ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Markster]

Or maybe they decided to put the road and platform there, so they wouldn't have to moved the stack!

(Or maybe they moved a couple rails on the sides, when they realized they needed a few more inches)

[MidTowner]

Does anyone know anything about the park and ride at Northfield Station? I only ask about this one because it appears to be the only Park and Ride listed on the rideion.ca. I've heard it mentioned a bunch of times, but have never read anything about how many parking spots will be provided, charges (my guess is none, but who knows) or anything else. I can't see a lot identified in the functional design plans.

[Markster]

I don't think there's been any actual plan for an actual, official, Park-and-Ride. Merely the possibility for one in the future, and the tacit acknowledgement that some of the random parking in that area may get the occasional use as one.

[panamaniac]

I wonder how the two malls will deal with de facto Park and Ride?

[timio]

Latest Ion update is out. Nothing overly new, except Courtland at Shelly is now closed through April and King and William is open to through traffic now.

Not much work happening between Dec 23 and Jan 4 as they take some holiday time.

[MidTowner]

I don't think there's been any actual plan for an actual, official, Park-and-Ride. Merely the possibility for one in the future, and the tacit acknowledgement that some of the random parking in that area may get the occasional use as one.

Got it. Like panamaniac, I've always wondered what was going to happen at the malls. It seems likely that people will park at the malls, and equally likely that the mall owners will have a low threshold of tolerance (I mean, obviously a few cars won't bother them, but I bet it won't be too many before they start viewing it as significant). The malls aren't identified as 'park and ride' by the Region- the only one that is is Northfield, and it seems to identify the existing parking lot, so I was wondering if a deal existed somewhere.

[Markster]

Also, park-and-riding won't catch on until the price of parking in the downtowns is appreciably higher than transit fare. We don't have Toronto's exceptionally unpleasant traffic to help break ties in favour of transit when the upfront cost is the same.

[jamincan]

Yeah, I can't see Park 'n Ride being particularly attractive at this point in time; it won't save time or money for the average commuter in the region.

[MidTowner]

That's a good point. I've thought that people visiting the universities might take advantage of the park and ride stations. Even our universities don't exactly have a shortage of parking but it's six bucks a day at UW (in lots anyway), and something like ten at Laurier, so I thought there would be a few occasional visitors who might park at Conestoga or Northfield and take the Ion down to campus instead.

[BuildingScout]

Yeah, I can't see Park 'n Ride being particularly attractive at this point in time;

What we need are kiss 'n ride facilities. I can see a family with a single car dropping off one or more members of the family at an LRT stop, while the last member continues on his/her way to work.

[Pheidippides]

They were paving Caroline between the Valumart and Erb today (sorry for the poor quality):
   

[GtwoK]

Oh wow, are the Northbound tracks crossing Caroline from the Waterloo parking lot already in? Didn't think they'd repave it until those were done!

[timio]

Oh wow, are the Northbound tracks crossing Caroline from the Waterloo parking lot already in? Didn't think they'd repave it until those were done!

There's a large amount of track reconfiguration that needs to be done before the Erb/Caroline intersection will be in it's final configuration It's going to be a huge job when it happens. This is just the original spur line with temporary ties around it for the winter now that they've finished utility work in the area.

[Canard]

I always use Park and Ride when visiting other cities and riding their systems downtown. I love Park and Ride, it's perfect for visitors to the region who might be apprehensive about driving and parking downtown. Sure most commuters might not use them, but some might, if a monthly pass for ion is less than their monthly parking bill at their office.

Caroline/Bridgeport/Erb is draging on foreverrrrrrrrr! Wish they could just finish that one up. I thought for sure the guys who did Benton/Charles would be jumping over there next. Sounds like it might be summer 2016 before its finished.

Had a dream last night the maintenance facility had an open house and they got Bombardier to send us one almost-completed train to run up and down the spur for rides. The wheel farings were off and I could see the bogie geometry and motors and brake discs and I got all excited and was taking pictures and then I woke up completely depressed because that's still a year away.

[timio]

Caroline/Bridgeport/Erb is draging on foreverrrrrrrrr! Wish they could just finish that one up. I thought for sure the guys who did Benton/Charles would be jumping over there next. Sounds like it might be summer 2016 before its finished.

Unlike the other Spur Line crossings that were pretty much 1:1 track replacement, Caroline / Erb is a whole re-configuration and involves much more than just the intersection.  The new northbound tracks will need to be in place through Waterloo Park, and the spur will need to be re-located the entire stretch between King and Erb/Caroline.  Likely they'll have to run to the new track alignment through the former parking areas of WTS first before reconfiguring the King St. end and Erb St. intersections in long weekend push.

See diagram here: