ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Bytor]

We were warned, and rail is extremely easy to keep keep clear of snow. Even light rail. It wasn't snowing that fast as it took several hours before the 4cm had accumulated that the plows wait for before they start clearing the roads.

If GrandLinq/Keolis wasn't out there running a tram or or two all night to keep the tracks clear, that is incompetence on their part as we can easily expect multiple 5+ centimetre snow falls in a season, even in this day and age of climate change.

Also, how were the City snow plows allowed to just plow the snow over the LRT tracks? As easy as it is for light rail to keep up with falling snow, there's still such a thing as "too deep" for a tram. That is incompetence on the City's part to not make sure that didn't happen. It's also a bit more incompetence for GrandLinq to not expect such might happen and not have a rapid response contingency available.

Maybe the City/Region should invest in a couple of wing plow trailers for the single track sections ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

No. Just make better plans.

For example, when weather warning like this come out switch do a different set of priorities. Normally a bit of snow dumped on an LRT track by a snowplow doesn't matter because rail vehicles can handle snow better than rubber-tired road vehicles, but there is still such a thing as "too much".

When the warnings come out, put away the "Regular Snowfall Plan" book and get out the "Heavy Snowfall Plan" book.

First, add a refinement to the three priority tiers of when roads get cleared that now the drivers must stick to predefined routes which leaves off the side of Ottawa St. where the tracks are so nobody plows too much snow onto the tracks that would get the trams stuck. Humans make mistakes and somebody might forget because they are used to a plowing routine, so instead of blaming them we give them the tools they need to not make a mistake. In this case, a GPS device and a predefined route around their sector that omits the part that needs special/different care.

Second, take one of the tractor+blower & dump truck pairs off of DTK duty and send it down to clear that part of Ottawa St. When done it can head back to help in DTK. Send it back to Ottawa St. as often as a snowplow would go through.

Voila, alternate plan for snowfall that doesn't require more equipment.

Municipalities should have alternate plans made up for these occasional "once in 20 year" events, and to not have them is simply incompetence.