ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[tomh009]

Mostly GO related, but $43 million for the transit hub is great news!

Yes it is.  Now for the region to step up with their part to get the project moving.

[taylortbb]

Mostly GO related, but $43 million for the transit hub is great news!

Yes it is.  Now for the region to step up with their part to get the project moving.

$43 million is the full budget, the region won't need to contribute any additional money to the hub.

[tomh009]

Yes it is.  Now for the region to step up with their part to get the project moving.

$43 million is the full budget, the region won't need to contribute any additional money to the hub.

The region owns the land, so without regional action to get the project under way, nothing will happen.

[Canard]

$43 million is the full budget, the region won't need to contribute any additional money to the hub.

How can we know the hub will cost exactly $43 million when we (ie, the Region - everyone) don't even know what it will look like?

[dunkalunk]

$43 million is the full budget, the region won't need to contribute any additional money to the hub.

How can we know the hub will cost exactly $43 million when we (ie, the Region - everyone) don't even know what it will look like?

The transit portion of the transit hub and transit-related infrastructure in the corridor has been budgeted at this amount. The mixed-use portion above the transit hub would be up to the development partner based off proposals currently in RFQ (request for qualifications).

[GtwoK]

Track going in across Duke!



Traffic signals + LRT signals are up at Charles / Water...



...as well as Charles / Gaukel


Sidewalks going in alongside the Benton parking garage



Construction on Duke has reached Frederick. A closure here should be imminent.



Underground work still ongoing at Duke / Young

[GtwoK]

Duke / College just about ready to be rebuilt

[Pheidippides]

Willis is being paved this morning in Uptown near the parkade.

[Canard]

Facebook reminded me that 5 years ago tonight, Regional Council voted 9-2 in favour of building Light Rail in Waterloo Region!

We have come so far, and are so close to the finish line!

[KevinL]

I remember that night well - there was a party at McCabes afterward, where we also watched the Bruins beat the Canucks to take the Stanley Cup...

[Elmira Guy]

KevinL said; "I remember that night well - there was a party at McCabes afterward, where we also watched the Bruins beat the Canucks to take the Stanley Cup..."

So right prevailed twice that night.

I was at the last meeting of the year for my Lions Club, and several members who were opposed to the LRT were certain that their conservative, car-lovin', anti-transit ways would prevail.
I may not have been an entirely gracious winner. :-D

[GtwoK]

Couldn't sleep last night, went for a walk along King and was surprised to see crews still working at 1am! They were digging up some of the old pavement at King / Louisa, in order to place curbs. Looked like between Louisa and Wellington will be paved soon on, so we should be seeing two way traffic on King in not too long!

[Canard]

Yeah, CTV was reporting that they were beginning to make use of their 24-hr excemption a week or so ago. Naturally, they interviewed nearby residents who claimed they weren't notified (fun fact: they were).

[Elmira Guy]

CTV and The Record can both cram it with walnuts.

When (and I do mean when) the LRT ends up meeting and indeed surpassing the goals it was designed for, it will be interesting to NOT hear these two sources acknowledge those accomplishments. After all, they're in the business of creating news, not reporting news.

[C Plus]

Couldn't sleep last night, went for a walk along King and was surprised to see crews still working at 1am! They were digging up some of the old pavement at King / Louisa, in order to place curbs. Looked like between Louisa and Wellington will be paved soon on, so we should be seeing two way traffic on King in not too long!

Here I thought there was something going on at the nightclub. I was awake at that time with the windows open and all I heard was talking most of the night. I'm down closer to Moore but I'm amazed I didn't hear asphalt coming up. It will be awesome once King is opened up to Wellington to divert some of the hauling trucks and soon to be cement trucks off of Louisa St. Can't wait.