Report: TES-RTS-18-02 Region of Waterloo Transportation and Environmental Services

To: Chair Ken Seiling and Members of Regional Council

Date: April 18, 2018 File Code: A02-30/PW

Subject: ION Update

Recommendation: For information.

Summary:

This report provides an update on the status of Stage 1 and Stage 2 Rapid Transit. It covers various aspects of the rapid transit project including vehicle delivery, ION testing, ION LRT service launch, ION bus, development around the ION route and ION communications initiatives.

Report:

Background The 2011 decision by Council to implement light trail transit (LRT) in two stages in Waterloo Region was made following six years of technical studies and an extensive, unprecedented public consultation process. More information on the recommended rapid transit implementation option is available through Report E-11-072 (June 15, 2011)

Following an extensive procurement process the Region selected GrandLinq to design, build, operate and maintain the ION transit system. Construction on the ION started in August 2014. Construction has been ongoing along the corridor since then with the majority of the construction completed by September 2017.

Region staff have been providing periodic updates to Regional Council and the public as construction progresses with the last financial update in December of 2017 (TES-RTS-17- 07/COR-FSD-17-30 December 13, 2017). This report also indicated an anticipated start of service date of late spring 2018.

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This report updates on some of the activities over the last year, summarizes the current status and looks forward on activities scheduled for approximately the next six to nine months.

Construction

The most detailed information on the project can be found at: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/rapidtransit. This website contains various background documents, including Regional Council reports and more. Information regarding the ION service and safety around the ION route can be found at: www.GRT.ca/ION.

Substantial performance of the GrandLinq construction contract was achieved in July 2017. Work completed late last year includes final road surfacing, curbs and sidewalks; embedded and ballasted track installation; signage and signalization installation; building of ION stop shelters, anchor walls and other platform amenities; electrification and related infrastructure testing; and completion of hardscaping and landscaping. Remaining work under the contract relates mainly to the commissioning and testing of the light rail vehicles, and ensuring the full integration of the vehicles with all of the LRT system instrumentation and controls (e.g. signals, switches, controls, etc.).

With the completion of most of the construction, the majority of the construction related impacts to traffic have been eliminated. In 2018, there is still some construction activity planned. This includes completion of work such as landscaping, repairs and minor asphalt work. It is expected that this work may result in minor temporary impacts on the road network.

The majority of the construction related work in 2018 will be the testing and commissioning of the entire ION system.

ION System Testing

ION system testing has been underway since the fall of 2017.

ION testing advanced in December 2017 with freight track testing taking place on the ION test track (Waterloo Spur track), followed by powered testing of ION vehicle 504 at the Operations Maintenance and Storage Facility (OMSF) on Dutton Drive.

Testing progressed to all areas of the ION route in February 2018, with the first high-speed tests taking place along the test track in March 2018.

Testing of the system and the vehicles will continue until service starts. The original project schedule included 8 months of testing and commissioning activities following the delivery of the last vehicle.

The vehicles also require the installation of specialized equipment that will allow them to operate at higher speeds, provide vehicle arrival time information, activate traffic signals when necessary, and better integrate with the transportation network. Installation of this equipment was also anticipated to occur in the eight months between delivery of the last

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vehicle and start of service. GrandLinq and Bombardier will be installing the equipment once construction of the base vehicles is complete. Testing of specialized equipment equipped trains is also required.

As part of ION system testing, all 14 ION vehicles are required to complete “burn-in” testing, with each vehicle being required to complete 600 kilometres of reliable travel before the vehicle is issued a final acceptance certificate (FAC) by the Region.

As a final step, GrandLinq is required to complete a series of system demonstrations. This includes running regular service, but vehicles will not be picking up passengers along the route. It is anticipated that this phase of testing will take approximately two weeks.

Light rail vehicle (LRV) delivery

The Region is purchasing 14 light rail vehicles from Bombardier through an arrangement that “piggybacks” on a contract.

In July 2013, the Region approved entering into an agreement with Bombardier to purchase the vehicles. Under this agreement, Bombardier agreed to deliver the first light rail vehicle (LRV) to the Region by no later than August 15, 2016 and delivery of the balance of the vehicles (14 in total) by no later than December 10, 2016.

Following delivery of the first vehicle (noted below) Bombardier subsequently committed to delivering all 14 vehicles to the Region by the end of December 2017. Based on that schedule the Region had been planning for service start in late spring 2018 (approximately 6 months after the delivery of the 14th vehicle)(assumed that at least partial installation of the specialized equipment was achieved).

The first vehicle arrived in February 2017. The second vehicle arrived in October 2017, with the third and fourth arriving in December 2017, and January 2018 respectively. Bombardier informed the Region that upgrades and modifications were required on the first vehicle (vehicle 501) to arrive in Waterloo Region. In January 2018, Bombardier moved this vehicle to their production facility in Kingston in order to complete this work.

To date Bombardier has delivered 4 vehicles that are still in Waterloo (502,503, 504, 507) to the Region and 505 and 506 have just shipped or are ready to ship. Approximately 11 vehicles are complete or close to complete. Three vehicles still require further construction.

None of the vehicles have achieved Preliminary Acceptance Certification (PAC). Further, the Region has been clear that the vehicles that have been delivered, were delivered to permit testing and it does not constitute delivery or acceptance of any vehicle(s) under the Contract. Bombardier will remain responsible for each of the vehicle’s maintenance until Final Acceptance Certification (FAC).

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In late 2017, Bombardier and Metrolinx agreed to an amendment of their agreement regarding the delivery of Metrolinx vehicles. This amended agreement between Metrolinx and Bombardier also included specific milestones for the delivery of fully functional vehicles (excluding specialized equipment) to the Region of Waterloo. If those milestones are not met there are significant financial penalties for Bombardier. The schedules discussed later in this report are based on Bombardier being able to meet these milestones. Based on the current status of vehicle assembly in Kingston and, the financial implications of further delays, it is reasonable that Bombardier will be able to deliver.

The Region remains committed to working with Metrolinx and Bombardier to ensure delivery of quality LRT vehicles for ION and starting the ION service as soon as possible.

Schedule and Service launch

As noted above, there have been numerous delays to the Bombardier production and delivery schedule over the last several years. Following delivery of the first vehicle Bombardier was projecting delivery of all 14 vehicles by December 2017. This information was used to develop a schedule that projected start of service in late June 2018.

As noted above, the Region currently has 4 vehicles with 2 more vehicles either just shipped or ready to ship and 5 vehicles that are close to complete. The remaining 3 vehicles are in production and progressing well.

Given the current status of vehicle delivery and readiness and the requirement to install the specialized equipment it will not be possible to achieve start of service in late June 2018.

Region, Bombardier and GrandLinq staff have been meeting over the last 5 weeks to develop a schedule based on the latest vehicle delivery schedule and required GrandLinq and Region work. At these meetings it was determined that the best way to start service was to install all of the specialized equipment and go into full service, as has always been planned. Bombardier has been working with the Region to quickly and efficiently install the specialized equipment. With the 14th vehicle anticipated to be ready in June 2018 and the approximately six months required to fully commission the system, install specialized equipment, and train drivers and mechanics, a service start date of December 2018 is being targeted.

Based on the current status of vehicles, both those delivered and those still in Kingston, and the status of the remaining work including installation of specialized equipment and system commissioning, testing and pre-service activities, Region staff believe this schedule is achievable.

Development around the ION route The original goals of the Region of Waterloo Light Rail Transit (LRT) project were to move people and to facilitate the development of a more compact, transit supportive and

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sustainable urban region. While the ION LRT is not yet moving passengers, its impact on development and the shape of Waterloo Region’s urban area has been dramatic. From the decision to proceed in 2011 to the end of 2016, the project has been instrumental in the issuance of $2.1 billion in building permits within the station areas along the ION line. Applications for additional building permits have been filed in 2017 and a further 6,500 residential units are currently in the planning process for the urban centers of Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge.

ION bus

Construction on the ION bus system – the first step to providing LRT in Cambridge – started in 2014 with service beginning in September 2015.

ION bus features a 17 kilometre route from the Ainslie Street transit terminal in Cambridge to the Fairview Park Mall transit terminal in Kitchener.

Nine new ION buses were unveiled in March 2018. Each bus has a number of unique features including USB charging ports, free Wi-Fi, high-visibility white destination signs, more comfortable high back seating, tinted flush-mounted windows, and aluminum wheels.

ION buses are currently traveling on various routes throughout Cambridge. Once ION LRT launches, the ION buses will be placed on their permanent route between Ainslie Terminal in Cambridge and in Kitchener.

Stage 2 ION

Stage 2 ION will see the ION bus service between Kitchener and Cambridge converted to LRT, creating a continuous LRT network across the Region’s three urban centres.

The first round of Stage 2 ION public consultations took place in the fall of 2015 and focused on route alternatives, with more than 100 community members taking part and providing their ideas.

During two more rounds of public consultation, the Region received a wide range of feedback at the Public Consultation Centres, by email, and through the project website.

This input, along with other approved selection criteria, is being used to help determine a preliminary proposed route.

An information report summarizing information to be presented at the next round of public consultation will be presented to Planning and Works Committee on May 1, 2018. The next round of public consultation is scheduled to take place on May 8th, 9th and 10th in Cambridge and Kitchener, at which staff will present the route alternatives evaluation results along with the Preliminary Proposed Route for public comment and feedback.

At the end of the public consultation process, a preferred Stage 2 ION LRT route will be

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presented to Regional Council for their consideration.

A web page dedicated to Stage 2 ION has been created and can be accessed at www.stage2ION.ca

ION safety communications

The Region of Waterloo has been producing and sharing ION safety information since mid-2017. The Region continues to explore new methods and ways of sharing clear information with residents and visitors.

Methods of sharing safety information include:

• Region News • Direct outreach • School outreach • TV advertising • Radio advertising • Ongoing media coverage • Safety package to stakeholders • Sidewalk clings • Snapd KW and Snapd Cambridge newspaper • ‘We’re in test mode’ safety brochures • Community presentations • ION monthly newsletter • Advertising at ION stations • GRT Website • Social media messaging o Ongoing across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram ,YouTube and LinkedIn o Leveraging the Region of Waterloo corporate accounts to expand overall social media reach . Corporate Facebook followers: 4,874 . ION Facebook followers: 4,293 . Corporate Twitter followers: 64,400 . ION Twitter followers: 6,333 • Corporate LinkedIn connections: 8,668 • ION Instagram followers: 1,749 . Example of social media reach: Trains are testing messaging from January 11 • Twitter impressions: 38,248 Facebook reach: 18,105 • Social media safety advertising • YouTube safety videos • Signage along the route • Cinema advertising

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Grand River Transit (GRT) integration:

Region staff have been developing an ION line map that will depict ION stations and the bus route connections to the stations. The ION line map depicting bus connections is based on the GRT’s planned 2018 network (pending Regional Council approval). This map will be used to engage citizens at future Public Information Centres. The final version of this will be present in both ION buses and light rail vehicles above the exit doors giving riders a reference point on where they have been and where they are going on their journey between and Ainslie Terminal when the system launches and network changes are implemented.

GRT is developing a “Boarding Soon” strategy which will be used for promotional events and campaigns and will also be displayed inside the ION buses in the months leading up to the full system launch.

Fairway project update

As part of Transit’s initiative to provide an integrated, accessible, and sustainable public transportation network, a new Fairway Station will replace the existing terminal currently located at Fairview Mall.

Located at the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Fairway Road South in Kitchener, the new station will integrate GRT bus service with the ION Light Rail Transit service. The new facility will consist of four new bus shelters, crosswalks to the adjacent LRT station, a GRT driver facility, and a 200-space “Park and Ride” lot.

The tender for the construction of the GRT Fairway Station was approved by Regional Council on January 17, 2018 and construction is expected to begin in mid-April, 2018. With a five month construction schedule, it is expected that the project will be substantially complete by mid-September, 2018.

Public Art

Ten public art works are planned to be installed along the ION route. Work has progressed and installation of foundations and other necessary support structure is scheduled to be done in May 2018.

Artists will install their work beginning June as follows: • Spinal Column at the Hospital (June) • Tall Tales of Mill St. at Mill St. (June) • Because Cats Can’t Fly at Kitchener Market (June) • Three Sisters at Block Line (June) • Shaping Residency at Fairway (June)

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• Continuum at Conestoga (June) • Fabric of Place at Old Albert St. (June) • Arras at Fairway (July) • The Passenger at Research and Technology (September) • The Network at Research and Technology (October) Region staff will develop plans for appropriate unveiling events.

Corporate Strategic Plan:

The report supports Focus Area 3.1 of Council’s Strategic Focus: Develop an implementation plan for light rail transit including corridor and station area planning.

Financial Implications:

The approved capital budget for the LRT project totals $868 million, with funding provided by the Federal Government ($265 million), Provincial government ($325 million) with the balance funded by the Region including the repayment over the next 30 years of $131 million of funding provided by GrandLinq.

Currently it is anticipated that the schedule changes and associated costs can all be accommodated within the approved project budget. As has been noted in previous reports the Region will seek to recover from Bombardier any additional costs incurred as a result of the delays in vehicle delivery.

Other Department Consultations/Concurrence:

This report was prepared with input from Financial Services and Planning, Development and Legislative Services.

Attachments: Nil

Prepared By: Gord Ryan, Director, Rapid Transit

Approved By: Thomas Schmidt, Commissioner, Transportation and Environmental Services

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