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

[APTA-2048]

Do we know which routes are getting the all electric buses? Theres 7 in total if I recall correctly

Routes 6 and 21. There will be 11 buses in total.

 

[kalis0490]

From the Finch West LRT thread:



I keep seeing this, but it actually doesn't. It's faster than the iXpress bus it replaced at all times of the day; waaay faster during peak times.

The signal priority works well, southbound from the hospital to Central Station is magic, and anyone demanding priority for Finch West, Eglinton, or Hurontario should treat themselves to this peek at what their world could be. That said, there are some issues that should be solvable:

- For nearside stops, the signal should trigger and the pedestrian crosswalks start counting the moment the operator closes the doors. Trains shouldn't have to inch a few meters from the platform to stop on a loop and then wait for the signal to start cycling. This would resolve a lot of the issues in downtown Kitchener. Better yet, put the loop at the stop and trigger the light when the train pulls in. By the time the ped countdown's finished and the cross traffic stopped, the train should be departing. If it's not and it misses the 10 second window for its transit signal, well; then it waits a cycle. If this happens consistently, tune it with with the necessary extra seconds delay to where missed cycles become a true exception rather than the rule. This should be a solvable problem.

- The magical priority waves should be able to continue around a corner. For whatever reason though, it feels like the programmers treat each corner as a reset button that blows the wave.

- There's a mysterious southbound slowdown at the facing point freight crossover in Waterloo Park. This is a movable frog switch; trains should NOT have to crawl through it, and the northbound train certainly doesn't. If it's the track geometry, rework it. If it's an ATP glitch, debug and resolve it. This has been going on since a few months after the line opened (perhaps since the day they enabled ATP), why has it not been fixed?

- There's another mysterious slowdown southbound after clearing the expressway tunnel and crossing the creek bridge 600 metres ahead of Hayward. I get that the Hayward S is an awkward situation forced by CN/CP not giving up the border of their interchange yard, but this happens well ahead of it, and in another ATP section just like Waterloo Park. Fix it. Heck, add a new signal block if that's what it takes.

I'd bet that simply resolving these could shave 5 minutes from the end-to-end trip time.

As a car driver, I also take issue with the signal programming: The gates for the Courtland Ave crossing drop far too early, holding up a lot of traffic unnecessarily and even backing up onto Manitou. Other gated crossings have developed similar issues, although there's still the odd one that's stellar in its brevity. I don't understand why these aren't measured *, evaluated, and the predictors tuned on an annual basis. If that's not in the current contract with Keolis, then it bloody well better be in the next one...

---

* Just shoot some video and note the time stamps, or do frame counts + 1 if you need absolute accuracy without undershooting, but there's no need to mobilize the expensive stopwatch and clipboard crews that were used during commissioning.

There does seem to be some signaling glitches with the ATP - we should be able to hit 70 on the Waterloo Spur. Places with an up arrow or down arrow seem to be the places where the ATP kicks in. I was talking to a signaling engineer (who did not work on this project) and they think that the ATP speed blocks are incorrectly placed (too far behind stations) so there is improper control.

Getting clarity about this issue will definitely be a priority of Tritag in the future

Linking the flowchart for reference

I have been working on a technical document outlining the reasons why ion is slow (snippet below) (note this is non-official)View attachment 523335

SideNote: we have updated planning info for the Cambridge-Guelph Rail concept:

Cambridge to Union Passenger Rail Connection Initial Business Case

Initial Business Case to explore passenger rail service between Cambridge and Guelph, connecting to Union Station via the Kitchener GO Line

www.engagewr.ca

 

[KevinT]

There do seem to be some signaling glitches with the ATP - we should be able to hit 70 on the Waterloo Spur. Places with an up arrow or down arrow seem to be the places where the ATP kicks in. I was talking to a signaling engineer (who did not work on this project) and they think that the ATP speed blocks are incorrectly placed (too far behind stations) so there is improper control.

We have a weird ATP system. If you look at Ottawa's, there are glorified little RFID tags (balises) bolted between the rails at regular intervals to let the trains know exactly where they are. I've heard that our system instead relies on the AC track signalling in the same blocks that are used for the crossing gates and other signals. It's accuracy is finicky, and I suspect we were over-promised while the equipment provider under-delivered. If they can't simply tune (or software upgrade) their way out of it, then they should add more blocks until they can get it to work correctly, on the provider's dime.

Of course that's easy enough for me to say, but I suspect the contracts around it were weasley enough (how well did the region really understand the technical implications of what they were signing?) that we'd have to pay substantially for such rework. There'd probably also be significant downtime. Ultimately it needs doing though, especially if the headways are shortened in the future to deal with increased demand.

SideNote: we have updated planning info for the Cambridge-Guelph Rail concept:

Cambridge to Union Passenger Rail Connection Initial Business Case

Initial Business Case to explore passenger rail service between Cambridge and Guelph, connecting to Union Station via the Kitchener GO Line

www.engagewr.ca

Thanks!

Edited: Grammar, readability, and added the word/link for balises.

 

[christiesplits]

Waterloo region sees record-breaking public transit ridership in 2023 after pandemic setbacks​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/waterloo-region-grand-river-transit-ridership-increase-1.7132171?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

 

[ZEBuilder]

Much of the increased ridership can be attributed to the influx of international students to the area.

I would be a lot more impressed if there was a larger modal shift, but there isn’t.

Sure routes feeding into the college are exceptionally busy but you certainly see more families and younger people using it when compared to 5 years ago so there is definitely a modal shift happening, sure it isn't necessarily substantial yet but it's definitely happening. It was particularly noticeable in the summer when there wasn't classes occuring.

 

[Bojaxs]

Sure routes feeding into the college are exceptionally busy but you certainly see more families and younger people using it when compared to 5 years ago so there is definitely a modal shift happening, sure it isn't necessarily substantial yet but it's definitely happening. It was particularly noticeable in the summer when there wasn't classes occuring.

Schools nowadays run summer courses for Int. students.

Conestoga has the highest number of Int. students in Ontario which is probably why we're seeing huge ridership numbers on the ION.

 

[ZEBuilder]

Schools nowadays run summer courses for Int. students.

Conestoga has the highest number of Int. students in Ontario which is probably why we're seeing huge ridership numbers on the ION.

View attachment 547390

Yes they run summer courses, so do many institutions, the point however is that the college is not purely the reason for an increase in ridership, certainly it plays a substantial role of the general ridership increase throughout various parts of the GRT network but it isn't entirely why.

If you ride the ION you'd notice that there is a substantial increase in the amount of general users not related to the college using it now then in years past. Obviously it is anecdotal but when you compare the ION now to 2019 you are definitely able to see a modal shift occuring.

A lot of this has to do with the substantial amount of units that have been completed within MTSAs, the city of Kitchener has been really aggressive in reducing parking requirements with some buildings having zero parking spaces but many are around 0.5 or less. In Kitchener alone since 2019 there has been roughly 4000 additional units built, currently there's another 2000 under construction. You also have another 2000 units which are currently getting permits for shoring/balance of construction, and you also have prep work in progress for another 3500 units (demolition/soil remediation). So while it may appear that the college is the pure driver behind the increase in ridership it isn't true as there is a modal shift occuring.

 

[jamincan]

Much of the increased ridership can be attributed to the influx of international students to the area.

I would be a lot more impressed if there was a larger modal shift, but there isn’t.

Do you have any information on mode share? I didn't notice it in the article.

It's interesting to compare it to other transit agencies which who have seen post-pandemic ridership grow quite slowly, likely due to an increase in people working from home who might otherwise be more likely to use transit. While I wouldn't be surprised to see student numbers driving GRT's growth, it does put the agency in an enviable position of having revenue surpass their budget and hopefully allow service improvements that would drive growth for non-students as well.

Am I correct in surmising that this would push GRT past London and Hamilton as the 4th largest transit agency in the province?

 

[ZEBuilder]

Much of the increased ridership can be attributed to the influx of international students to the area.

I would be a lot more impressed if there was a larger modal shift, but there isn’t.

There was a Record article earlier this month that showed the breakdown of boardings by fare type compared to 2019. Another of the charts displays the % of ridership by type.

The data is from the September/October periods of 2019 and 2023.

In 2019 the amount of monthly pass holders and other types (cash fare/discount cards) was 2.8 million boardings, in the same period in 2023 that number jumps to 3.7 million boardings which continues the anecdotal evidence that there is a modal shift occurring to some degree.
Likewise for UW/WLU/Conestoga in 2019 there was 2 million boardings, in the 2023 period it jumps to 2.7 million boardings.

In terms of a percentages in 2019 57% of riders were monthly pass holders/other types, in 2023 that jumps to 58% of riders. In terms of percentages it doesn't look like there is a large modal shift because there is so many more international students, but since 2019 there's an additional 0.9 million boardings for monthly pass/other types, compared to 0.7 million boardings for UW/WLU/Conestoga. So there is definitely a modal shift.

Boarding Data by Type

Ridership Breakdown by Percent

https://www.therecord.com/news/wate...cle_940399d9-e740-5fe5-8184-44553f46e3ba.html

 

[kalis0490]

Waterloo Region is seeking comment for ideas for their 2025-2030 business plan. I'd like to encourage those who are interested to take the short survey/mapping their GRT/ION ideas here: https://www.engagewr.ca/grt-business-plan

In other news:

• As expected it will take a while for ION stage 2 to come online: https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/at-least-seven-years-before-lrt-stage-2-begins-1.6923690
• There will be a celebration of the 5th anniversary of the lON line on June 22 between 1 and 3 pm. Transit will be free in Waterloo region on the 22nd and the 23rd https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/free-t...year-anniversary-in-waterloo-region-1.6925344
• Cambridge GO has full support from Cambridge's notoriously NIMBY council. Like ION phase 2, the project is not expected to be completed soon. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitc...siness-case-gives-update-at-council-1.7209440

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Some updates! Phase 1 seemingly advancing, Phase 2 (the station passenger waiting area) awaiting ICIP funding confirmation. The project has been re-named to the Kitchener Central Transit Hub.

Article:

Region unveils preferred Victoria Street redesign for future transit hub​

Phase 1 renderings and details from Region’s website:

 

[Allandale25]

^ I wonder what will happen to the historic station building. New restaurant?

 

[kalis0490]

Looks like we finally have an update for breslau station as well:

"Region buys land in Breslau for future GO station, affordable housing"​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/region-buys-lands-breslau-go-station-affordable-housing-1.7241032

 

[KevinT]

Some updates! Phase 1 seemingly advancing, Phase 2 (the station passenger waiting area) awaiting ICIP funding confirmation. The project has been re-named to the Kitchener Central Transit Hub.

I still wish they'd call it Berlin HBF; at least commission a mural or something with that name on it somewhere, like on the grade separation wall facing King Street.

 

[drum118]

I still wish they'd call it Berlin HBF; at least commission a mural or something with that name on it somewhere, like on the grade separation wall facing King Street.

You got to go back before 1916 when the city was call Berlin in the first place for the German population at the time. It got change after the war started.

One reason Oktoberfest has a strong base there as well been celebrate yearly.

I Learn Minnesota is/was mostly German and the language for them just fail to be the state official language when a vote was taken in the early days of being a state.

I see nothing wrong for a mural, but using Berlin may open a can of worms.