ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Rainrider22]

Well at least it'll be nice out for the photo op at the grand launch

Yes,  the weather is usually pretty nice in late June...

[urbd]

Again, terrible terrible news. Yet another disappointment, plus it's such a low brow act to wait a couple weeks after elections to make the announcement when they knew perfectly well that there would be a delay. Agh. I'm actually pissed.

[jgsz]

This is very frustrating.  Also, this is no way to to sell an LRT system to other cities.

[urbd]

This is very frustrating.  Also, this is no way to to sell an LRT system to other cities.

Exactly, it is fuel to cancel more projects. Surrey, Hamilton, etc... what a mess. Plus I keep hearing more and more things like "start an investigation on this politician and this other one! they are stealing the money! they should be in jail!". It is definitely dividing and making people very angry. Just terrible management.

[jeffster]

(...and I should say I bet I am the only person thrilled by this news!!)

Why are you thrilled? Would you be even happier if it was 2020? 2021? 2022? Hell, why not 2080 when all of us are dead.

Really nothing to be thrilled about this delay. Not for the taxpayer, not for any potential user. We're basically paying an additional 2 years of property taxes for nothing. Not only that, I can see phase two being in serious jeopardy, with Cambridge simply not wanting it and not willing to help pay for phase 2. In fact, I can see Cambridge getting off the hook in the next round of elections, with some sort of rebate going to them from Kitchener-Waterloo.

So my thoughts: Phase 2 is going to die. And the LRT will not be ready for spring (unless by spring they mean summer). That said, I wouldn't be shocked for an early 2020 start, but I am calling for a start late next year or early 2020.

On topic, I did call this; I said if there was another delay we wouldn't about it until *after* the election. There seems to be a serious lack of communication between Grandlink, Bombardier, the GRT and the politicians. Someone knew last year that this LRT would not be ready this year. I really can't see how it was only a few of us here that called it, but it is what it is.

[danbrotherston]

Again, terrible terrible news. Yet another disappointment, plus it's such a low brow act to wait a couple weeks after elections to make the announcement when they knew perfectly well that there would be a delay. Agh. I'm actually pissed.

I've said it a few times now, but it's clear the launch date of December was a lie the last time they said it, and as a voter, I feel that I was mislead.  Frankly, its unacceptable.

[Canard]

As I’ve stated before, I’m happy because I want opening day to be in the spring, summer or fall. Not the winter. It’s like a wedding, I don’t want it to be shitty out. YMMV.

Perspective: DC’s Streetcar was nine years late.

The only thing anyone should be angry about is how misleading the Region is being about what the prinary reason of the delay is.

PS - urbd (?), you don't really know anything about me, so I'll thank you to keep your guesses what what my commuting patterns are to yourself. I'm actually planing on using the LRT/BRT plus my bike next year to commute to work more regularly, which also satisfies my desire for a train ride each day. I get you're upset, but no need to take it out on me just because I have a different feeling than you do about something.

[trainspotter139]

Again, terrible terrible news. Yet another disappointment, plus it's such a low brow act to wait a couple weeks after elections to make the announcement when they knew perfectly well that there would be a delay. Agh. I'm actually pissed.

I've said it a few times now, but it's clear the launch date of December was a lie the last time they said it, and as a voter, I feel that I was mislead.  Frankly, its unacceptable.

Except the launch date wasn't a lie. It's a classic case of "it shouldn't take too long to do" then opening up the cardboard boxes and realizing there's more parts to put together than you thought. Frankly most of the work Bombardier has to do now is debug the code they wrote to integrate the new hardware with the train operating software, which they are actively doing with 511 as I type this. Once Bombardier is confident that a hardware event isn't going to just disable the train, we will start seeing the rest of the equipped trains out.

EDIT: To further add to the delay, the equipment wasn't available for Bombardier to install until the middle of summer

[welltoldtales]

Honestly though, how have individuals at the region (including councillors) not lost their jobs for this? We're talking 2 year delay. We're talking about crazy levels of poor planning (lack of bike lanes, the level of visual intrusion along King in Midtown, the installation of Beg Buttons, and let's not forget Erb and Caroline that is now a proper mess).

As far as I know almost everyone involved remains on the project. And very few incumbents have lost their seat.

[trainspotter139]

Honestly though, how have individuals at the region (including councillors) not lost their jobs for this? We're talking 2 year delay. We're talking about crazy levels of poor planning (lack of bike lanes, the level of visual intrusion along King in Midtown, the installation of Beg Buttons, and let's not forget Erb and Caroline that is now a proper mess).

As far as I know almost everyone involved remains on the project. And very few incumbents have lost their seat.

It's only a year and a half. Construction was set to end in early 2017 and service start in late 2017

[plam]

Yeah, it's disappointing but not super surprising. They wrote that they would aim for the spring schedule changes, which have been end of April recently. We can hope!

Canard: my wedding was on January 2...

[Canard]

We're talking 2 year delay.

Sorry, what? No... no we are not.

[jeffster]

As I’ve stated before, I’m happy because I want opening day to be in the spring, summer or fall. Not the winter. It’s like a wedding, I don’t want it to be shitty out. YMMV.

Perspective: DC’s Streetcar was nine years late.

The only thing anyone should be angry about is how misleading the Region is being about what the prinary reason of the delay is.

But we have had it delayed until "spring/summer/autumn" already and you wrote here that you were excited about the delays as it builds anticipation.

Anyway, we're not going to see this start up in spring 2019, and we'll likely get a mid-winter start in 2020, and it will be shitty outside.

[urbd]

As I’ve stated before, I’m happy because I want opening day to be in the spring, summer or fall. Not the winter. It’s like a wedding, I don’t want it to be shitty out. YMMV.


PS - urbd (?), you don't really know anything about me, so I'll thank you to keep your guesses what what my commuting patterns are to yourself.  I'm actually planing on using the LRT/BRT plus my bike next year to commute to work more regularly, which also satisfies my desire for a train ride each day. I get you're upset, but no need to take it out on me just because I have a different feeling than you do about something.

1. In my opinion, that's a very superficial reason as to why you want it to launch in the Spring. Just for nice photos? Lots of people rely on public transit to get to places, and currently many buses are over capacity. It is a transportation system to be used by real people every day. It's not the Disney Monorail.

2. You've stated multiple times that your commute is mostly driving and biking when weather permits - it's nothing personal! You've also said on here that you almost never use the current GRT bus, that's all.

[jeffster]

We're talking 2 year delay.

Sorry, what?  No... no we are not.

I think as it stands; we're looking at a 21 month delay at least, as we know with the region "spring" generally means before school's out for summer. The original date was early fall (when school starts).

That said, the region has a poor reputation when it comes to honesty, and with Bombardiers poor reputation in general, this announced "spring start" has as much truth to it as those emails saying that you inherited $100,000,000USD ($100 MILLIONS UNITED STATES DOLLARS) from some Nigerian banker.

So yes, it will be at least a 2 year delay.