ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[danbrotherston]

ION just posted this link on their FB page.

http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/...18ccced754

Seems to have begun.

[Elmira Guy]

Excellent! Let's hope the word gets out and that people adjust to the way of things in reasonably short order.

[KevinT]

Yeehaw!  The media effort begins:

The Record: Fines, towing bills for those who park on LRT tracks

[Markster]

The pedestrian crossing issue in the Traynor-Vanier neighbourhood is showing some movement!  Elizabeth Clarke just posted on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.clark...0923562112

A couple of months back, there was some Facebook discussion about the new ION tracks, and the safety fence running alongside them, cutting off pedestrian access to and from the Traynor neighbourhood.

In fact, the path that was blocked was never a legal (or maintained) access, as it trespassed across a private hydro corridor. However, the discussion served to raise the issue of the need for such an access for the neighbourhood.

The City of Kitchener has now commenced a study and public consultation, and is inviting interested community members to attend a meeting on Saturday January 28th, from 1:00 to 4:00, at the Kingsdale Community Centre, at 80 Wilson Avenue.

[KevinL]

Comments there seem to indicate this won't be a level crossing for safety reasons. Bridge?

[Canard]

I doubt it. It'll be a level crossing, if anything. Just like Old Albert and Quiet Place.

[KevinL]

One of Elizabeth's responses in the post comments:

In this case, though, legalizing this access would have been very difficult. Aside from the private property issues and the challenges and costs associated with negotiating for and acquiring property, trains at this point in the corridor will be traveling at high speeds, and a pedestrian crossing here would be unsafe.

Emphasis mine.

[plam]

Sounds to me like it'll be a level crossing at a somewhat different location than currently.

[Canard]

Is she a railway engineer? Sounds like her comment was just her opinion on the subject.

Trains are traveling the same speeds here as they are at Old Albert and Quiet Place.

[Markster]

I don't understand that excuse at all.
VIA trains go through level crossings at 100km/h.
It just changes the amount of time that the crossing arms are down.

I guess the regulations/speed limits are being set so that a train is able to stop for a pedestrian that is maliciously trying to block the tracks? So 80km/h is not possible, since they want to be able to do an emergency stop in X metres before any crossings?

[Markster]

Trains are traveling the same speeds here as they are at Old Albert and Quiet Place.

Are the speed limit signs up that confirm this? I thought I heard (from you maybe?) that the hydro corridor might be even faster, even if only a little bit.

[Canard]

Both the Waterloo Spur and Hydro Corridor had a "design requirement" for 80 km/h.

In reality the highest speed limit sign so far is 70 km/h on the Waterloo Spur in the segment between R&T Park station and Columbia.

No signs up yet on the Hydro Corridor.

But 10 km/h can't mean the difference between safe and unsafe.

In the US their regulation is that up to 180 km/h is ok for level crossings; above that you need a grade separated crossing (bridge or tunnel).

In Denver their speed limit is 55 mph (90 km/h) and they have at-grade crossings.

Basically, if one is saying that a pedestrian crossing is unsafe on the Hydro Corridor, then they have to also say they are all unsafe in Waterloo, and will need to all be rebuilt.

[danbrotherston]

I do not understand why or how there would be a requirement for a bridge.  As Markster pointed out Via trains go through level crossings at 100 km/h, and they've got a much MUCH longer stopping distance.  I'm pretty sure they also go through level crossings at much greater speeds than 100 km/h on some parts of the Toronto/Montreal corridor.

It seems to make no sense to require a bridge, and if there are regulations requiring it, then that sounds like bad regulations.

[clasher]

The trains will be going by here a lot more frequently than any VIA crossings though, maybe that has something to do with it? (I'm not pro-bridge or anti-bridge)

[Canard]

So the Waterloo Spur crossings are unsafe?