07-07-2019, 12:35 PM
(07-07-2019, 11:19 AM)ac3r Wrote: I love the fact the ION is here, but it's disappointing. It's hard to see it as anything more than a tram/streetcar network.
I would say it’s definitely well above a streetcar network. The off-street sections are a significant fraction of the total system, although the failure to implement ATP promptly is perplexing and disappointing. Even limited to 50km/h though it goes pretty quickly in those areas.
On street it definitely should run faster. It does not get as much signal priority as it could — sometimes it doesn’t even get the next cycle, never mind pre-empting the regular operation of the signals. Also, they are excessively cautious with speeds. If a section of street is signed for 50km/h, that means cars are actually going 60km/h. So why can’t the LRT go that speed? And that’s even assuming the LRT should be limited to the speed of traffic. Since it’s well established that adjacent lanes of traffic can go at different speeds, even when separated only by a dashed white line meaning cars may switch lanes wherever and whenever, why can’t the LRT go at a different speed than traffic in the adjacent lane, separated by a curb?
I think the LRT limit should be 70km/h on street running and 90km/h off street, although realistically there are few if any places where it could actually accelerate to 90km/h before needing to begin slowing down for the next station.
On the plus side, from riding it a few times, it’s clear that maintaining the current schedule is ridiculously easy. Since they’re already talking about making some speed improvements, I think there is reason to be optimistic that it will run faster in the future, even without adopting some of my less likely suggestions.