ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[avernar]

Someone on Reddit made this interesting fantasy LRT map. I wish we had transit this extensive.

They also did a Google map of it: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1...sp=sharing

[ac3r]

That map really illustrates how many stations they envision haha. The only way a system like this would work is if it was underground or elevated within the city. No way you could have a surface level LRT move fast enough to stop at that many stations in a timely manner if it had to interact with traffic and stop at red lights like the LRT actually does. That's one of the biggest handicaps of our LRT in regards to expansion.

[clasher]

Boggles my mind that buses and the LRT don't already have stoplight priority.

[taylortbb]

Boggles my mind that buses and the LRT don't already have stoplight priority.

They do, but only when behind schedule, and only at certain intersections (though that includes all intersections the LRT passes through). GRT however insists on scheduling with the objective that signal priority shouldn't ever have to activate, rather than tightening up schedules such that signal priority is required to keep them.

[neonjoe]

One thing I've wondered about since the launch of iON is why it isn't represented as a transit line on the Google Maps transit layer. The TTC Subway/streetcar network are along with the Ottawa O-train. Is it not considered higher order transit?

[ac3r]

Doesn't the Region of Waterloo have to apply to have that added? I'm not really sure how it works. Maybe it's just not represented because it barely counts as rapid transit and since it runs on the surface you can easily see the route on the map.

[bravado]

Even Apple Maps has it in the transit layer…

[danbrotherston]

Yeah, I'm not sure what data this is based on for either Google or Apple. Apple maps has way more rail lines shown than Google maps, it really is interesting.

[Bytor]

Yeah, I'm not sure what data this is based on for either Google or Apple. Apple maps has way more rail lines shown than Google maps, it really is interesting.

If the stops are there in the mapping application and schedules, then thy have the routes, too because it's all part of the GTFS(-RT) specs.

[danbrotherston]

Yeah, I'm not sure what data this is based on for either Google or Apple. Apple maps has way more rail lines shown than Google maps, it really is interesting.

If the stops are there in the mapping application and schedules, then thy have the routes, too because it's all part of the GTFS(-RT) specs.

At least some of the data that Google is using doesn't look like it's from GTFS, for example the TTC streetcar loops are found on the transit overlay, I wouldn't expect them to be from GTFS. I could be wrong, but I suspect the data is coming from another source.

[Bytor]

If the stops are there in the mapping application and schedules, then thy have the routes, too because it's all part of the GTFS(-RT) specs.

At least some of the data that Google is using doesn't look like it's from GTFS, for example the TTC streetcar loops are found on the transit overlay, I wouldn't expect them to be from GTFS. I could be wrong, but I suspect the data is coming from another source.

Google only accepts transit data in GTFS format for integration with Google Maps. Transit authorities are required to upload a zip file of the files about 2 weeks before the changes come into effect. Real-time location is done by GTFS-RT.

[taylortbb]

Google only accepts transit data in GTFS format for integration with Google Maps. Transit authorities are required to upload a zip file of the files about 2 weeks before the changes come into effect. Real-time location is done by GTFS-RT.

Just because Google doesn't have a publicly documented method of supplying additional data, it doesn't mean there's never additional data sources. At the end of the day there's humans at Google with edit permission, and they may do things that Google finds beneficial for their product whether it's publicly disclosed or not, and possibly without any involvement from the transit agency.

[ac3r]

However it is added, considering we have the Google Canada headquarters here and the LRT runs literally right beside the building...it's odd they've never added it. Would be useful for people who don't live here. We all understand where it runs, but for someone here for a day they might not know where the stops all are or where it splits downtown/uptown.

[tomh009]

While the Kitchener location may be the largest, I think their Canadian HQ is actually in Toronto.

[ac3r]

Ah well that's news to me haha. I thought they only had offices here, but it looks like they lease a few floors at the Richmond-Adelaide Centre. I guess they handle more of the business side of things there (since it's Toronto) whereas we do more of the actual product engineering here.