ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[MVO95]

I think I've counted at least 50 workers between William and the tracks along king the last few days. The push is definitely on to meet the November 30 deadline, but I am not sure the section of king at the freight tracks will be ready; there still seems to be a lot to do a very little time left to do it.

You think so? 

Today they poured the sidewalk on the right side of King at the freight track, paved King St from North of the freight tracks and between the freight and LRT track. They also poured the remaining curb alongside the track.

What else is remaining?

[ijmorlan]

I think I've counted at least 50 workers between William and the tracks along king the last few days. The push is definitely on to meet the November 30 deadline, but I am not sure the section of king at the freight tracks will be ready; there still seems to be a lot to do a very little time left to do it.

In related news, they have in the last few days replaced the spur line track between King and the lane behind King. The old segmented track is gone, replaced with long pieces. And today I noticed that the rails have had rubber boots installed, of the same sort as used at many crossings (although not Ion-related ones), which makes me think the intent may be to pave that space properly. So maybe the Laurel Trail will continue to pass between those buildings as it has for the last many years. Has there been an outbreak of common sense?

[Drake]

Another related question: are these businesses going to pay back a share of their future increased income resulting from increased traffic due to the LRT system? They didn’t build that…

Do you know if the businesses you are referring to own the buildings they are in, or just lease them? Those who are leasing, which I would expect is the majority, can expect elevated rents on their next lease renewal because of the increased valuation of the properties. That could be a double whammy for them.

[KevinL]

In other small progress, lane markings are in on Benton, King and Frederick; the King intersection is complete for markings (though some signal poles are still missing). THe Frederick/Duke intersection has yet to be done.

On Duke itself, the Food Block has its new sidewalk.

[Drake]

I noticed when I drive south on King from Northfield there is an LRT curb that stands up pretty high. At first it was invisible, then the construction crews marked it with a pylon. I now see the pylon has disappeared. I can see someone unaware of this curb making a left from Northfield (WB) onto King (SB) and hitting it.

I can also see the snow plow hitting it. It is white on white.

I get we don't want people driving on the LRT lane, but do we need a curb for this? The current set up at King looks like it will cause more problems that it will solve. Sorry, no picture

I called it. LINK

I hope the region installs something to identify a curb starts.

[danbrotherston]

I called it. LINK

I hope the region installs something to identify a curb starts.

I should take a look at the curb in question before judging, but in general, and as a cyclist, who rides in bike lanes that are all too often occupied by cars, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for drivers who can't stay in their lane.

[MidTowner]

In the picture in the link, from the vantage of that windshield in the dark, that is pretty obviously a curb.

[ijmorlan]

Another related question: are these businesses going to pay back a share of their future increased income resulting from increased traffic due to the LRT system? They didn’t build that…

Do you know if the businesses you are referring to own the buildings they are in, or just lease them? Those who are leasing, which I would expect is the majority, can expect elevated rents on their next lease renewal because of the increased valuation of the properties. That could be a double whammy for them.

No idea. I was just responding to the idea that businesses would seek to bill the Region for costs/reduced income resulting from the construction. If the Region does something (perhaps even the same thing) that causes later increased income, will they reimburse the Region? You raise a good point however — often the property owner is the ultimate beneficiary of improvements in the business. I’m not sure what can or should be done about that. I like the idea that a hardworking business owner should be able to reap the rewards but it’s not obvious to me what policies would give that result without having unintended adverse consequences.

[Canard]

And today I noticed that the rails have had rubber boots installed, of the same sort as used at many crossings (although not Ion-related ones), which makes me think the intent may be to pave that space properly.

If you mean this:

   

...then yes, that's the style of booting which is used when they put asphalt down over top of the tracks.  Special thanks to Jeremy Haak and Kevin Tessner for the clarification on that!

[ijmorlan]

And today I noticed that the rails have had rubber boots installed, of the same sort as used at many crossings (although not Ion-related ones), which makes me think the intent may be to pave that space properly.

If you mean this:



...then yes, that's the style of booting which is used when they put asphalt down over top of the tracks.  Special thanks to Jeremy Haak and Kevin Tessner for the clarification on that!

Thanks, that is indeed what the booting I saw looks like. In fact I was thinking about your OMSF photo and should have referred to it. Especially because it somewhat invalidates my “not Ion-related” comment (subject to a possible quibble about whether the OMSF location qualifies as “a crossing”). I think that space may actually end up better than before — it used to be interlocking bricks filling the space to a distance of maybe a foot or two from the rails, with the rails open, ties visible. I’m hoping the entire space will now be paved, with just the two flangeways interrupting the flat surface.

[ijmorlan]

In the picture in the link, from the vantage of that windshield in the dark, that is pretty obviously a curb.

Shouldn’t it have one of those signs with the arrow passing to the right of the blob? Anyway else there is a small island in the middle of the road, or the beginning of a median separator, there would be such a sign.

[Canard]

These "hard curb-starts" are everywhere. Every time I see them, I cringe. Go drive down Charles between Benton and Borden. I bet snowploughs this winter are going to tear up half of them.

I still don't get why our design is so different from what everyone else does, with a raised centre portion for the tracks, instead of having it at the same height with just the curb sticking up like a "wall".

[JoeKW]

Do you have a photographic example of the way others do it versus ours?

[Canard]

Us:

   
(From: http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/..._Part7.pdf

   

   

   

   

Them:

[darts]

It doesn't surprise me either that some businesses are exploring legal action, and I'm even less surprised that a certain phylum of lawyer is scuttling to represent them.

But as danbrotherston said, I'm not interested in supporting a business who is seeking to take money from the local government/taxpayers simply because said government is doing their job by improving and expanding necessary infrastructure.

I sympathise with the plight of businesses who have been sincerely impacted by all the construction (not those who claim that the LRT is the cause of their demise even when it clearly is not), but that does not mean they warrant monies for said troubles. Sure strikes me as a worrisome precedent.

I read a little bit about this today, it seems it is more around the promises the region made about customers having access to businesses and being given notice for when work would be performed. It seemed to be more about sidewalk space being taken away and pedestrians not having access. So not so cut and dry from what was in the newspaper.