(01-12-2017, 10:10 AM)MidTowner Wrote: That's not what dunkalunk was saying. He was saying that, if GRT is preparing to delay the 205 until late 2018, it means they suspect that Ion will be delayed until late 2018.
Ion doesn't need to line up with the bus routes, the bus routes should line up with the launch of Ion, whose launch is indeterminate. We don't know, but I suspect (as others have suggested) that bus route changes will happen at another time of year, even if that's not GRT's normal practice.
We're not talking about "just a bus," though, we're talking about brand new routes.
This exactly. Thank-You!
While a Spring 2018 opening is optimistic, I'm not holding out hope that we will have enough trains by then. I would hope for revenue service at the earliest Summer (June) 2018 and it's my hope that if ION does have an earlier opening, money can be found to implement the route restructuring associated with 204's introduction at the same time. That, and we are still waiting on the farecard system which we were supposed to get last fall but won't be in operation until this fall.
I think Fall 2018 ION opening is realistic, given the above and that GRT will probably want the summer schedule period to re-train drivers on new routes.