07-24-2016, 02:28 PM
(07-24-2016, 02:15 PM)Canard Wrote: What you're forgetting is that there are different operational modes to Light Rail. Yes, when it's on Caroline, it's right next to a sidewalk. It's also moving at 20-30 km/h. When moving in a dedicated, railway right of way, it's 80 km/h and the railway protocol takes over and you need all sorts of fences and barriers and signals.
The segment on Northfield is slated for 60-70 km/h operations. If you were to put people right next to the tracks, you'd need to drop the speed to 30 km/h.
To me, that's a bad move. YMMV.
I'm not forgetting, I simply have a different understanding of the "different modes". As far as I understand, there are only two, one where it's governed by railway ish rules, and one where it's governed by road ish rules.
When it's operating in a roadway right of way, I believe it's governed by road rules, including, specifically, speed limits.
On Caroline, it is limited to the road's speed limit of 50km/h. I don't believe it's limited to 20-30 km/h. Same for all roads it travels on, including Northfield, where it would be limited to the road speed limit of 60 km/h.
Only when operating in a railway ROW do the railway rules apply, so far as I understand.