ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[KevinL]

A big video update, including copious drone footage.

[timc]

It's interesting that there isn't even a mention of the part of ION that is already in service.

[Pheidippides]

Allen station:
   
   

GRH station:
   

KCI cross over:
   

[Canard]

The next phase of the ion public art is beginning:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/publicart

You can view the proposals online via the engage tool or at 150 Frederick. There will be presenatioms to the public art jury on December 5th as well. Recommendationto council in January 2017.

I like Continuum for Conestoga, and Digital Sun for Research & Technology.  Network is pretty sharp, too, and would definitely fix the entrance to R&T, which is kind of destroyed by the massive galvanized chain-link fence which flanks the entrance. The spine bench for Grand River Hospital is my favourite, I think.

Dammit, I really wish I'd gone ahead and submitted my idea for a gigantic Pandrol E-Clip sculpture at one of the platforms...

[DHLawrence]

"Because Cats Can't Fly" and "Benchwork" are my favourites. "Network" I don't see lasting long because of the upkeep unless a maintenance budget for the installations has already been put in. "Arc en ciel" anyone?

[Canard]

"Arc en ciel" anyone?

[tomh009]

King and Frederick ... too cold these days to do the longer loops.  Waiting for at least the wind to die down.

   

   

[Pheidippides]

When I read the report I did not pick-up on this:

Bombardier delay costs region $1.2 million
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6981...2-million/

“We will be looking to Bombardier to make us whole on this”

[ijmorlan]

Dammit, I really wish I'd gone ahead and submitted my idea for a gigantic Pandrol E-Clip sculpture at one of the platforms...

That would have been awesome. Although I fear that for most people, it would just be a variation on the noodle in Kitchener. Still, I’d like to see that. Depending how it was done, it might even be climbable by kids, like the Henry Moore at the art gallery in Toronto.

[Canard]

I was seriously considering it! I work with lots of fab shops and suppliers that could have helped out with the actual construction of the thing, since I wanted it to be huuuuge!

[panamaniac]

Although it's not my favourite among the proposals as a piece of public art, I do like the way the proposed "Tall Tales of Mill St" refers directly to the history of the site on which it would be located.

http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/discov...ONEILL.pdf

[clasher]

I was seriously considering it! I work with lots of fab shops and suppliers that could have helped out with the actual construction of the thing, since I wanted it to be huuuuge!

There's a small sculpture of a pandrol clip in Calgary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandrol#/m...statue.jpg

[Viewfromthe42]

I think the digital sundial would be more interesting away from techies, somewhere like Fairview Mall where it could inspire kids from nearby apartment towers or working minimum wage jobs, rather than to have techies rush by it or comment on its relative inaccuracy.

The light structure would be amazing for R&T Park. You have a few straight sight lines towards entrances to the station, and this structure can help to guide you to it, and remind drivers that it's there. It also could be tied to train arrival times, giving a much farther away warning of train approaches, so that if you were walking from the large roundabout, you would know whether or not you had to book it to catch the train, helping people timekeep their transit travels.

[Canard]

Just in case anyone didn't know, the ion logo on each of the anchor walls is actually set up so that it can change its illumination based on train proximity.

(The exact cycle of the logo and how it illuminates, glows or flashes hasn't been determined yet, and will be programmed during testing and commissioning)

[Viewfromthe42]

I did know that, but the relative size of the logo compared to the hidden nature of R&T makes an assistive art piece even more valuable.