ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[clasher]

Streetcar tracks are notorious for cyclists due to the propensity for tires to get stuck in the gap. It's not a problem crossing tracks at a 90° but it can be worrisome when the angle becomes more acute. This was part of the problem with the iron horse where it crossed the tracks in Victoria Park before they re-aligned the trail so it crossed closer to perpendicular. I don't know what the plans for Benton are after the tracks are installed but if there are bike lanes they could paint them with a slight jog so that a bike lane crosses at a better angle. Steel rails are also really slippery when wet so that's another danger riders need to know. I don't know what the final plan for this intersection is though.

[ert86]

@clasher

Yup, I wiped out for the first time a few months ago when the south heading corner on Caroline/Erb closed, i had a feeling i should just cross on foot, but didn't and paid for it by flipping over the handlebars, luckily it was at 6:20am on a Sunday, so there wasn't any traffic.

[timio]

Didn't realize a more full set of updates came in the form of a mailing list. Thanks timio!

Construction Updates and Traffic Updates aren't really useful on the RideIon.ca website. They pretty much just say the same things in a different format. About every 2 weeks one of these updates gets sent out detailing what's going on.

[Canard]

The email one is fantastic, it outlines in great detail exactly what is happening, and when, along the entire route.

[numberguy]

Rail: Very. Aero: Not so much. Trains are supporting Airplanes right now. That's why there's consideration of a sale - it's profitable so it would garner a healthy sum.

Didn't realize a more full set of updates came in the form of a mailing list. Thanks timio!

Construction Updates and Traffic Updates aren't really useful on the RideIon.ca website.  They pretty much just say the same things in a different format.  About every 2 weeks one of these updates gets sent out detailing what's going on.

I agree, especially when roads are closed on the weekend or evenings when work is not being done.

[Canard]

Minor construction hiccup, hardly worth mentioning but thought I'd link it here for the sake of completeness/history to this thread for future generations

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=723352

(short version: Crews hit a water main by accident, big geyser, funeral home without water, under control now)

[GtwoK]

Went for a walk again. Will add photos when I get home.

Utilities on Hayward have been completely moved. Or at least the hydro poles have.

The embedded track on Borden is about half done. Looks like they may have added more rail, but I'm probably imagining it.



Borden closed at Nyberg. Completely dug up. My guess is to finish the wet works at the bridge.

Borden from Nyberg to Charles was being tampered down, so they're probably done here! Probably will get curbs next week.

Crews are making their way from Stirling to Borden doing the final soil before curbs. Would say possibly curbs here next week too!



Charles from Stirling to Madison has some layer of what LOOKS like base asphalt down? I want to say it's temporary because it's in the middle of the road, but it's been tampered and smoothed suspiciously well for temporary asphalt. A worker was also putting stakes in the ground that seemed to mark out curb placement from Madison to Eby.



A few more catpoles on Charles up to Benton

Track is almost completely laid out at Benton — NB and SB. It looks very very good, really cool to see it getting done. The NB track has 3 rails though, not sure why this would be.





Charles from Queen to Gaukel has curbs along the west side!

[Canard]

Because we can never have enough track photos...!  Here are some more, from Benton/Charles.

   

   

   

   

[Canard]

   

   

   

   

[Canard]

Track is almost completely laid out at Benton — NB and SB. It looks very very good, really cool to see it getting done. The NB track has 3 rails though, not sure why this would be.

I'm pretty sure it's an interior flange guard rail, here's why:

-The rail profile is different (the lower part of the "I" is cut away, suggesting it could be mounted much closer to another rail than if the bottom part was as wide)
-The two rails closest to each other on the interior of the curve both have cross-drilled holes, at locations that approximately align, suggesting they'll be directly fastened to each other with a spacer in between
-The interior rail is made of segments bolted together, while the outside rails (running rails) are continuously welded. So the interior (guard) rail is made cheaper since it's not used except in an emergency/derailment.

I'm a bit surprised if that really is what this is, because I've never seen a modern LRT system that uses guard rails in embedded track before. It could very well be a requirement due to the geometry of the intersection; a derailment here would mean a train could theoretically careen right into the front window of the pastry shop at the Benton garage! A delicious tragedy, for sure.

[KevinL]

Looks like the degree of turn, combined with the downhill profile, is giving them enough concern that they're including it.

Better safe than sorry.

[BuildingScout]

They have started pouring the UW station:



   

[BuildingScout]

The track approaching UW from Columbia:



   

[rangersfan]

Thanks for all the updates everyone!

[Canard]

Huge news from this morning;

-Catpole foundations are installed all along the spur, at least from Columbia to Bearanger! Didn't stop in at Albert McCormic Arena because I didn't think anything was going on there...
-Track is now installed between Seagram and the Waterloo Park Culvert!

Pics soon...