ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[KevinL]

Well that is magical.  Seems the latest thing the LRT haters have to complain about is that it is too busy.

Pretty much the definition of "no winning with these people".

Still, overall, the first week has been very positive.

Yep, nobody’s going to use it if it’s so busy. Much better to sit in cars in traffic.

"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." - Yogi Berra

[danbrotherston]

A suggestion for GRT. When you have a free transit weekend, keep 10 minute frequencies.

Edit:. Ion is indeed leaving people behind. GRT could have avoided this.

[ac3r]

Once the things do get busier (as in outside of the free week, and as the city grows), I wonder what the plan is to deal with packed trams? Add more? Couple two together? Purchase larger units, like we have here on the TTC? I don't see how they could increase the frequency very easily, without annoying drivers if you have a train going over intersections and roads every 5 minutes.

[danbrotherston]

I don't see annoying drivers as a problem or even a bad thing. More frequency would be a big benefit to riders. Sadly the current plan is to run double trains, because our regional transportation planners agree with you and not me on the driver annoyance issue.

[ijmorlan]

Once the things do get busier (as in outside of the free week, and as the city grows), I wonder what the plan is to deal with packed trams? Add more? Couple two together? Purchase larger units, like we have here on the TTC? I don't see how they could increase the frequency very easily, without annoying drivers if you have a train going over intersections and roads every 5 minutes.

My understanding is that 7/8 minute frequencies are already planned, at least at peak times. This requires 12 vehicles, leaving 2 spares. I expect to see this in the Fall.

Further down the road, the plan is to buy additional vehicles and run some trips with trains of 2 LFLRVs. The platforms are all designed to allow this. All that is needed is to buy more vehicles and complete the other halves of the platforms (extend the shelter, probably add the remaining black strips at the doors, etc.).

Personally, I hope we go to 5 minute service before going to 2-car trains. The subway in Toronto has 5 minutes frequency off peak, and down to about 2 minutes on peak. Signals will need to be optimized. For example, at Erb and Caroline, Caroline needs to be given a green when only the southbound track is in use.

This is a good time to mention yet another signal problem. Coming in to Conestoga Mall, we got the transit signal to go through the intersection. However, the interlocking signal controlling access to the tracks leading to the crossover was still showing a red, so we waited there. Eventually the transit signal timed out and regular traffic got to go. Then, the interlocking signal allowed us to proceed, so we moved up to the intersection, then after a while the traffic lights cycled and we got our transit signal to go through the intersection.

This is incorrect operation. The first transit signal was useless to us as we couldn’t reach it without violating the red signal on the interlocking. As a result other traffic was stopped for no reason at all. At a minimum, the intersection signal should not trigger if no LRV is able to use it.

This makes me wonder what they were doing for the last many months of testing. This is the sort of thing they should have fixed, as it has nothing to do with having passengers on board.

[jeffster]

Yep, nobody’s going to use it if it’s so busy. Much better to sit in cars in traffic.

"No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded." - Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra -- gotta love his oxymorons. "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore!" or nn being told he looked cool: “You don’t look so hot yourself.”

[bgb_ca]

I'm at Queen station and noticed there are no card readers on the pedistals at the end. Anyone know why?

[KevinL]

I'm at Queen station and noticed there are no card readers on the pedistals at the end. Anyone know why?

Getting serviced? Hopefully back by Tuesday...

[kalis0490]

There is an exhibit at Waterloo Region Museum called " Going Places" that features an ION train. I'm not sure whether its an actual train or a life-sized model.

Admission to the Museum and village is free on Canada day

[bgb_ca]

At the king at Fredrick Intection, I've just saw a car blocking the track in the middle of the intersection, and immediately behind them a cop car blocking the crosswalk, while the light was red. I wish the police would actually do their jobs and enforce traffic violations. Wish I had the hindsight to take a picture.

[JoeKW]

I took my family on the LRT this afternoon and unfortunately, it was a terrible experience. We were lucky to get a seat and the LRT was rather full but manageable... but people kept coming on stop after stop and I started to get protective of my 4 month old (she was in her infant carrier and people were leaning over her). By the time we got to central station it was absolutely jam packed and one girl got on and the doors closed before her mom could get on. Luckily, the doors opened again and the mom/stroller and 2 more kids got on.

We got off at Allen station with some strategic planning and communication and the fact that people are generally co-operative when babies are involved.

I'm glad to see that everyone is so interested in the LRT but this weekend could have benefited from 10 minute intervals...

[Lens]

Agreed about the jams this afternoon. I rode twice and both time it was packed. I think some folks got left at stations because they didn't want to try their luck getting on. They should increased frequency to meet demand but we'll see how it plays out in the future. Also there was an announcement about which side the train would be departing from at Conestoga and when it arrived it was the opposite, causing everyone to have to walk all the way around to board. I still think the end platforms should have been center boarding.

[tomh009]

The trains have a set schedule … I don't expect to see them deviating often from that, even at busy times (and that's even assuming that there is spare equipment available).

[taylortbb]

According to Tom Galloway on Twitter they'll be adding more service for the rest of the weekend. https://twitter.com/tomjgalloway14/statu...81216?s=09

GRT was also posting on Friday that they're adding extra trains to handle the loads from the Canada Day celebrations, but it sounds like from Tom's tweet they're going beyond that.

I think the success of ION is important enough to the region that they're interested in trying to stay on top of demand rather than just setting a schedule once every few months. I feel like the ION launch has really changed attitudes into thinking more like a big city transit system.

[Bob_McBob]

The followup about his concern for September when students are back is interesting. The system only allows for a slight decrease in headway before switching to double trains, so if 8 minutes isn't good enough during rush hour...