ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

Why is this happening?

[timio]

Development?

[Canard]

But what is it? This forum has a bazillion pages for every single tree and mailbox and sidewalk tile being placed around the entire Region. I can't believe nobody knows what is going here?

[ijmorlan]

But what is it?  This forum has a bazillion pages for every single tree and mailbox and sidewalk tile being placed around the entire Region.    I can't believe nobody knows what is going here?

It’s amazing nobody seems to know!

I looked up the property on the City of Waterloo zoning map. Just to verify, we’re talking about the triangle bounded by Quiet Pl., Old Albert St., and the Waterloo Spur/LRT? The map says that is MR-12, where MR stands for Multiple Residential. So 36m apartment buildings would be permitted there — roughly speaking, the number gives the maximum number of floors allowed. I have no idea what if anything specific is planned however. I’m disappointed the whole lot seems to have been cleared — it seems unlikely that a strip around the outside couldn’t have been left in place. Whatever gets built is unlikely to use the entire space right to the edges.

[bgb_ca]

Some taxis are still parking on the tracks in front of the bus terminal

[Bob_McBob]

This week's anti-LRT grumbling was a bunch of frequent fliers blaming LRT construction for the multi-day water main break on Courtland Ave, and predicting numerous further breaks thanks to supposedly shoddy workmanship (wait, the LRT was built too fast now?!). Someone who worked on a crew installing pipes along the route explained it was actually an old iron pipe, and almost certainly on a side street outside the replacement zone.

[danbrotherston]

Lol. I blocked that person ages ago. Glad to see it was still the right choice.

[Canard]

The rework to the curve at Borden/Charles is now complete.

[GtwoK]

Forgot to mention a few weeks ago when I first started noticing it - I've now seen multiple drivers use the southbound LRT track curve (turn from King onto Victoria) as a vehicle "slip through", to avoid red lights. I can't tell if the drivers are stupid, or assholes. Maybe both.

This is the curve I'm referring to:

[jeffster]

Forgot to mention a few weeks ago when I first started noticing it - I've now seen multiple drivers use the southbound LRT track curve (turn from King onto Victoria) as a vehicle "slip through", to avoid red lights. I can't tell if the drivers are stupid, or assholes. Maybe both.

This is the curve I'm referring to:

I had wondered if people would be ignorant enough to do that. Obviously some people don't disappoint.

[Canard]

OMG, that’s horrible. I thought it was bad enough people were using the Rapidway on Caroline at William to turn right!

[danbrotherston]

Forgot to mention a few weeks ago when I first started noticing it - I've now seen multiple drivers use the southbound LRT track curve (turn from King onto Victoria) as a vehicle "slip through", to avoid red lights. I can't tell if the drivers are stupid, or assholes. Maybe both.

This is the curve I'm referring to:

I had wondered if people would be ignorant enough to do that. Obviously some people don't disappoint.

You know, I'm usually willing to go with Hanlon's Razor about stupidity over malice, but in this case, I'd put down a fair bit of money on 100% assholery.

[JoeKW]

It really does feel like a slip road though. Yeah, anyone paying attention will realize within 2 seconds that it's tracks, but if even a small percentage of don't then you end up with a disaster every so often. There needs to be more signs and painted lines to make it more obvious.

[danbrotherston]

It really does feel like a slip road though. Yeah, anyone paying attention will realize within 2 seconds that it's tracks, but if even a small percentage of don't then you end up with a disaster every so often. There needs to be more signs and painted lines to make it more obvious.

It's a different colour, with a curb separating it, with lines in it. Frankly, anyone who ends up there by accident shouldn't be driving, they're either incompetent, or not paying attention. There's virtually no difference between ending up on the tracks and ending up on the sidewalk.

Honestly, at what point do we stop making excuses for drivers. But personally, I give most drivers more credit, I still don't think it's an accident.

[Canard]

Agreed, it doesn't feel like a slip road at all - anyone driving on the tracks there should get fined (or worse).

I don't get the aversion to just painting giant yellow hash marks on target areas of the rapidway, ala Gold Coast Light Rail. It looks pretty cool, to be honest, and it makes an absolute visual demarcation of the area you're not supposed to be in.