ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[clasher]

I'll try and see if I can get my bike tires jammed in the tracks!

[ert86]

Well, that was a short lived shortcut to Food Basics. The fences are back up along the Hydro Corridor.

[taylortbb]

The old rail with wooden ties was removed yesterday through the UW campus, so it appears freight traffic has been shifted to the new track.

I'm not sure where the new switch is. Until this trains took the old rails until just past Columbia then switched to the new, now there must be a new switch somewhere south of University.

[ijmorlan]

The old rail with wooden ties was removed yesterday through the UW campus, so it appears freight traffic has been shifted to the new track.

I'm not sure where the new switch is. Until this trains took the old rails until just past Columbia then switched to the new, now there must be a new switch somewhere south of University.

The new track transitions to old-style construction (wood ties and short pieces of rail) just North of the Laurel Creek bridge, then joins on to the former siding at the former tourist train station. The switch at the South end of the siding is now set for what was the siding, and the flag on top is shrouded.

[Viewfromthe42]

Really good time at the PCC tonight. Interestingly the region and cities are the ones who directed the RT team to use 24. They basically are pinned between Pinebush and Delta and weren't allowed to deviate from that.

Some sternly worded letters to our local city councillors and mayors will be coming out of or our household!

It was good to get the reasons why they directed the team to use 24, but I still think Preston/Coronation would have been better. And so did many others apparently based on feedback and comments. It'll be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

Getting trains across 401 and the tracks into Cambridge is going to be really hard and expensive. Also someone threw out the idea of why not ditch the Ainslie terminal and move it somewhere more convienent. I think that's brilliant, personally - why are we so attached to it. Kitchener isn't using their existing terminal...

Just some more ideas.

Just to put a stop at Eagle and Hespeler, the number of harsh turns, flood plain work, and rail crossings necessary, will come to $100-200M. I'm leaning towards advocating we at least look at taking King straight down to Main (option 3 for south Cambridge). Very straight, lots of parallel street options for traffic detours, for sharing North/South access between LRT, cars, bikes. I'd then suggest we use the huge savings to make phase 2 also an LRT/BRT investment, as phase 1 was, and to turn a lane of Hespeler into a bus lane, strengthen the ION route that's there, have it run up into the Speedsville/Maple Grove area for an east side lands stop, and then eventually hook up into iXpress territory along the west side of KW. The bus lanes on Hespeler would also allow us to have better Greyhound and GO bus access, letting us make an even better intermediate business case for GO trains, especially if part of the 401 can have HOT lanes. Then Cambridge would wind up being a bit of a transit capital for the region, allowing each of Hespeler, Galt, and Preston to share in redevelopment from RT.

[tomh009]

Benton reopened at about 630 tonight.

I know this because I was the first person to cross it, as the Grandlinq workers move the cones out of the way.

What a historic moment for me !

And here it is this morning ...

[KevinL]

The lights are active even though the only cross-traffic on Charles would be pedestrian. Good move.

[Spokes]

There was a drawing of this floating around somewhere was there not?  Anyone have it?

Here is the link   http://www.rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo...sRFPV3.pdf

Thanks!

[GtwoK]

The lights are active even though the only cross-traffic on Charles would be pedestrian. Good move.

I don't disagree, but why is this a good move? Just to get drivers accustomed to the intersection?

[Markster]

I believe KevinL was being sarcastic.
Without any cross traffic, it may as well be green all the time. Well, except that pedestrians still need to cross too.

[Canard]

I was reading it as a good/polite move for pedestrians, that he was happy from the standpoint that pedestrians can request a safe signal to cross.

We don't know when Charles is opening, so let's remember that the signals will be needed soon anyway.

[GtwoK]

With Benton - Eby Set up with catpoles, curbs on one side, and basework for curbs on the other side, I wouldn't be surprised if that section of road opens next week. The lights could be handy sooner than we think!

[timio]

Latest update is out:

• Underground work at Waterloo town square appears to be done
  
• Seems to be only signal and utility conduits/duct banks left between Union and Allen on King
  
• Major utility work complete on King from Union to Wellington.  Expect curbs and pavement in the coming weeks
  
• Charles from Francis to Queen should be repaved in the coming weeks
  
• Charles from Benton to Borden is ready for pavement and curbs
  
• Work on the Cedar stop is beginning
  
• All of Borden road reconstruction should be done by the end of December
  

Lots more can be found here.

[GtwoK]

Driving around just now:

King from Wellington to Green has switched the NB lane to be on the paved half of road. Assuming this is to start the SB half / do the catpoles.

King from Green to Mount Hope has moved back to its outside lane (from the middle which it's been in), to start cat poles. Sidewalks have also been poured on the one side.

The Willis Way station is the first to have embedded track running along side it, as of today!

Embedded track poured across Alexandria and FDB

Not much at the William crossing so far, but we're only two days in. Wonder why this crossing is supposed to take a month, where as the Borden crossing is supposed to take 10 days?

Cedar to Stirling has been flattened and rolled in prep for curbs

[KevinL]

I believe Queen and Charles is closing soon, so access to the parking garage and plaza opposite will have to open from Benton at that time, as well.