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ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit
(11-20-2019, 03:53 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: That is a fair point. Overall I hope the most vulnerable people on an LRV are seated, but an emergency stop still does have the potential of causing injury. Incidentally, does anyone know how fast an emergency stop is? I mean, is it like a bus stopping suddenly or more sudden than that?

Even without causing injury to others, if a person on a bicycle collides with an LRV there are significant costs. At minimum you disrupt the travel of the people on that train, maybe throughout the whole system for some period of time, use time of the LRV driver, potentially the police and medical services.

Don't get me wrong, it's senseless that someone on a bike who crashes into a train receives a more significant charge than someone in a motor vehicle who kills somebody, but some charge should be laid, and there is a potential cost associated with infractions even when on a bike.
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(11-20-2019, 04:05 PM)taylortbb Wrote:
(11-20-2019, 03:53 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: Incidentally, does anyone know how fast an emergency stop is? I mean, is it like a bus stopping suddenly or more sudden than that?

The LRVs have magnetic track brakes, where the vehicle magnetically attaches itself to rail to bring itself to a pretty rapid stop. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_brak...ack_brakes

I don't know the exact stopping speed, but my understanding is that it's somewhat faster than a bus. The drivers get on the intercom and make sure the passengers are okay after every use, so there's definitely an expectation of injuries.

I have been on a TTC streetcar that braked very hard to avoid a collision, I don't know if he used the emergency brake, but the braking was hard enough that people fell down and I thought we had actually hit the car.
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The trauma the driver of the ION suffers having just hit an unprotected human being with a very large machine is also no doubt significant, and I think should be considered.
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(11-20-2019, 04:36 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: I have been on a TTC streetcar that braked very hard to avoid a collision, I don't know if he used the emergency brake, but the braking was hard enough that people fell down and I thought we had actually hit the car.

I was on a GRT bus that had to brake hard for a dangerous driver on Weber about 20 years ago, and because the floors were wet I slipped and stumbled from sitting in the rearmost middle seat, down the stairs, all the way to the rear exit before I could stop myself.
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So did we figure out what actually happened this morning? I see people mentioning a train was stopped dead and had to be towed away by a tractor, that there were ambulances and fire trucks, mentions of knives and machetes on the radio... so what was it?
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I haven't seen anything about it in any of the local media.
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I haven't seen anything either, but I've heard multiple contradicting stories right now.
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(11-18-2019, 07:35 PM)jeffster Wrote:
(11-18-2019, 03:01 PM)timc Wrote: I saw a couple of these signs between the tracks near Columbia Street. I was curious about their meaning, but Google tells me nothing.

I can only think of two things: Only single line (so no crossover) until past the next transfer point. Or down slop up ahead. I'm going with the single line though.
I saw these signs too between Mill and blockline station. Where they are situated it looks as if it is signaling a bridge or culvert ahead. These signs are only on the sections of the track where it is just trains. So my theory is that it has something to do with maintenance in regards to the bridges and culverts.

Edit: These signs are now up on both sides of the mill crossover and both sides of the expressway underpass. Now I'm thinking that it has something to do with possible obstructions or ATP.
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https://www.reddit.com/r/waterloo/commen...s_off_the/
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(11-21-2019, 08:55 AM)ZEBuilder Wrote:
(11-18-2019, 07:35 PM)jeffster Wrote: I can only think of two things: Only single line (so no crossover) until past the next transfer point. Or down slop up ahead. I'm going with the single line though.
I saw these signs too between Mill and blockline station. Where they are situated it looks as if it is signaling a bridge or culvert ahead. These signs are only on the sections of the track where it is just trains. So my theory is that it has something to do with maintenance in regards to the bridges and culverts.

Edit: These signs are now up on both sides of the mill crossover and both sides of the expressway underpass. Now I'm thinking that it has something to do with possible obstructions or ATP.

I have seen more of them in the last few days along the spur line. I took a closer look and they seem to be temporary signs. So I guess that they are likely for maintenance work, as someone else suggested, rather than operations.
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(11-22-2019, 11:06 AM)timc Wrote:
(11-21-2019, 08:55 AM)ZEBuilder Wrote: I saw these signs too between Mill and blockline station. Where they are situated it looks as if it is signaling a bridge or culvert ahead. These signs are only on the sections of the track where it is just trains. So my theory is that it has something to do with maintenance in regards to the bridges and culverts.

Edit: These signs are now up on both sides of the mill crossover and both sides of the expressway underpass. Now I'm thinking that it has something to do with possible obstructions or ATP.

I have seen more of them in the last few days along the spur line. I took a closer look and they seem to be temporary signs. So I guess that they are likely for maintenance work, as someone else suggested, rather than operations.

I’ve seen one that is just a post on a base, weighed down with sandbags, but the others I’ve seen are attached to OCS poles in a way that looks permanent to me.

In related news, my speculation is disproven: Between University and Seagram, there is an up arrow followed in the same direction by a down arrow. So we know they aren’t indicating direction on the line.
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(11-22-2019, 01:31 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: I’ve seen one that is just a post on a base, weighed down with sandbags, but the others I’ve seen are attached to OCS poles in a way that looks permanent to me.

In related news, my speculation is disproven: Between University and Seagram, there is an up arrow followed in the same direction by a down arrow. So we know they aren’t indicating direction on the line.

Take another look at the ones on the poles. There aren't any bolts. They're just strapped to the poles.
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Maybe for snow clearing to indicate when to raise and drop the plow? I know they aren't the normal signs for this, but it sounds like they're near where they cross roads?
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(11-22-2019, 07:36 PM)jamincan Wrote: Maybe for snow clearing to indicate when to raise and drop the plow? I know they aren't the normal signs for this, but it sounds like they're near where they cross roads?
There only in the corridors where there are just trains. That would make sense though.
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I found a usability issue with the card readers today. The RFID reader is mounted on top of the pedestal facing up, and the optical scanner is near the top facing forward. If someone shorter than the pedestal is trying to pay, they will naturally stand directly in front of it and reach past the optical scanner to tap the card. That means it will try to scan their coat sleeve as a QR code instead of scanning the card, and leads to frequent failed transfers.

I'd seen it happen before, but only realized what the problem was today.
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