ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[GtwoK]

I think they will need mechanical barriers in all cross intersections. Particularly along King when left turns are allowed. Unless they do this, people will try to start a turn left into the red light at the same time as the train is coming.

Is that not the point of the red light? To stop people from turning?

Street running LRT in Seattle, Portland, and LA manage to survive without crossing bars at all conflict points.

I believe BuildingScout was referring to when a driver parallel to the tracks has a green light, with the tracks on their left side, the driver may attempt to turn left—thereby crossing the tracks. Potentially while a train is coming.

That being said, I would assume trains will proceed and have their OWN green light while both the parallel and perpendicular directions have a red light. That way, no driver will be attempting any turn in the intersection at that point.

[Canard]

I assume all traffic will get a red and then the trains will get a "T" light.

The situation GtwoK describes is the one that Metro (Houston) has the most trouble with:



Note that all but 2 of the crashes here are Left-Turns right into the train's path. Also note the dates!

[BuildingScout]

I assume all traffic will get a red and then the trains will get a "T" light.

The situation GtwoK describes is the one that Metro (Houston) has the most trouble with:

Note that all but 2 of the crashes here are Left-Turns right into the train's path. Also note the dates!

Yes, the video shows exactly the scenario I had in mind, but failed to explain properly. It is a big issue, and in the place I'm most familiar it only got solved with when mechanical barriers were installed.

[tomh009]

In every city where I have seen LRT (or streetcars on dedicated tracks in the centre of the roadway), the problem is solved through separate traffic lights. If the left-turn arrow is red, the drivers should not be turning left (into the path of the LRT).

[Viewfromthe42]

It would seem that the intersections in that video were fairly open and readily available to cars. For ION, the left turn conflict points have been made as minimal as possible, and only exist at heavily controlled intersections with lights. A hefty fine for stopping on the tracks, $1,000+, would also help to spread the message that when you try to "beat" the train, you always lose.

[timio]

Seagram actually started on Friday. It was closed that day. A lot of traffic that was expecting to use it to detour around the University closure was a bit surprised!

Pedestrian / cycling connections through the area are a bit less clear across Seagram now. On Friday afternoon I had to walk on the grass to get through the area. The workers did a good job helping pedestrians cross, but I could see mobility issues for those with bikes or strollers if that was the route they chose to take.

I guess the alternate is the path through the woods coming out at the Seagram curve. So the cycling route from the Iron Horse Trail through to UW is now quite the zig-zag. IHT - Park - William - Euclid - FDB - Laurel Trail - Waterloo Park side trail - Seagram - University - Laurel Trail.

[goggolor]

I guess the alternate is the path through the woods coming out at the Seagram curve.  So the cycling route from the Iron Horse Trail through to UW is now quite the zig-zag.  IHT - Park - William - Euclid - FDB - Laurel Trail - Waterloo Park side trail - Seagram - University - Laurel Trail.

Is the Laurel Trail open north of University now? I've been riding that same route almost daily and I thought the trail was completely dug up in places. I did see from the bus last week that Laurel Trail north of Columbia looks close to re-opening, but south of Columbia is still blocked off.

[Markster]

Is the Laurel Trail open north of University now?

The Laurel Trail is basically a mess.

It's mostly closed from Columbia to... well, it's hard to describe. Here's a map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z...sp=sharing

[Canard]

Have they actually closed the entire section through Waterloo Park now!?    (I haven't been up for a couple of days to see)

(Or is your Red line Closed and Green is Open?)

[timio]

Red is closed. Waterloo park is mostly open, but if you want a continuous easy to follow route from the farm north, you're out of luck.

[Markster]

I've made some additions to the map to increase clarity.

Record article today about lots of impending work:

Tracks starting to arrive for LRT in Kitchener

...
Work continues along Charles, between Victoria and Borden, with local-only traffic access.

• Charles-Cedar intersection is expected to reopen by the end of the week, as are the Charles-Gaukel and Charles-Ontario intersections.

• Charles-Water will close for a month, as soon as Charles-Ontario reopens.

• Charles-Eby is expected to shut this week. It's not expected to reopen until mid-September.

Other work continues along the on-street sections of the light rail system:

• Northfield Drive, at the Conestoga Parkway, Waterloo — upgrading bridge to carry LRT tracks; lanes closed on Northfield and ramps to parkway shut through 2016.

• University Avenue at the CN track crossing is scheduled to reopen this week.

• Seagram Drive (at CN railway crossing) — closed three weeks as LRT tracks installed.

• Caroline Street, between Willis Way and William Street, Waterloo — closed through the summer, and William to Allen also shut.

• King Street, between Allen and Union streets, Waterloo — closed; Allen-King intersection shut through Sept 21.

• King at Mount Hope Street in Kitchener — closes for two days this week.

• King at Green Street — closed Tuesday through Friday.

• King, between Moore Avenue and Victoria Street, Kitchener — closed until end of 2016, to build an LRT and road underpass at railway tracks.

•Park Street, between Agnes and Cherry streets, Kitchener — closed until mid-September, for track work at the adjacent GO train yard to give space for trains as King underpass work starts immediately to the east.

[MacBerry]

I think they will need mechanical barriers in all cross intersections. Particularly along King when left turns are allowed. Unless they do this, people will try to start a turn left into the red light at the same time as the train is coming.

Is that not the point of the red light? To stop people from turning?

Street running LRT in Seattle, Portland, and LA manage to survive without crossing bars at all conflict points.

I like the way in the LA line design that where there are two LRT tracks they have installed fence pedestrian barriers to keep mid-block crossing (jay walking?) absolutely minimized. Perhaps this should be something considered in places where there are known jay walking zones along our new LRT. Maybe even in some one track areas such as along the mall in Uptown Waterloo. 

Remember the fiasco of the round-about and people just walking out and then suing the City/Region. Prevention before litigation? IMO a lot of people in Waterloo region don't get to the big city often and navigate a lot of happening as they cross streets.

[timc]

Is that not the point of the red light? To stop people from turning?

Street running LRT in Seattle, Portland, and LA manage to survive without crossing bars at all conflict points.

I like the way in the LA line design that where there are two LRT tracks they have installed fence pedestrian barriers to keep mid-block crossing (jay walking?) absolutely minimized. Perhaps this should be something considered in places where there are known jay walking zones along our new LRT. Maybe even in some one track areas such as along the mall in Uptown Waterloo. 

Remember the fiasco of the round-about and people just walking out and then suing the City/Region. Prevention before litigation? IMO a lot of people in Waterloo region don't get to the big city often and navigate a lot of happening as they cross streets.

I think you're going to open a can of worms if you start referring to crossing the street mid-block as "jay walking".

[MidTowner]

I think you're going to open a can of worms if you start referring to crossing the street mid-block as "jay walking".

I think this is true. But I imagine that MacBerry is right that barriers preventing people from crossing the tracks mid-block might be justified in a few places. I really hope that this wouldn't happen near the cores, though: lower train speeds make it a lot safer to do there, and more barriers would be unsightly and limit mobility.

In many European systems, trams operate in effect in mixed foot and bicycle traffic, with little to no boundaries and barriers to inhibit mobility by the latter two groups. They go slow through city centres where people will be crossing the tracks, and from what I've observed, it works.

[KevinL]

From earlier in the Record article:

Traffic will be restricted at Charles and Benton starting Monday, before the intersection shuts the crossroads entirely on Saturday. It's not expected to reopen to traffic for 10 weeks.

Can attest to this, Benton is currently reduced to one lane in each direction.