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ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit
(08-12-2018, 09:19 PM)Canard Wrote: There's been nearly constant trackwork in Kitchener for the past month - those white Ryder rental trucks with a crew of a couple of folks at like 10 different locations per day.  I'm not sure what they're up to.

From what I saw when they were on Northfield with the rentals they were grinding the edges off the concrete near the rails.
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There will be little parking at the mall 10days before the holiday season. It’s typically a zoo. Maybe they were aim8ng for more exposure by having an audience already in place.
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Our sister system from down under has released another video showing an awful lot of close calls with pedestrians.

https://twitter.com/9newsgoldcoast/statu...80448?s=21
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(08-12-2018, 10:14 PM)Pheidippides Wrote:
(08-12-2018, 08:56 PM)Canard Wrote: Hmm, in my head I never pictured the opening ceremonies to be held at Fairview... 

In a way Fairview (or Conestoga kind of makes sense). The diehards will walk or take the bus to the opening; even in winter. Everyone else who's only a little bit curious and interested in trying Ion out will drive, especially in winter, which requires lots of surface parking which Fairview has an abundance of.

It is still a rumour at this point so no point getting bothered by it.

I agree with Canard, it would be great to have it at WTS or DTK, but yeah the reasoning seems to be the abundance of parking at Fairview... ironic.

On a side note, I wish that for the Waterloo Jazz Festival or Bluest Festival they had the trains running/testing just for visibility and promotion purposes. Oh well.
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Me too, when we were walking around down there I said to my other half "you realize the LRT circles this entire area right?" Pretty neat, it would have been great to have it running. Although we do have lots of festivals and events constantly, so no matter when the system opens, we'll pick up on those crowds.
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(08-12-2018, 04:00 PM)urbd Wrote: I heard from the grapevine that the official, internal date for ION service launch is December 15th at Fairview Park Mall.

I hope this is wrong and/or changed.  I won a trip on the inaugural ride, and I'll be in BC until the 16th.  Now I am HOPING for delays... LOL

(08-13-2018, 07:51 AM)neonjoe Wrote: There will be little parking at the mall 10days before the holiday season. It’s typically a zoo. Maybe they were aim8ng for more exposure by having an audience already in place.

10 days before the holiday.  The season is already in full swing by then, and parking (and getting to/from) on a Saturday will be hell.  Even as a diehard fan, I'd rethink attending by car.

Coke
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(08-13-2018, 12:17 PM)Coke6pk Wrote:
(08-12-2018, 04:00 PM)urbd Wrote: I heard from the grapevine that the official, internal date for ION service launch is December 15th at Fairview Park Mall.

I hope this is wrong and/or changed.  I won a trip on the inaugural ride, and I'll be in BC until the 16th.  Now I am HOPING for delays... LOL

(08-13-2018, 07:51 AM)neonjoe Wrote: There will be little parking at the mall 10days before the holiday season. It’s typically a zoo. Maybe they were aim8ng for more exposure by having an audience already in place.

10 days before the holiday.  The season is already in full swing by then, and parking (and getting to/from) on a Saturday will be hell.  Even as a diehard fan, I'd rethink attending by car.

Coke

I'd walk the 10 km to the mall, through unplowed sidewalks, rather than drive to the mall during the holiday season again.

Also, you won a seat on the inaugural ride?  How? When? Where? Yeah, I'm only slightly jealous...that's awesome!
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There was a Facebook photo contest. You were to take photos of your cardboard LRV in creative places and whoever got the most likes won. It was the top 3 people who were chosen.

...only slightly bitter I came in 4th, and therefore lost. Tongue
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Sorry Canard. I came 3rd. 1st and 2nd appeared to be husband/wife live(d) in Calgary. I wasn't happy about that either.

Coke
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Well, maybe they’ll be no-shows, and you can have the train all to yourself. Tongue

It’s all good - enjoy! You won fair and square, you deserve it.
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How is it that only three people will fit on the first train? Will it be full of VIPs otherwise?
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My hope is that the first train will be filled with mostly people who actually built the system (wearing high-vis and PPE, so the public know who they are), and the contest winners. Smile

My fear is that the first train will be filled with mostly people who had nothing to do with the project (i.e., newly elected politicians) who don't actually care about the system at all, and the contest winners. Sad

I hope they'll give Tom training and let him be the pilot for the LRV that breaks the ribbon. There is precedent. Big Grin
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(08-13-2018, 08:47 PM)tomh009 Wrote: How is it that only three people will fit on the first train? Will it be full of VIPs otherwise?

I doubt every seat is accounted for; I imagine the contest was simply given the option of giving three rides away.

I suspect VIPs will fill the rest of the train, how they're chosen, as Canard points out, could vary greatly, but I doubt they're chosen right now.

That being said, I kind of hope there's a pretty big event.  Obviously, demand could be so great as to fill all available trains, but we can certainly run more than one train load down.
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(08-13-2018, 09:08 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Obviously, demand could be so great as to fill all available trains, but we can certainly run more than one train load down.

Um, you realize there will likely be like, tens of thousands of people coming to this with hours-long waits for the first rides, right?!

Every other city has been like this! Do you seriously think that maybe more than 200 people would show up?!

https://youtu.be/elH0gDrV7UM

Have a little faith man! : Tongue
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(08-13-2018, 10:20 PM)BrianT Wrote: Watch, it will be Jay Aissa driving the first train. Tongue

ugh
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