ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

I am surprised that the embedded track along Charles, South of Borden is flush with the roadway, not flush with the top of the curb. I had expected that the top of the concrete would be flush with the top of the curb. So as it stands right now, the Rapidway will essentially be a big ditch that will make snow removal and water drainage potentially much more difficult. It will also make it more difficult (if not impossible) for emergency vehicles to mount and use the Rapidway as a traffic bypass - a potential bonus situation discussed early on in the project.

   
Source: http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/..._Part7.pdf

Why was this done?

I expected this:

[timio]

Emergency vehicle access? I recall something about mountable curbs.

[timc]

I didn't think Quiet Place is even a proper road there, just an extension of the access road to the apartment on Parkside. This really seems to be overkill.

Yes. The crossing there is not part of Quiet Place. I may be wrong, but I believe that road itself is a former alignment of Bearinger Road. Quiet Place now ends at the tracks, and there is a pedestrian walkway through there.

[Canard]

Quiet Place now ends at the tracks, and there is a pedestrian walkway through there.

Quiet Place and Old Albert are both pedestrian crossings - no cars. Quiet Place is weird because the road from the apartment building on the West side kind of leads up to it and then just ends. The road on the other side also self-terminates too.

Emergency vehicle access?  I recall something about mountable curbs.

Right - that was my point. If the track is flush with the top of the curb, that's mountable with some care and caution. Track flush with the level of the road, separated by a high curb, is not mountable. The vehicle will hang up on the curb, unless it's a Hummer.

[Markster]

The curb business is weird. Did they actually consider emergency vehicle access into the design? Is it completely an after(/non)thought? How did they consult with GRH and somehow neither side brought it up years ago?

With all the giant substations, signal boxes, fences and massive railway crossing infrastructure, were unfortunately starting to see the downside of Light Rail as a transit technology, over other elevated technologies that I proposed years ago. (Just saying)

They could have placed electrical substations terribly with an elevated system too!

[timio]

They'll be high enough that a regular schmo in their Corolla won't be able to mount them, but low enough for emergency vehicles to get into / across the ROW. I recall this being a point made during the planning process.

[Canard]

What is the ground clearance of a typical ambulance?

While the Functional Design Plans spec OPSD 600.090, the profile of the actual curb poured here does not match - OPSD 600.090 is a "semi mountable curb" with a nice sloped profile to aid vehicles in going over them, but the curbs actually poured along the rapidway on Charles are nearly vertical.  It would take a hell of a machine to climb over those (and withstand the drop on the other side, within the rapidway), and certainly not while driving parallel to it - you'd just chew up your sidewalls.

I can't help but wonder if something fell through the cracks here.  CTV recently ran a piece on how ambulance drivers are upset that along King, they foresee a clusterf because they know drivers will want to stop when they hear their sirens, but won't be able to pass. (Personally, I love Darshpreet's response in the video - clipped from the article)

[timio]

Good question to ask GrandLinq via Twitter.

[panamaniac]

With all the giant substations, signal boxes, fences and massive railway crossing infrastructure, were unfortunately starting to see the downside of Light Rail as a transit technology, over other elevated technologies that I proposed years ago. (Just saying)

Is that really an issue of technology, or simply a reflection that esthetics are not a top priority for the ION project?  Spend enough money and almost anything can look good.

[panamaniac]

.........

I can't help but wonder if something fell through the cracks here.  CTV recently ran a piece on how ambulance drivers are upset that along King, they foresee a clusterf because they know drivers will want to stop when they hear their sirens, but won't be able to pass. (Personally, I love Darshpreet's response in the video - clipped from the article)

I saw that CTV piece the other night and thought that the best part was Darshpreet Bhatti's not entirely successful attempt not to show contempt for the complainers.  He doesn't actually say "idiots", but you can hear it in his tone!  I think I like Darshpreet Bhatti! 

[Canard]

Good question to ask GrandLinq via Twitter.

GrandLinq doesn't have a twitter account or social media presence.

I saw that CTV piece the other night and thought that the best part was Darshpreet Bhatti's not entirely successful attempt not to show contempt for the complainers.  He doesn't actually say "idiots", but you can hear it in his tone!  I think I like Darshpreet Bhatti! 

He is awesome and honestly my hero. He's a great guy and I wish they'd interview him more often when these "stupid things" come up in the news, because as he showed here, he knows how to lay the smack down, professionally!

[timio]

The rideion account is them

[Canard]

No, that's the Region of Waterloo's Rapid Transit Team behind the scenes of it (@rideIONrt). Separate office/team.

[Markster]

Did you watch a different video than me?

I was not pleased with Darshpreet's answer at all.  It was the most generic, non-committal response possible. It was very political.
"We consulted with them... some time ago... non-specifically...."

To me, a proper response would have been:
"We consulted with them, and as such, the LRT has this, this, this, and that accommodation built in, but things are tough right now because construction is ongoing, so they can't take advantage of those yet."

Though that's assuming such accommodations are more than "oh, uh... we cut out some curbs so they can turn left"

[Canard]

Sorry, I thought it was hilarious, no matter how immature that makes me. I'm just so tired of all the bitching. I just had to sit on a courtesy shuttle with 4 other people for 15 minutes and listen to them gripe about how crappy KW is and how horrible all the construction is blah blah blah.