen, most 7s gone and the 201 going to Conestoga collage... this is the currant proposed map. Unless they're also making those route changes next month, but typically they start in September

Edit: I thought they were still taking public input on this map

[timio]

That's the map as of June 24th. There's no 206, which will be in effect as of the fall.

[ert86]

Ah, Now that I think about it I think I vaguely remember them saying the route changes will came into effect with the launch of ION, but that was a long long time ago. They should however put some kind of notice that these aren't the current routes, could confuse people if these are up in high ped traffic stations.

There are a few things I don't like about these changes but being able to get to St. Jacobs market without having to go to Conestoga mall will be great.

[kalis0490]

Has anyone made a fleet from the paper models that they give out at ION LRT station showings?

[MidTowner]

I've been playing around with 'My New Ride' now that I've got it working. Some of the Ion trip times seem incredible. The travel time from Waterloo Public Square to Northfield, for instance, is eight minutes. If true, that's amazing.

For some reason, it's always been in my head that 45 minutes for the whole line was not a particularly impressive time. Seeing all of the (preliminary) station times now, though, I can see how difficult it would be to do any better. And it's the predictable places (downtown through uptown) where the speeds are a lot less. Through the Universities, the proposed times really are a big improvement over the 200.

[jamincan]

I thought the estimated time from Willis Way to Allen seemed pretty generous at 4 minutes. I think this is a reasonably conservative schedule.

[KevinL]

Yeah, it's those downtown sections where they could give trains more signal priority when needed.

[MidTowner]

The travel times in the cores definitely seem pretty unambitious- three minutes between Frederick and City Hall Station, five minutes between City Hall and Victoria- but it seems like the opportunity for a bit more speed on the spur line north of Uptown will be taken advantage of.

[trainspotter139]

More vehicles are getting the new decals.

Here is 502 with the new decals from the ION instagram account:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfD6HFgpeL/

[tomh009]

Yeah, it's those downtown sections where they could give trains more signal priority when needed.

And that's something they can do once they gain both experience and ridership on the LRT. No capital investment required to speed it up!

[Section ThirtyOne]

It appears they are still ironing out some wrinkles with the signalling/barriers. I was stuck in quite a jam up on Courtland where the ION line crosses over to the hydro corridor. Crews were on site, but the barriers were coming down way way ahead of the train and not raising until well after it was gone.

[Bob_McBob]

The signal timing on Northfield really needs further improvement. Trains heading to Conestoga Mall are way off in the distance by the time the arms start coming down. It causes some rather significant delays in combination with all the single pedestrians crossing there to get to the bus stop on the other side.