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Waterloo Region Transit Developments (ION LRT, new terminal, GRT buses)

steveintoronto said:
Your skies were clear there today! It was hazy here, I'm in envy.

I noted this time the vertical and horizontal white bars in a flashing phase. Is that just an impending change alert, or something more?

And I had an incredible deja-vu moment half way through, took me about ten seconds to realize what the memory was: It was the railroad crossing clangs, took me back to San Diego and their Trolley, which still remains one of the more tested and proven models in North Am, even if Edmonton were first.

Good vid!
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It's to indicate the signal will change soon.
 
hw621 said:
How do KW drivers react to the at grade streetcar style LRT?
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My friend who lives in Kitchener, and who isn't a transit nerd says that drivers there get really excited and he's seen some even point and give the thumbs up when they see the LRT - kind of like a seeing a rare animal.
 
felix123 said:
My friend who lives in Kitchener, and who isn't a transit nerd says that drivers there get really excited and he's seen some even point and give the thumbs up when they see the LRT - kind of like a seeing a rare animal.
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Great! So it is not viewed as war on cars. Is that just a Toronto thing?
 
hw621 said:
How do KW drivers react to the at grade streetcar style LRT?
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It certainly has it's critics, there are some sections such as the Mill/Ottawa intersection that were handled so poorly (at least to outward appearances, I'm no civil engineering expert and perhaps what we got was all that could be done under the circumstances) that even enthusiasts like me aren't too happy about them. The vehicles themselves seem quite well received, and I've seen and heard a lot of positive reaction during my 'chases'. With the dedicated rights of way, their presence doesn't impede traffic any more so than the system does by itself just sitting there, so there's no specific animosity towards them when they appear.

Its helpful that they're not actual streetcars -- you'll never be stuck behind one, or off to the side waiting to pass while the doors are open for a large slow pack of people. I think this is key to its acceptance.
 
KevinT said:
It certainly has it's critics, there are some sections such as the Mill/Ottawa intersection that were handled so poorly (at least to outward appearances, I'm no civil engineering expert and perhaps what we got was all that could be done under the circumstances) that even enthusiasts like me aren't too happy about them. The vehicles themselves seem quite well received, and I've seen and heard a lot of positive reaction during my 'chases'. With the dedicated rights of way, their presence doesn't impede traffic any more so than the system does by itself just sitting there, so there's no specific animosity towards them when they appear.

Its helpful that they're not actual streetcars -- you'll never be stuck behind one, or off to the side waiting to pass while the doors are open for a large slow pack of people. I think this is key to its acceptance.
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Now the Spadina, St.Clair and Lakeshore streetcar have the similar ROWs, but we still have loud critics?
 
hw621 said:
Now the Spadina, St.Clair and Lakeshore streetcar have the similar ROWs, but we still have loud critics?
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I can't speak to St. Clair or Lakeshore, but I rode the Spadina line on a Saturday back in April and it was agonizingly slow. I would complain too. As near as I could figure, the culprits were way too many stops, having to stop and crawl through the King, Queen, and Dundas streetcar intersections, and a lack of signal priority. Right now KW doesn't have lines crossing lines, our stops are very far apart (some here say too far), and we're planning to have signal priority. Hopefully it won't be a Spadina class experience, time will tell.
 
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kEiThZ said:
So I might be right on my bet that Ottawa goes into service first....
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Given the fact that there is only 9 weeks left to turn the line over to the city and what I saw first hand, it may happen, but not in the current time frame.

Bayview station is the worse one of the ones I saw. All the stations entrance for the tunnel section were about 50% completed that I could see. There is a hole that was still having items being lower into the tunnel that needs to be close off and fill in.

I was to visit KW last week, but things came up to change my plans.

I haven't follow the ION project for some time and no idea if all the cars are on site as plan. Until they are and have been burn in, delaying training and testing the plan schedule. Need all the cars to test the schedule to make sure it will work or need adjustment.

Other then lacking cars, no idea what other issues have surface that will delay the opening of the ION line.

Regardless when and who open first, got 2 more LRT lines to ride in Ontario until 2021-2024 when 4 more lines will go into service unless Ford delays or kill 3 of them. Of the 3 that could be kill or delay, Hurontario line is almost certain it will be built since Mississauga fully support it and no opposition on council to kill it.
 
drum118 said:
I haven't follow the ION project for some time and no idea if all the cars are on site as plan. Until they are and have been burn in, delaying training and testing the plan schedule. Need all the cars to test the schedule to make sure it will work or need adjustment.
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Most of the drivers have already been trained and are being cycled in throughout the testing. They've been running 2 vehicles at a time on the line for the last 2 weeks for soft burn-in procedures as well as derailment exercises. 8 LFLRVs are in Waterloo with 3 currently sidelined for installation of signalling and communications equipment. 6 are in Kingston for the same with 1 vehicle with equipment installed and awaiting approval to ship. All vehicles are assembled and fully functional.

drum118 said:
Other then lacking cars, no idea what other issues have surface that will delay the opening of the ION line.
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They've been reworking some areas due to test results showing some deficiencies, as well as fully commissioning the track lubricators which required some cross-drilling of the rails and some reworking of concrete. But nothing too major that would delay the opening. Last I heard there is still an issue with the owners of the GM dealership on Courtland continuing to fight against the expropriation for grade-crossing signals.
 
KevinT said:
I can't speak to St. Clair or Lakeshore, but I rode the Spadina line on a Saturday back in April and it was agonizingly slow. I would complain too. As near as I could figure, the culprits were way too many stops, having to stop and crawl through the King, Queen, and Dundas streetcar intersections, and a lack of signal priority. Right now KW doesn't have lines crossing lines, our stops are very far apart (some here say too far), and we're planning to have signal priority. Hopefully it won't be a Spadina class experience, time will tell.
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There is also a slow order on the new streetcars currently with the ttc that has yet to be lifted.

I've heard that it may never be lifted and the new streetcars will simply run slower than the old ones, all in the name of that magical word the government loves to hide behind: safety.
 
robmausser said:
There is also a slow order on the new streetcars currently with the ttc that has yet to be lifted.

I've heard that it may never be lifted and the new streetcars will simply run slower than the old ones, all in the name of that magical word the government loves to hide behind: safety.
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The slow order won't be lifted until the entire system is pantograph ready as the shoes on the poles can't handle normal speed with the draw that the Flexity requires without the carbons burning up or disintegrating.
 
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