ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Square]

The Region road closures has Queen and Charles intersection closed till July 7th!

[tomh009]

Yes ... RideION has the same update now. I hope that means the track will get laid and concrete poured by then:
http://rideion.ca/traffic-updates.html

[KevinL]

Based on that, it makes sense to finish the paving on Charles and get the streets open.  Laying the tracks on Charles (across Queen and Benton) and pouring the concrete shouldn't require a long closure later on.

No need to pour across Benton - that was one of the first completed embeds, in fact.

[GtwoK]

Track going in across Duke. I think I finally understand what they're planning with the detour here, considering track was never laid across Water; once embedding is done across Duke here, the detour will divert down Duke to Victoria, so track can be laid across Water. That makes a lot more sense!



Sidewalks also going in along Duke



I'm up north this weekend, so I won't be able to do my usual long walk through of the route. Counting on your Saturday morning photos, Canard!

[tomh009]

Cat poles ready to be installed, at the Gaukel St bus depot:

   


Lane markings now painted at Charles & Ontario:

   

[KevinL]

Cat poles ready to be installed, at the Gaukel St bus depot

Cat poles are different; they're metal and have a bottom plate for bolt holes. These are standard utility/light poles of post-tensioned concrete.

[tomh009]

Really? I thought the utility/light poles were galvanized steel?

[Canard]

Sometimes galvanized, sometimes concrete.

Catpoles are either dark grey painted round steel columns, or W-Section ("I-Beams") on the spurs.

[tomh009]

Oh well, another false cat pole sighting! Hopefully the real ones will show up soon in the downtown sections.

[Pheidippides]

King at William today:
   

[jwilliamson]

"ION fares will be paid on the platform and customers will be required to carry proof that a fare was paid. There will be no staff present to validate fares while customers board. Instead, inspectors will randomly check cards and tickets."

That was in the report to Regional Council on electronic fares. Buying your ticket on the platform was news to me.

[plam]

"ION fares will be paid on the platform and customers will be required to carry proof that a fare was paid. There will be no staff present to validate fares while customers board. Instead, inspectors will randomly check cards and tickets."

That was in the report to Regional Council on electronic fares. Buying your ticket on the platform was news to me.

Key part of any rapid transit system. Buying fares on-board takes too long unless you have a second staff person who circulates to sell the fares, but that only works in low-wage places like Vietnam.

[Canard]

Buying fares on-board takes too long unless you have a second staff person who circulates to sell the fares, but that only works in low-wage places like Vietnam.

(I've riden many systems with on-board fare collection in Scandanavia, Japan, & the UK. Those aren't low-wage places!)

...agree that PoP is the way to go though, for certain.

[KevinL]

Keep in mind the majority of riders will be tapping a farecard, which will be facilitated by easily-accessed readers near the station entrance (and along the platform). Those who lack a card will use a ticket machine.

[plam]

Buying fares on-board takes too long unless you have a second staff person who circulates to sell the fares, but that only works in low-wage places like Vietnam.

(I've riden many systems with on-board fare collection in Scandanavia, Japan, & the UK. Those aren't low-wage places!)

...agree that PoP is the way to go though, for certain.

Really? You've been to Japan more recently than I have. But it seems like most systems in Japan and the UK require you to buy before boarding, e.g. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenue_Pr..._Inspector.