ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Viewfromthe42]

Yes, to Francis/Beer Store, that is what I meant. The curve that goes through Francis/King is not complete.

[timio]

Construction update is out. I see the intersection of Duke and King is closing next week... again. I'd like to visit this mythical intersection and see what's being done.

[Markster]

Construction update is out.  I see the intersection of Duke and King is closing next week... again.  I'd like to visit this mythical intersection and see what's being done.

Wow sure enough:
http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a082...9b00cab7&e=

Frederick/Benton, Charles to Weber, in Kitchener

Getting Around

   Duke/Frederick will close on or about July 27 until approximately early-November
   Duke/King will close on or about July 27 until approximately early-October

[Viewfromthe42]

Clearly that should say King/Frederick.

[timio]

Clearly that should say King/Frederick.

I know, but I find it somewhat comical that this is the 3rd or 4th time that this has happened.

See this from April (In this case referring to Francis and King):

[Canard]

Couldn't see Ottawa/Charles but I doubt it's open.

Just drove down Courtland; 2-way now between Block Line and Manitou!

Charles is now open 2-way between Borden and Stirling!

Bit by bit, more things are opening than are closing. Home stretch!

[JoeKW]

Just drove down Courtland; 2-way now between Block Line and Manitou!

I'm very happy to read this!

[Markster]

Couldn't see Ottawa/Charles but I doubt it's open.

Ottawa/Charles is currently very closed.
I briefly saw it as a passenger while we U-turned on Charles to head back to Sydney.
I can't imagine it being in a state to be open by Wednesday.

[timio]

The update suggests it will be granular when it opens.

[GtwoK]

Couldn't see Ottawa/Charles but I doubt it's open.

Ottawa/Charles is currently very closed.
I briefly saw it as a passenger while we U-turned on Charles to head back to Sydney.
I can't imagine it being in a state to be open by Wednesday.

Seems that it will reopen, but not be complete (much like Duke / College and Duke / Young at the moment).

Night work is being preformed next week on the CN track near Borden. They'll be shifting those over to build the incline for the Ion tracks, I'll bet.

Also:

• On July 13, for approximately two weeks, crews began work at night (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) on Charles, from Victoria to Benton
  

Why's that? What around-the-clock working is necessary for that stretch, being that it's basically complete apart from signals being reactivated? I don't suppose it's for taking dow the hydro poles, is it?

[GtwoK]

Seems that it will reopen, but not be complete (much like Duke / College and Duke / Young at the moment).

Night work is being preformed next week on the CN track near Borden. They'll be shifting those over to build the incline for the Ion tracks, I'll bet.

Also:


Why's that? What around-the-clock working is necessary for that stretch, being that it's basically complete apart from signals being reactivated? I don't suppose it's for taking dow the hydro poles, is it?

Station platform at Queen Street? Putting up the catenary wires?

Perhaps, but that doesn't really seem like URGENT work that would necessitate spending the money on overtime pay.

[Canard]

Some new discoveries this morning;

• Someone at the Region/GrandLinq hasn't got a clue about signage standards, apparently
  
• There are a lot of spots I worry that people are going to turn right on red, in front of trains
  
• ...I know why Freemont is closed
  

On to the photos...

1/4 - Saturday, July 23, 2016

   
Duke/Queen is still having some earth work done - a truck was just arriving with cat poles.  I imagine they'll be paving later this weekend or on Monday.

   
Grinding crews were getting ready this morning to work on the newly-welded rails in front of the Kaufman Lofts.  Another team just to the right here was getting ready to knock apart all the metal forms used for the embedded track between King and Duke, on Francis.

   
Status of the future "Queen" station.

   
Haven't been up to the top of the parking garage in a bit.  It's really fun to bike up (and down!) the ramps.  

   
There are a few spots here and there on Charles where the embedding of the track hasn't been completed (and still that one big gap in front of Cameron Heights); but for the most part, Charles is just about complete.

[panamaniac]

Turn right in front of trains? Canard, they will turn right AND left in front of trains. They will drive straight at trains, rear-end trains, and sideswipe trains. They will stop in the trains' right of way. !!!

[Canard]

2/4 - Saturday, July 23, 2016

   
Another view of some of those gaps yet to be poured.

   
Someone had asked yesterday, I believe, about the status of Charles/Ottawa.  Well, here you go.

   
Something's... new... here...

   
Oh, my god.  Please tell me the reason why someone felt the need to invent their own version of a Tram/LRV icon.  A Google Image Search for "Tram Icon" produces hundreds of icons, all of which are infinitely better than this garbage (well, maybe not these).  This... this is just hideous.

Every other city I've ridden LRT or Trams in essentially uses the same symbol:




Why? Why did this happen???????

[Canard]

3/4 - Saturday, July 23, 2016

   
Calm down... pretty cables...

   
So... about Freemont being closed...

   
There ya go  Gotta put 'em somewhere.

   
Here's the first of the safety areas I think will need to be addressed.  Heading South on the Iron Horse Trail where it meets Borden, what extra signage will be put in place to notify cyclists that they should look to their left, and use extra caution, as they'll be crossing track with near-silent LRV's approaching?