ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[BuildingScout]

To the Region? $0. Fixed price P3.

Also: the speed limit signs are getting a bit ridiculous. 12 km/h? Really?

That's the speed limit entering the station is it not? Sounds reasonable to me.

[Pheidippides]

To the Region? $0. Fixed price P3.

Also: the speed limit signs are getting a bit ridiculous. 12 km/h? Really?

Yes, I know it is of no addition cost to the region and it is part of the final price, but I am asking how much is the Region saving by doing it that way. How much is it eating in to GrandLinq's profit? $10,000 per station? $25,000?

[Canard]

My comment regarding the 12 km/h limit is its silly because it's too specific. Speed limits are almost always done in 5 unit increments.

Then again, I saw a 23 km/h limit sign once up in Northern Ontario.

Cost? Tens of thousands, easily. R&T had at least 10 folks working every day for 3 months doing the rework. It'll be a non-trivial amount, that's for sure. But again: this cost is invisible to us.

[plam]

My comment regarding the 12 km/h limit is its silly because it's too specific. Speed limits are almost always done in 5 unit increments.

Then again, I saw a 23 km/h limit sign once up in Northern Ontario.

Cost? Tens of thousands, easily. R&T had at least 10 folks working every day for 3 months doing the rework. It'll be a non-trivial amount, that's for sure. But again: this cost is invisible to us.

12km/h is really strange, but I can see 23km/h as being 15mph. These speed limits are often still in mph but converted.

[jamincan]

Evidently the original speeds were calculated in furlongs. 115 furlongs/hr = 23 kph and 60 furlongs/hr = 12 kph. It's the only thing that makes sense!

[GtwoK]

Noticed street lights have been added to the top of the catpoles along Charles, from Gaukel to Queen (maybe to Benton). The wires along the old wooden hydro poles have also been reduced to one lone one at the top. I'm not sure if that last one is significant in some way, but hopefully it'll come down soon, so these poles can be brought down and the area be freed from visual clutter!

Also, traffic lights have been activated at Water / Charles. Still nothing at Francis or Gaukel yet, for whatever reason.

ALSO also, there was a sign restricting left turns from Charles WB onto Benton SB - was this always there? I understand the reasoning, because of lane limitations, but still... the amount of restricted left turns being added downtown is going to make traffic a lot more hectic than already was, with drivers sure to ignore them.

[danbrotherston]

I would guess the top wire is a static wire that is grounded to protect the lower wires from lightning strikes.

[timc]

Evidently the original speeds were calculated in furlongs. 115 furlongs/hr = 23 kph and 60 furlongs/hr = 12 kph. It's the only thing that makes sense!

I assumed that 12 was close to half of 25, but I like your explanation better!

[timc]

I noticed in my travels today that the new streetlights on Northfield are LEDs, and I wasn't sure if anyone had mentioned that here yet.

[Canard]

ALSO also, there was a sign restricting left turns from Charles WB onto Benton SB - was this always there? I understand the reasoning, because of lane limitations, but still... the amount of restricted left turns being added downtown is going to make traffic a lot more hectic than already was, with drivers sure to ignore them.

Is that really a fair statement to make?

As a motorist who drives between 50k and 75k km per year, I can tell you that I don't come across this particular scenario often at all.

[GtwoK]

ALSO also, there was a sign restricting left turns from Charles WB onto Benton SB - was this always there? I understand the reasoning, because of lane limitations, but still... the amount of restricted left turns being added downtown is going to make traffic a lot more hectic than already was, with drivers sure to ignore them.

Is that really a fair statement to make?

As a motorist who drives between 50k and 75k km per year, I can tell you that I don't come across this particular scenario often at all.

It depends, I guess. I was stuck at King / Victoria today because of a lineup of 5 cars waiting to turn left, despite the "No Left Turns" sign.

[chutten]

It depends, I guess. I was stuck at King / Victoria today because of a lineup of 5 cars waiting to turn left, despite the "No Left Turns" sign.

I thought the No Left Turn signs at King@Vic were taped over until the underpass opened?

There's a left turn prohibition on Willis Way turning on to Caroline that was added in the last couple of weeks. Compliance was pretty high after the first couple of days.

[danbrotherston]

It depends, I guess. I was stuck at King / Victoria today because of a lineup of 5 cars waiting to turn left, despite the "No Left Turns" sign.

I thought the No Left Turn signs at King@Vic were taped over until the underpass opened?

There's a left turn prohibition on Willis Way turning on to Caroline that was added in the last couple of weeks. Compliance was pretty high after the first couple of days.

Given there is a turn bay there, I bet there's going to be very little adherence to that rule.

Frankly, given drivers adherence to other inconvenient rules, I doubt there will be a whole lot of compliance.  Before now, there were few turning restrictions and no really inconvenient ones either.  This might be something that people get used to, but King/Victoria will be a challenge I think.

I'm not sure what GtwoK means, the turning restriction at King/Victoria is taped over last time I was there, and it makes sense since there is no oncoming traffic there shouldn't be any delays turning beyond waiting for peds, there is no reason to restrict turns until there is through traffic.

[GtwoK]

I thought the No Left Turn signs at King@Vic were taped over until the underpass opened?

There's a left turn prohibition on Willis Way turning on to Caroline that was added in the last couple of weeks. Compliance was pretty high after the first couple of days.

Given there is a turn bay there, I bet there's going to be very little adherence to that rule.

Frankly, given drivers adherence to other inconvenient rules, I doubt there will be a whole lot of compliance.  Before now, there were few turning restrictions and no really inconvenient ones either.  This might be something that people get used to, but King/Victoria will be a challenge I think.

I'm not sure what GtwoK means, the turning restriction at King/Victoria is taped over last time I was there, and it makes sense since there is no oncoming traffic there shouldn't be any delays turning beyond waiting for peds, there is no reason to restrict turns until there is through traffic.

If it was taped over, then that's my mistake. I had seen it there originally and knew of it's presence, I had assumed it was still there, but my vision was blocked by a truck in front of me.

[Canard]

It depends, I guess. I was stuck at King / Victoria today because of a lineup of 5 cars waiting to turn left, despite the "No Left Turns" sign.

I thought the No Left Turn signs at King@Vic were taped over until the underpass opened?

Correct! There's nowhere to get "stuck" here. If you're on Victoria and stopped, move into the right lane and proceed. If you're on King, left turns don't hold anyone up because there's no traffic coming South.