ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[robdrimmie]

Oh Bombardier's promise. I'm sorry, I misunderstood.

[danbrotherston]

Thank you for checking!  I would think it must have it installed, other wise the promise of all being done by the end of the year will not be met.

That promise has already not been met. The launch date has been pushed to "Spring 2019".

The launch date is separate from Bombardier's delivery date.

If the equipment is delivered before new year,  as it appears it will be, then the delay to Spring 2019 is entirely the fault of groups other than Bombardier.

[plam]

That promise has already not been met. The launch date has been pushed to "Spring 2019".

The launch date is separate from Bombardier's delivery date.

If the equipment is delivered before new year,  as it appears it will be, then the delay to Spring 2019 is entirely the fault of groups other than Bombardier.

Probably not Bombardier's fault, but a December delivery date isn't consistent with a December launch date. We're back at "whose fault is it that the FIE is so late".

Saw #502 today.

[KevinL]

I saw 512. It's getting to the point that any downtown stroll for a decent time period results in a sighting!

[Momo26]

So tell me if there is anything to this: reason for delay is not so much inadquate or late shipments of trains, but that they have to rip up part of King street and re-do the road/LRT as legally, there has to be space for an emergency vehicle to be able to pass (and at this point, with only one lane going each way and LRT taking the rest, there is none)?

[KevinT]

So tell me if there is anything to this: reason for delay is not so much inadquate or late shipments of trains, but that they have to rip up part of King street and re-do the road/LRT as legally, there has to be space for an emergency vehicle to be able to pass (and at this point, with only one lane going each way and LRT taking the rest, there is none)?

In my opinion there's nothing to that.

They can't rip up and re-do King St between now and spring, and its perfectly sensible that they couldn't launch in December when all vehicles weren't complete with FIE installed until the very end of it, as that left no time for the required integration testing and burn-in.

[trainspotter139]

So tell me if there is anything to this: reason for delay is not so much inadquate or late shipments of trains, but that they have to rip up part of King street and re-do the road/LRT as legally, there has to be space for an emergency vehicle to be able to pass (and at this point, with only one lane going each way and LRT taking the rest, there is none)?

Emergency vehicles do have space for passing traffic on King St. It's called the tracks. There's more than enough room there. But for some reason the emergency services refuse to use them.

[Bob_McBob]

Emergency vehicles do have space for passing traffic on King St. It's called the tracks. There's more than enough room there. But for some reason the emergency services refuse to use them.

I was told by a paramedic in the Facebook group that most of the region's ambulances can't hop a standard curb. He went and measured his rig for me and there wasn't enough ground clearance.

[danbrotherston]

Emergency vehicles do have space for passing traffic on King St. It's called the tracks. There's more than enough room there. But for some reason the emergency services refuse to use them.

I was told by a paramedic in the Facebook group that most of the region's ambulances can't hop a standard curb. He went and measured his rig for me and there wasn't enough ground clearance.

I've heard that too, but it's clearly not true.

But it's irrelevant anyway, because there are no curbs at the intersections, and the ambulance can enter at the intersection at each end.

[Bob_McBob]

I've heard that too, but it's clearly not true.

But it's irrelevant anyway, because there are no curbs at the intersections, and the ambulance can enter at the intersection at each end.

He actually went out and measured the ground clearance on his rig, and the curb in front of my home would have torn off the exhaust. I read a lot about ambulance procurement and there is often a curb clearance defined in the RFQ, so I don't really understand how the region ended up with vehicles with such a low ground clearance.

[danbrotherston]

I've heard that too, but it's clearly not true.

But it's irrelevant anyway, because there are no curbs at the intersections, and the ambulance can enter at the intersection at each end.

He actually went out and measured the ground clearance on his rig, and the curb in front of my home would have torn off the exhaust. I read a lot about ambulance procurement and there is often a curb clearance defined in the RFQ, so I don't really understand how the region ended up with vehicles with such a low ground clearance.

They're just based on off the shelf vehicle.  The average F-150 pickup has no problem jumping the LRT curbs...the ambulances are bigger than that.

For that matter, they frequently go over curbs in their day to day business.

[KevinT]

For that matter, they frequently go over curbs in their day to day business.

On most curbs though they go up and stay up. With the curbs for the LRT right-of-way on King St they can go up and back down with the curb riding high between the wheels, which is fairly unique. As you've just said however, "But it's irrelevant anyway, because there are no curbs at the intersections, and the ambulance can enter at the intersection at each end." I 100% agree with you!

[creative]

Unless they get backed up mid block!

[trainspotter139]

Unless they get backed up mid block!

If they get backed up mid block then that is entirely on the ambulance or fire truck driver misjudging the speed of traffic clearing the way ahead and on car drivers for not pulling completely over or continuing forward if pulling over isn't possible. The lanes on King are also designed such that an emergency vehicle should be able to pass even if there are vehicles pulled over.

[Bob_McBob]

Here's something I've seen several times, and I was finally able to get it on video since I was a passenger. The actual train signals on University Ave are timed quite well other than triggering too early, but the traffic lights stay red for ages after the signals end. Aside from the inconvenience of having to wait for nothing, almost every time at least one driver goes through the red light. This time they stopped before actually crossing the tracks. If you look closely, there's a 20 second pedestrian signal across University Ave in the middle of the delay starting around 1:00, but the light still stays red long after it ends.