ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Acitta]

Reddit user says that ION LRT is "pretty decent". Rode the LRT today in the Region of Waterloo

[ac3r]

That's probably the most honest and objective review yet. Doesn't romanticize it, doesn't hate on it, just admits it's pretty decent. And it's correct.

Their thread in /r/Kitchener has more of a discussion going, with most people agreeing that it's decent indeed. Only seems to be 1 guy doing the usual "it's such a waste of money, loud and everyone on it is smoking meth" schtick: https://www.reddit.com/r/kitchener/comme...good_time/

[ac3r]

I noticed the 301R buses out while walking through midtown. Did someone hit the train...again?

[Chris]

I noticed the 301R buses out while walking through midtown. Did someone hit the train...again?

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/driver-inju...-1.6178819


Driver injured in crash with ION train in Uptown Waterloo


Hard to know what happened but from that picture it looks as though the car might have been trying to access the road going the wrong way on a one-way driveway? I'm not very familiar with this area from memory so it could just be a confusing perspective.

And the counter goes back to zero days....

[ijmorlan]

I noticed the 301R buses out while walking through midtown. Did someone hit the train...again?

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/driver-inju...-1.6178819


Driver injured in crash with ION train in Uptown Waterloo


Hard to know what happened but from that picture it looks as though the car might have been trying to access the road going the wrong way on a one-way driveway? I'm not very familiar with this area from memory so it could just be a confusing perspective.

And the counter goes back to zero days....

I believe that is Kuntz Lane at King St. The construction in the background appears to be the new building at George and King where the YNCU was. Due to other construction on Kuntz Lane (might be related to the building, I don’t know), it is closed in the middle and while they don’t appear to have formally adjusted the one-way signage, it has to be considered in abeyance.

Entering King St. at that point is not really affected by the presence of the LRT. Whether the curb lane has the occasional LRV or a regular mix of trucks and cars, it’s just traffic and a turn into said traffic. So it’s not obvious why the driver would have made a mistake.

[danbrotherston]

Lol...drivers make errors in turns all the time.

Given this driver isn't aware of or doesn't care to follow directional restrictions on the road, probably they aren't that reliable a driver in the first place.

I'm curious...are we billing these drivers (or their insurers) for the costs associated with the collisions? I don't mean the vehicular damage, I mean like, replacement buses, staff time, cost to on time performance? I doubt it, but only because I'm deeply cynical. While LRVs aren't cheap, I would wager that these halo costs are an order of magnitude higher, and that's before we start counting the value of the time of the thousands of people that these folks delay.

[ijmorlan]

Lol...drivers make errors in turns all the time.

Given this driver isn't aware of or doesn't care to follow directional restrictions on the road, probably they aren't that reliable a driver in the first place.

I have a generally favourable attitude to what you’re saying, but in this particular case accusing the driver of failing to follow directional restrictions is not appropriate. As I mentioned in my post, part of Kuntz Lane is currently closed for construction and it is impossible to leave parts of it without going contrary to the normal direction of traffic.

[danbrotherston]

Lol...drivers make errors in turns all the time.

Given this driver isn't aware of or doesn't care to follow directional restrictions on the road, probably they aren't that reliable a driver in the first place.

I have a generally favourable attitude to what you’re saying, but in this particular case accusing the driver of failing to follow directional restrictions is not appropriate. As I mentioned in my post, part of Kuntz Lane is currently closed for construction and it is impossible to leave parts of it without going contrary to the normal direction of traffic.

Fair enough, I'm unaware of the current situation there.

[nms]

Lol...drivers make errors in turns all the time.

Given this driver isn't aware of or doesn't care to follow directional restrictions on the road, probably they aren't that reliable a driver in the first place.

I'm curious...are we billing these drivers (or their insurers) for the costs associated with the collisions? I don't mean the vehicular damage, I mean like, replacement buses, staff time, cost to on time performance? I doubt it, but only because I'm deeply cynical. While LRVs aren't cheap, I would wager that these halo costs are an order of magnitude higher, and that's before we start counting the value of the time of the thousands of people that these folks delay.

I would assume so, but then again, to what level do municipalities self-insure?

[ijmorlan]

Lol...drivers make errors in turns all the time.

Given this driver isn't aware of or doesn't care to follow directional restrictions on the road, probably they aren't that reliable a driver in the first place.

I'm curious...are we billing these drivers (or their insurers) for the costs associated with the collisions? I don't mean the vehicular damage, I mean like, replacement buses, staff time, cost to on time performance? I doubt it, but only because I'm deeply cynical. While LRVs aren't cheap, I would wager that these halo costs are an order of magnitude higher, and that's before we start counting the value of the time of the thousands of people that these folks delay.

I would assume so, but then again, to what level do municipalities self-insure?

Doesn’t really matter — either way, the drivers’ negligence is imposing costs on others. Insurance is just a way of allocating and financing those costs.

[danbrotherston]

I would assume so, but then again, to what level do municipalities self-insure?

Doesn’t really matter — either way, the drivers’ negligence is imposing costs on others. Insurance is just a way of allocating and financing those costs.

The damages that can be sought in an automobile collision are very restrictive...by legislation.

A fun one is that your liability insurance has a 50k deductible. If you hit me with your car...*I* "pay" the deductible...

[ac3r]

Someone threw stuff at two of the LRVs and smashed the windows while they rode by: https://kitchener.citynews.ca/police-bea...oo-6231704

[Rainrider22]

wow, thats nice !!!

[Chris]

This is why we can't have nice things.

[ac3r]

If you use the LRT over the next 24-48 hours, factor in extra time. My train had some trouble at around 6:30 this morning and the freezing rain is even worse now, so I suspect it'll be having some struggles.