ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[KevinL]

In our case, the it was decided that conventional shoveling and salting techniques will be used; there will not be platform heating installed at any station on our system.

This could easily be due to the canopies covering a good portion of the platforms' area; presumably only the platform approaches and edges will have to be heavily cleared/salted in most cases.

[chutten]

In our case, the it was decided that conventional shoveling and salting techniques will be used; there will not be platform heating installed at any station on our system.

Not with that attitude! Maybe we should start a kickstarter for improving things to be the way we want them to be.

[ijmorlan]

In our case, the it was decided that conventional shoveling and salting techniques will be used; there will not be platform heating installed at any station on our system.

This could easily be due to the canopies covering a good portion of the platforms' area; presumably only the platform approaches and edges will have to be heavily cleared/salted in most cases.

Unfortunately not true. I walked through Seagram station a couple of days ago and I could hardly tell there was a canopy there.

Incidentally I walked through because that is the best and most direct route to follow the path along the tracks — cross the southbound track at Seagram, then walk along the platform, cross the northbound track at the new pedestrian crossing and continue through the opening in the fence to the path. Also, there is no indication that anything about that route is closed, other than the absence of deck plates at the crossing immediately south of the station.

[Canard]

Incidentally I walked through because that is the best and most direct route to follow the path along the tracks — cross the southbound track at Seagram, then walk along the platform, cross the northbound track at the new pedestrian crossing and continue through the opening in the fence to the path. Also, there is no indication that anything about that route is closed, other than the absence of deck plates at the crossing immediately south of the station.

You aren't the only one:

   

[Coke6pk]

(One of my favorite lines from working by-law was when I issued a Fire Route ticket to a car with someone in it (but not actively loading/unloading) when they said "I'm not parked", I would reply, "What gear is your car in sir?".  I'd always have to do a quick glance to make sure they didn't have a standard  )

Although to be fair to the driver, an occupied car in a fire lane isn’t really a problem — if they see a fire truck presumably they’ll clear out. The problem comes when people leave their car, so there is no way short of ramming it for the fire truck to get through.

"Occupied" doesn't mean easily moved.  Many times people leave passengers in the car with the direction to move if by-law comes by.  I could write a ticket faster than they could alight a vehicle and walk around to the driver seat.  If it was my family member waiting for the ambulance that couldn't get by while that person moved seats of a vehicle, all because someone couldn't walk an extra 50'....

If there was a person in the driver seat, I would turn on flashing red lights to the front and honk my horn.  If the vehicle didn't move, it got a $100 gift from the city.  You would be surprised at how many people would ignore me [and when you saw red flashing lights, you shouldn't assume its just some nobody wanting to get by].  You would also be surprised at how many times I have seen drivers sitting in their car (outside banks and Tim Horton's mostly) that remain parked when ambulance and/or fire trucks come down the fire route. 

Coke

[Canard]

“park” or “parking”, when prohibited, means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when standing temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers; (“stationnement”)

“stand” or “standing”, when prohibited, means the halting of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers; (“immobilisation”)

“stop” or “stopping”, when prohibited, means the halting of a vehicle, even momentarily, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or of a traffic control sign or signal; (“arrêt”)


If the taxis were actively loading/unloading passengers they were standing.  I will assume they were likely parked.  Regardless, as there is no stopping on the tracks, they shouldn't be using it as a taxi stand.

Coke

(One of my favorite lines from working by-law was when I issued a Fire Route ticket to a car with someone in it (but not actively loading/unloading) when they said "I'm not parked", I would reply, "What gear is your car in sir?".  I'd always have to do a quick glance to make sure they didn't have a standard  )

Coke, as always, thanks for your insight into this!

This morning on my way to work, I did a little mini-tour along the South part of the line... no parking on the rapidway on Charles, but still lots of cars on Borden. I don't think there are "targeted" signs up down there, though - just in UpTown on King, and in front of the Transit Terminal and The Tannery, on Charles.

The priority will to keep people off of the areas with those signs, for right now, since Mass Electric is starting there with additional OCS/Catenary work, and working South. They won't be down Borden/Ottawa way for a bit.

[Pheidippides]

Just came by willis way station and there is a daktronics message display board, similar to the iXpress ones installed under the canopy. Will post picture later.

[GtwoK]

I may have been seeing thing, but it looked like track was being embedded under the King St overpass today. Some sort of tents looked like they were up covering a stretch of something on the right hand side (viewed form Victoria)

[Canard]

Just came by willis way station and there is a daktonics message display board, similar to the iXpress ones installed under the canopy. Will post picture later.

Yes! Noted here.

[Markster]

Just came by willis way station and there is a daktonics message display board, similar to the iXpress ones installed under the canopy. Will post picture later.

Yes! Noted here.

I will admit that I appreciated the addition of the statement "similar to the iXpress ones", as I was unsure what specifically "ghastly low-resolution Red-LED affairs, from like 1987" meant!

[ijmorlan]

Although to be fair to the driver, an occupied car in a fire lane isn’t really a problem — if they see a fire truck presumably they’ll clear out. The problem comes when people leave their car, so there is no way short of ramming it for the fire truck to get through.

"Occupied" doesn't mean easily moved.  Many times people leave passengers in the car with the direction to move if by-law comes by.  I could write a ticket faster than they could alight a vehicle and walk around to the driver seat.  If it was my family member waiting for the ambulance that couldn't get by while that person moved seats of a vehicle, all because someone couldn't walk an extra 50'....

If there was a person in the driver seat, I would turn on flashing red lights to the front and honk my horn.  If the vehicle didn't move, it got a $100 gift from the city.  You would be surprised at how many people would ignore me [and when you saw red flashing lights, you shouldn't assume its just some nobody wanting to get by].  You would also be surprised at how many times I have seen drivers sitting in their car (outside banks and Tim Horton's mostly) that remain parked when ambulance and/or fire trucks come down the fire route. 

Coke

My problem is that when I’m thinking through how procedures or systems could work I assume the participants are thinking individuals. Similar situation: in some places left turns are prohibited. Why? Because there is no space to put a left turn lane, so allowing left turns means allowing one car trying to turn left to hold up straight through traffic for an indeterminate period of time. King at Queen is like this. If people were thinking, the rule could be “no waiting to turn left when traffic is behind you”. But how well would that work?

Same with the fire route waiting. It should work, but as you’ve noted, it doesn’t.

[Pheidippides]

Yes! Noted here.

I will admit that I appreciated the addition of the statement "similar to the iXpress ones", as I was unsure what specifically "ghastly low-resolution Red-LED affairs, from like 1987" meant!

Sorry, I had read Canard's original post but obviously did not pick up on the reference. Here is what the one on Willis looks like:
   

[Canard]

So much going on this morning!

• Contact wire is now strung from Erb/Caroline all the way to GRH on the Southbound tracks!
  
• Crew at Seagram, wiring the control box for the anchor wall electronics
  
• Crews at GRH working on the station
  
• HUGE crew and concrete pour going on under the Grade Sep
  
• People still parked on the tracks at Tannery
  
• ~20 guys working on the Cameron Heights crossover
  
• Kitchener Glass installing the roof at Borden
  

Maybe I'm wrong, but I was pretty sure those aren't the same LED sign boards in the GRT stops. The bulbs of the LED's looked much larger to me (lower resolution/one line of text only). But, I was driving by, so could only get a glance. I've never seen the GRT ones up close.

[Viewfromthe42]

Aecon was out with a few vehicles (trucks) on the tracks at Charles Terminal, fooling around with the cat poles it seemed.

[Pheidippides]

I did not say they were the same as the GRT passenger information display signs, I said they were similar. The GRT ones are from INIT innovations in transportations Inc. The one at willis is from daktronics.