ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[panamaniac]

Oh c'mon  they are just having fun...  I am getting a laugh at it because I can hear each one in my head...

Time to get back on topic: Is it EE-on, or EYE-on? What about eye-ON?

As much as "eye-ON" would appeal to me, I think the real question is whether it will be "EYE-on" or "EYE-un".

I am reminded that this is a town that calls one of its swimming pools the "Mune-uh-CI-pal".

[KevinT]

What is the equipment that is not yet installed on the LRVs?

Great question! To further quote the report:

Prior to going into service it is also necessary to install certain specialized equipment. As part of the Project, GrandLinq is responsible for ensuring the finished vehicle integrates seamlessly with the built system. On-board equipment includes radios, antennas and on-board systems to control gates, crossings, and traffic signals. This also allows the vehicles to communicate with ION Control Centre. With this equipment, ION can run at service speeds and at consistent times throughout operations.

Aside: I'd be happy if all the phase 3 speculation (including how to pronounce wool-itch [pun, I actually pronounce the second w]) was broken out of this thread.

[trainspotter139]

505 is out doing an end-to-end test today with destination signs set. Jason Li caught it north of Victoria showing "ION to Fairway" https://www.facebook.com/groups/81680629...040469051/

[Bytor]

Wellz-ley

Is is Vie-mar Line, or Weemer Line?

1. Bzzt! Wrong!  Wellesley → "Weh-less-lee".

2. Neither. Weimar → "Vai-mahr".

;-)

[panamaniac]

Wellz-ley

Is is Vie-mar Line, or Weemer Line?

1. Bzzt! Wrong!  Wellesley → "Weh-less-lee".

2. Neither. Weimar → "Vai-mahr".

;-)

That's German, not Waterloo County Speak.

[jeffster]

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/864...-positons/

Resumes pour in for LRT driver positons

WATERLOO REGION — More than 3,000 people have applied to become an LRT driver in Waterloo Region.
The online posting, seeking 39 drivers who will earn $62,000-$65,000 a year, only went up two weeks ago.
There were so many applications, the job posting is closing sooner than originally planned.

"Due to an overhwhelming response, Keolis Grand River will be closing the request for LRT Operator applications as of Monday June 4th at 4 p.m." read an email from spokesperson Lauren Reaman.

Serious question: Is $62,000 - $65,000 a good pay for this?

1) You're dealing with members of the public.
2) By the looks of it, you might be getting physical with certain members of the public that need help getting on and off LRT.
3) RRSP -- no DB pension.
4) Shift premium? It doesn't mention it. I'm guessing this is the reason for the range? Or is $62-$65,000 because of "steps". As in, $62,000 Step 1, $63,000 Step 2....etc

I ask this, because, GRT drivers probably make close to the same, do the same type of work, but; they have OMERS. There would also be shift premium for afternoons/evening work and weekend work.

[trainspotter139]

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/864...-positons/

Serious question: Is $62,000 - $65,000 a good pay for this?

1) You're dealing with members of the public.
2) By the looks of it, you might be getting physical with certain members of the public that need help getting on and off LRT.
3) RRSP -- no DB pension.
4) Shift premium? It doesn't mention it. I'm guessing this is the reason for the range? Or is $62-$65,000 because of "steps". As in, $62,000 Step 1, $63,000 Step 2....etc

I ask this, because, GRT drivers probably make close to the same, do the same type of work, but; they have OMERS.  There would also be shift premium for afternoons/evening work and weekend work.

It's competitive. Those are just starting wage rates I would assume. I would also assume there are a number of benefits that aren't defined there.

[tomh009]

Serious question: Is $62,000 - $65,000 a good pay for this?

1) You're dealing with members of the public.
2) By the looks of it, you might be getting physical with certain members of the public that need help getting on and off LRT.
3) RRSP -- no DB pension.
4) Shift premium? It doesn't mention it. I'm guessing this is the reason for the range? Or is $62-$65,000 because of "steps". As in, $62,000 Step 1, $63,000 Step 2....etc

I ask this, because, GRT drivers probably make close to the same, do the same type of work, but; they have OMERS.  There would also be shift premium for afternoons/evening work and weekend work.

TTC drivers start at around $25/h. That's roughly $52,000 as an annual salary. And I think it's safe to assume that GRT isn't paying significantly higher than TTC. Shift premiums and defined-benefit pensions may make up the difference to the Grandlinq salary range, though.

[Markster]

Serious question: Is $62,000 - $65,000 a good pay for this?

1) You're dealing with members of the public.
2) By the looks of it, you might be getting physical with certain members of the public that need help getting on and off LRT.

In practice, this will be a much less public facing role than that of a GRT driver. The LRT driver sits in an entirely separated cab, and have no role in fare enforcement. When they have to interact with the public, it will be limited to only as they're getting in and out of the driver's seat, or when a very serious situation arises.

[KevinL]

Passengers should need very little help - the platforms are designed to be flush with the LRV floors and folks should be able to easily walk/roll on and off. No ramp deployments or other procedures. Questions about travel should be handled by the help points on the platforms, though I suppose if you do get confused en route the driver would be called on. Fare enforcement is completely separate from driving.

[ijmorlan]

Passengers should need very little help - the platforms are designed to be flush with the LRV floors and folks should be able to easily walk/roll on and off. No ramp deployments or other procedures. Questions about travel should be handled by the help points on the platforms, though I suppose if you do get confused en route the driver would be called on. Fare enforcement is completely separate from driving.

The driver is in a separate cab. I wouldn’t expect there to be any interaction with the public except in emergency situations, and possibly a “good morning” as they enter or exit the cab at the end of the line.

[ijmorlan]

Serious question: Is $62,000 - $65,000 a good pay for this?

1) You're dealing with members of the public.
2) By the looks of it, you might be getting physical with certain members of the public that need help getting on and off LRT.
3) RRSP -- no DB pension.
4) Shift premium? It doesn't mention it. I'm guessing this is the reason for the range? Or is $62-$65,000 because of "steps". As in, $62,000 Step 1, $63,000 Step 2....etc

I ask this, because, GRT drivers probably make close to the same, do the same type of work, but; they have OMERS.  There would also be shift premium for afternoons/evening work and weekend work.

It's competitive. Those are just starting wage rates I would assume. I would also assume there are a number of benefits that aren't defined there.

If even 10% of the applicants are qualified, they are offering too much. ECON 101. Of course, they might not be offering very much too much — it’s not always obvious what price is enough to get enough supply of something.

[trainspotter139]

It's competitive. Those are just starting wage rates I would assume. I would also assume there are a number of benefits that aren't defined there.

If even 10% of the applicants are qualified, they are offering too much. ECON 101. Of course, they might not be offering very much too much — it’s not always obvious what price is enough to get enough supply of something.

They aren't offering too much. This is a competitive rate for LRV operators when you compare other systems. TTC drivers start at $25/hr for the first 12 months rising to $32/hour after 24 months. $62,000-$65,000 is well within the salary range that is competitive with other transit agencies.

[danbrotherston]

It's competitive. Those are just starting wage rates I would assume. I would also assume there are a number of benefits that aren't defined there.

If even 10% of the applicants are qualified, they are offering too much. ECON 101. Of course, they might not be offering very much too much — it’s not always obvious what price is enough to get enough supply of something.

This statement is the problem with pure corporate capitalism.

[ijmorlan]

If even 10% of the applicants are qualified, they are offering too much. ECON 101. Of course, they might not be offering very much too much — it’s not always obvious what price is enough to get enough supply of something.

They aren't offering too much. This is a competitive rate for LRV operators when you compare other systems. TTC drivers start at $25/hr for the first 12 months rising to $32/hour after 24 months. $62,000-$65,000 is well within the salary range that is competitive with other transit agencies.

By “too much”, I mean more than they need in order to attract sufficient supply of labour. How much other systems pay is irrelevant — our system should pay only what it needs to in order to run properly. That might be less or more than other systems. The transit system is a public service, paid for by taxes, and it should be run economically, not as a way to feed extra money to a tiny number of people employed in its operation.

Having said that, I fully expect that the people running the hiring process know what they are doing. It may be that they expect 99% of the applicants to be unqualified and the way hiring works in this industry is that lots of resumés have to be filtered out. Or maybe they are only a few thousand a year over the salary at which they would get a significantly smaller number of applicants; if so, the extra few thousand a year might be worth it to reduce turnover and ensure they can choose the applicants they want, rather than having to accept everybody who applies who basically meets the criteria. Hard-to-measure intangibles can be very important in hiring.