ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[rangersfan]

I really like the majority of the local LRT reporting it's good for a laugh.
You read the title and and the first few paragraphs and it sounds like trails were ripped up etc. Then the article stumbles to the heart of the matter, the land surrounding the track is all private property and the need for a crossing wasn't identified during the consultation phase as previously discussed. In fact if a crossing is put in place ( which I think should be done) it will be the first crossings for these residents that was technically not trespassing. Don't get me wrong I definitely understand the need for a crossing and the inconvenience this would cause for the local population.

Ideally the titled should read 'More input from the public requested for future infrastructure projects'.

[danbrotherston]

@rangersfan. This is exactly right. My position on this is the real problem is that pedestrian access was never designed into that neighbourhood and it is only by coincidence that it kind of worked before. Many other neighbourhoods In the city have this problem already.

[kitborn]

For what it's worth, I've always wanted full-priority, but it was pointed out to me early on that accuracy in arriving at a scheduled time at a station is more important than just blasting end-to-end as fast as possible. Which, as a train guy first and foremost, is what I wanted. But I see the logic in keeping an integrated schedule, especially when it ties in with Bus.

It should get full priority, and the schedule should be planned to use the priority, with a reasonable buffer so that minor problems don’t immediately put the schedule off for the rest of the day. But yes, there should be a schedule and no transit vehicle should ever run “hot” (meaning, leaving a pickup point before the scheduled time).

What I would say is that the schedule should be as fast as possible, subject to being realistic in the face of reasonably foreseeable and reasonably common circumstances.

A early bus/train is no bus/train.

[zanate]

It should get full priority, and the schedule should be planned to use the priority, with a reasonable buffer so that minor problems don’t immediately put the schedule off for the rest of the day. But yes, there should be a schedule and no transit vehicle should ever run “hot” (meaning, leaving a pickup point before the scheduled time).

What I would say is that the schedule should be as fast as possible, subject to being realistic in the face of reasonably foreseeable and reasonably common circumstances.

A early bus/train is no bus/train.

Incidentally, this is why GRT's service standard is asymmetrical: to be within -1 and +3 minutes of schedule. You could take the position that there's no excuse for being even 1 minute early, though I would see that as impractical given the amount of attention this would require from drivers at every stop.

(I've heard complaints over the years about a GRT bus running through stops early, and every time I encourage those people to talk to GRT customer service. While it's possible to be a handful of seconds early with the best of intentions, virtually every driver I've seen makes allowances for people who are almost at the stop. To be more than a minute early is to ignore the schedule, and GRT management will talk to drivers who do that.)

[Viewfromthe42]

Today, the Victoria Park station is getting its turn with the jackhammer, for either grounding or improper rail gap or both. Add it to the long list.

[danbrotherston]

This is of course assuming that every bodies clocks are accurate to within a few seconds. This simply isn't the case even in a modern world with cell phones.

[Markster]

I really like the majority of the local LRT reporting it's good for a laugh.
You read the title and and the first few paragraphs and  it sounds like trails were ripped up etc.

Which they were.

Then the article stumbles to the heart of the matter, the land surrounding the track is all private property and the need for a crossing wasn't identified during the consultation phase as previously discussed. In fact if a crossing is put in place ( which I think should be done) it will be the first crossings for these residents that was technically not trespassing. Don't get me wrong I definitely understand the need for a crossing and the inconvenience this would cause for the local population.

Is a trail that connects to a properly framed entry through a fence on to private property "trespassing"? It sounds like an "entrance" to me.

It is important not to discount what was there before as illegal. They were informal, but accepted public paths. No one ever made them "official", but that does not mean they had not gained implicit recognition by various landowners in the area.

[panamaniac]

This is of course assuming that every bodies clocks are accurate to within a few seconds. This simply isn't the case even in a modern world with cell phones.

What, you can't check in with the CBC time signal? 

[Canard]

It doesn't matter if a vehicle arrives early. It's the deprture from a stop that matters.

[tomh009]

Today, the Victoria Park station is getting its turn with the jackhammer, for either grounding or improper rail gap or both. Add it to the long list.

The Borden station (is that the correct name?) on Charles has been chewed up, too:
   

Are these the missing ground wires?
   

[tomh009]

Rebar finally in place at the Cameron Heights switchover:
   

TPSS at Charles/Borden, next to Grand River Rocks:
   

[tomh009]

Lots of activity on Ottawa St, finally!

Tracks laid at the curve from Ottawa to Charles.  And, yes, people seem to be unable to read signage.  (This is from Sunday)
   

Another shot of the curve, from this morning.
   

Embedded track laid, about half the distance from Charles St to the Schneider Creek bridge:

   

And sidewalks!  On the W side of Ottawa, there will be a huge boulevard between the sidewalk and the street.  Will there be bike lanes on Ottawa?
   

[tomh009]

Overhead wires being removed on Charles!
   

This is what the wires look like close up:
   

[KevinL]

Charles will look much better with those wooden poles removed. Great to see!

[Canard]

Re: Borden platform, no, those are not grounding wires. They may be used for testing the continuity of the rebar cage, however. Any grounding would be a much thicker cable. And it wouldn't just be sticking out the top randomly in a corner.

Those hideous wooden poles can't leave us soon enough!