ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[danbrotherston]

Some might. Others might see such an isolated structure as an attractor of loitering, crime, unwanted types, etc. It's like how every driver wants a highway accessible nearby, they just don't want to be next to it or the roads feeding it or the sound and traffic coming from either.

*sigh*..."unwanted types"...those would be the types of people who arrive on foot or by bike I suppose.

You know, its funny, these "hole in the fence" type workarounds for intentionally broken connectivity that I see all over the city are far sketchier and far more likely to attract those "unwanted types" than a proper trail access.

[kps]

I'm getting worried about the lack of security around Victoria and Waterloo.

There's a security guard there this week, now that there's a few days' burst of work on the approach again.

[Viewfromthe42]

I see the security guard. Sometimes he will close the fence, sometimes he will leave it (car-sized openings). People/bike-sized openings are never dealt with.

[KevinL]

A pedestrian overpass would still require something we don't have - a parcel of public land on the Fairway side for the pathway to connect to the road. As it stands, that is a solid wall of privately-owned lots with no official way past - unless the Region purchases a small strip somewhere to make a proper, sanctioned pathway, I think all this discussion is moot.

I am curious as to this particular issue, first, I'm not sure why a parcel is needed.  After all, a parcel is not needed for a driveway from a road to a parking lot at the front of these places.  Presumably, the trail could just connect to the properties in the same way.  I don't understand why a business would object to this either, would they not want to make their property more accessible to potential customers?

It comes down to, the Region or Grandlinq would be indicating one location on the Fairway side as the pedestrian crossing point. I can't see any private landowner allowing that given potential for liability (what if a driver in their parking lot hits a pedestrian that has nothing to do with a business there?) nor the Region allowing so informal a travel corridor. An official crossing point demands an official walkway, which by the logic above, must be on public land.

[danbrotherston]

I am curious as to this particular issue, first, I'm not sure why a parcel is needed.  After all, a parcel is not needed for a driveway from a road to a parking lot at the front of these places.  Presumably, the trail could just connect to the properties in the same way.  I don't understand why a business would object to this either, would they not want to make their property more accessible to potential customers?

It comes down to, the Region or Grandlinq would be indicating one location on the Fairway side as the pedestrian crossing point. I can't see any private landowner allowing that given potential for liability (what if a driver in their parking lot hits a pedestrian that has nothing to do with a business there?) nor the Region allowing so informal a travel corridor. An official crossing point demands an official walkway, which by the logic above, must be on public land.

There are sidewalks through parking lots all the time, this one would just happen to be coming from a direction that isn't the same direction as the road.

And if there really are liability reasons, then we should fix those problems.

[Canard]

The TPSS sitting on a trailer on Courtland at Block Line is still just sitting there. I would have expected it would have been plopped in by now!

Crews on King by Central Fresh are building a residential retaining wall just South of the school that got the new stairs (I'm sorry - I can never remember it's name!).

[KevinL]

Crews on King by Central Fresh are building a residential retaining wall just South of the school that got the new stairs (I'm sorry - I can never remember it's name!).

Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School. Or (oddly) KCI for short.

Don't ask me why, I'm an alumnus and I still don't know.

[panamaniac]

Crews on King by Central Fresh are building a residential retaining wall just South of the school that got the new stairs (I'm sorry - I can never remember it's name!).

Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School. Or (oddly) KCI for short.

Don't ask me why, I'm an alumnus and I still don't know.

Because it's in Kitchener?    I know that my Mom, who graduated in 1941, always called it KCI.

[KevinL]

Well yeah, but if it's a C&VS, why add CI?

[kps]

Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School. Or (oddly) KCI for short.

Don't ask me why, I'm an alumnus and I still don't know.

Because it's in Kitchener?    I know that my Mom, who graduated in 1941, always called it KCI.

It was ‘Kitchener Collegiate Institute’ from 1916–1922.

[KevinL]

Well yeah, but if it's a C&VS, why add CI?

In the old days it was just Kitchener Collegiate Institute (KCI), then they got politically correct and added Waterloo and Vocational School and dropped the Institute. Everybody just kept calling it KCI.

Well, just learned something tonight that I never picked up in 5 years of attending that institution! Cheers.

[clasher]

This evening when I went by Frederick/King the workers were putting up jersey barrier blocks along the fence on Frederick... dunno if they anticipate people trying to drive right through or what but it seems like a good idea.

[BuildingScout]

Well yeah, but if it's a C&VS, why add CI?

In the old days it was just Kitchener Collegiate Institute (KCI), then they got politically correct and added Waterloo and Vocational School and dropped the Institute. Everybody just kept calling it KCI.

That has nothing to do with political correctness. It's just a tendency of bureaucracy to use ever longer, more important sounding names. E.g. Waterloo Park becomes Waterloo Outdoor Recreational Facilty (or something like that), as the sign on Westmount used to read in the 90s.

[panamaniac]

Because it's in Kitchener?    I know that my Mom, who graduated in 1941, always called it KCI.

It was ‘Kitchener Collegiate Institute’ from 1916–1922.

Does the current building fronting on King date from 1922?  I know the older school is still tucked in at the back.

[MacBerry]

The more important question: Why is the sign so high up the pole?

To discourage vandals?

Can't wait for the next one above it ... look up!