ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Viewfromthe42]

Nevertheless I suppose all cars should have at least one rampable door for emergency situations where passengers must exit directly to street level.

In an emergency, the doors open, and the passengers step 10 centimetres down to the road surface.

I guess it's a question of "emergency." I don't think there are any abilities for GO Trains, Greyhound coaches, etc, to disembark any mobility challenged individuals in emergencies, whether the normal aids are powered (Greyhound) or unpowered (GO platform levels). If there were some odd detour where for construction or other purposes, we had to disembark passengers elsewhere other than the typical spot, temporary level platforms would likely be used to make deployable ramps unnecessary.

[Pheidippides]

The GrandLinq presentation at Planning & Works today was very detailed. The video will eventually show up here:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...mid_=24370
or
here:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...ittees.asp

I had no idea the amount of work planned in 2015; makes me wonder what is left for 2016 and 2017. Mostly electrical and testing I guess.

Councillor Strickland's band-aid analogy was very unexpected (all at once for short intense pain or slowly for gradual pain).

Exciting times.

[Waterlooer]

I can't wait to read it all once they post it on their website. I thought they were mainly just doing underground sewer/utility work this year. They're planning on getting most of the tracks and poles in too now?

[BuildingScout]

I had no idea the amount of work planned in 2015; makes me wonder what is left for 2016 and 2017. Mostly electrical and testing I guess.

Well, remember the old house construction rule, the first 80-90% of the construction takes 50% of the time, since you can move quickly in big bold steps: up a new wall, hardwall covering it, etc. The finishing touches take the remaining 50% of the time, covering the joints, cutting the trimming, painting it, since they require a lot of attention to detail.

[Canard]

http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/...iefing.pdf

[Waterlooer]

On page 2 of the report there is no mention of Cambridge Centre Station :/ Will the mall get no fancy BRT station and use the current iXpress one?

[Canard]

I believe that was the plan, yes.

[BuildingScout]

Maybe they are saving the expense with the hope that LRT part deux will follow shortly?

[Pheidippides]

The video of the presentation of the previously linked slide deck is now posted:

http://view.earthchannel.com/PlayerContr...ca&eID=220

[Coke6pk]

http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/...iefing.pdf

GrandLinq still has an error in the "O" of the Ion logo (Light blue patch at the top left side).  Bugs me everytime....

[Waterlooer]

Will ION stop at every station or will it only stop when someone hits the stop button like on a bus? I assumed it would stop at every station like a subway but the vehicles have stop buttons it looks like :/

[Canard]

They'll stop at every station.

[Waterlooer]

They'll stop at every station.

Okay cool. Do you know why the vehicles have those stop buttons inside then? Or will those not be included in ours.

[jamincan]

I can think of two possibilities.

1) They are for emergencies. Even the subway in Toronto has these, though from the pictures I've seen, it would be surprising to make an emergency button so easily accessible and similar to a regular stop button as there would be a lot of false alarms.

2) Since we're piggybacking on the Metrolinx order for the Crosstown LRT, maybe it is required for the operation of that line.

[DHLawrence]

They're probably just standard equipment. All GO buses have them, and I think only a handful of GO routes have request stops.