ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[tomh009]

Northfield is set to open September 30! INCLUDING Kumpf AND the highway ramps! This is so exciting, the ramps closed the same time King did at the grade separation, this must make it the longest closure that's reopening that we've had so far, no? Highly anticipated, I'm sure. They also are 2 months ahead of schedule there, which is great.

I didn't see any mention of the completion the King St work (in front of Conestoga Mall).  Could this also be complete?

[Pheidippides]

I  agree some of those pole placements along King in Uptown that we thought were temporary are turning out to be a permanent hazard in the middle the sidewalk.

There are also a number of access boxes along the route, like this one near KCI, that could have easily been shifted left or right to avoid being in the middle of a sidewalk:
   

[Canard]

ETA on Erb/Caroline is currently 7:30p-8p! It's looking awesome. They're painting the final lines right now.

[GtwoK]

Northfield is set to open September 30! INCLUDING Kumpf AND the highway ramps! This is so exciting, the ramps closed the same time King did at the grade separation, this must make it the longest closure that's reopening that we've had so far, no? Highly anticipated, I'm sure. They also are 2 months ahead of schedule there, which is great.

I didn't see any mention of the completion the King St work (in front of Conestoga Mall).  Could this also be complete?

Doubtful. I was up that way the other day and I don't remember any track being embedded along King, apart from the crossing points at Northfield and Conestogo. 

ETA on Erb/Caroline is currently 7:30p-8p! It's looking awesome. They're painting the final lines right now.

Did you pop a lawn chair out to watch?

[Canard]

About 20-30 people are hanging around! The atmosphere is pretty cool. I can't stay because I don't have a bike light and want to ride safe.

[GtwoK]

Some images from about an hour ago.


I really like the look of all this grass right downtown. This is one of the more quaint looking intersections - the LRVs will look greta swinging through here.




Also looks like Canard's line was finally painted




Noticed something strange along Francis - the cat poles are doubled up - some are on both sides of the road (1 and 3 in this picture). There's catenary strung between 4 and 3 as well, and a roll of it hanging off of 1. Why is this?

[GtwoK]

Catenary is also strung up across King / Francis



Even without pavement, King / Victoria just looks really, really great in general. It's clean, it's organized, the lights are laid out nicely, the track looks great curving through here, and it's surrounded by tall buildings. Feels like the big city, now!

I HIGHLY recommend everyone come by here during golden hour (around 6:30pm) before it reopens. There's this amazing aura I got from being surrounded by tall buildings with setting sunlight being reflected of all of them, standing smack dab in the middle of huge change, yet with no traffic visible or even audible. Really, you should do it



Apologies for the terrible distortion on this one



And what's this I spy?...

[Canard]

Also looks like Canard's line was finally painted

Wow, awesome!

Noticed something strange along Francis - the cat poles are doubled up - some are on both sides of the road (1 and 3 in this picture). There's catenary strung between 4 and 3 as well, and a roll of it hanging off of 1. Why is this?

It's a support wire (like a suspension bridge) to support the actual contact wire, which will be at right angles. Think about it - how else could you support the contact wire when it is floating so far away from either side of the roadway, in free space?

[KevinL]

And what's this I spy?...

Ahh, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. 

[ijmorlan]

And what's this I spy?...

Ahh, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. 

… is the headlamp of a fast-approaching train. ;-)

[ijmorlan]

I  agree some of those pole placements along King in Uptown that we thought were temporary are turning out to be a permanent hazard in the middle the sidewalk.

There are also a number of access boxes along the route, like this one near KCI, that could have easily been shifted left or right to avoid being in the middle of a sidewalk:

Anybody want to bet the excuse would be “right of way” even though they’ve expropriated property left, right, and centre all over the city?

[danbrotherston]

I  agree some of those pole placements along King in Uptown that we thought were temporary are turning out to be a permanent hazard in the middle the sidewalk.

There are also a number of access boxes along the route, like this one near KCI, that could have easily been shifted left or right to avoid being in the middle of a sidewalk:

Anybody want to bet the excuse would be “right of way” even though they’ve expropriated property left, right, and centre all over the city?

The ones I'm talking about aren't even right of way. Between the sidewalk and the road there is a 2 foot wide utility corridor, and yet the light pole is right in the middle of the sidewalk.

[tomh009]

I didn't see any mention of the completion the King St work (in front of Conestoga Mall).  Could this also be complete?

Doubtful. I was up that way the other day and I don't remember any track being embedded along King, apart from the crossing points at Northfield and Conestogo.

King St lane reductions could finish, though, even if the concrete for the embedded track isn't yet poured.

[Canard]

1/2 - Tuesday, September 20, 2016

   
At Borden, trackwork continues on the curve onto the Huron Spur.

   
Erb/Caroline - our first look at what the special illuminated "No Turns" signs will look like, when a train is approaching.

   
Almost ready to re-open!

   
Platform rework (grounding rebar) at the Laurier/Waterloo Park station.

   
Platform rework (grounding rebar) at University of Waterloo.

[Canard]

2/2 - Tuesday, September 20, 2016

   
Platform rework (grounding rebar) at University of Waterloo.

   
Platform rework (grounding rebar) at University of Waterloo.

   
Vacant.

   
Opening in the next 30 minutes! Notice the Bike Box.

   
Small groups of folks were hanging around watching what was going on, eagerly waiting for it to reopen.