ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[welltoldtales]

Now we wait nearly a year....

I want to see these running through this town. So incredible.

[kps]

West King/Victoria ‘transit hub’ platform was poured today. I hadn't noticed before, but this one looks to be three cars long already (Edit: nope).

[KevinL]

I hadn't noticed before, but this one looks to be three cars long already.

That would be a bit premature, as all the rest are two cars.

[kps]

I hadn't noticed before, but this one looks to be three cars long already.

That would be a bit premature, as all the rest are two cars.

I was mistaken — compared the pouring to the pharmacy building and it's only about 250 feet long.

[KevinL]

They're also in for the parking lot of Full Circle foods (on Charles below Queen).

Interesting how this parking lot gets two automated lighted signs, while just down the road at the bus terminal, it's... one metal sign.



But the Full Circle lot has a curve blocked by a building to its left, while here, the view is much more straightforward.

[KevinL]

Oh, and the Market Square stairway is going in well. The welders were attending to it as I passed...

[tomh009]

A much tidier-looking staircase!

[Canard]

Tom just confirmed on twitter that the ion logo on the anchor walls is no longer going to glow/pulsate as a train approaches.

Very, very, very disappointed to hear this.

[tomh009]

[KingandWeber]

Tom just confirmed on twitter that the ion logo on the anchor walls is no longer going to glow/pulsate as a train approaches.

Very, very, very disappointed to hear this.

That is really disappointing! Small details make a difference. I wonder why it was cut when I remember them explicitly mentioning it as a feature only a few months ago...forgot to add it? Cost? 

If it saves us less than 800K I vote to spend Waterloo's glowing trail fund on it

[Canard]

I think what I find most alarming about this is what confidence can I have in GrandLinq from a signalling and controls standpoint if they can't even figure out how to trigger an event in a PLC based off of an input.

This is Waterloo Region - there are more automation companies here than any other place in North America (and I work for one). I'm going to talk to our programmer tomorrow and see if he'll volunteer to go over and shake some sense into them.

[dunkalunk]

This is just an opinion, but I kind of thought a dynamically glowing logo took away from the brand value of the ION logo. Also, afaik, ION stations are still going to have real-time displays, and GTFS real-time data as well as Transit App's approach to real-time data is only going to improve with time.

[Canard]

1/2 -  Sunday, February 26, 2017

Catching up on some photos.

   
King St. Grade Separation.

   
Tracks in the distance begin to make the split, south of Moore.

   
New illuminated No Turn signs at the Kaufman Lofts.

   
If they can make these signs illuminate when a train is approaching, why can't they figure out how to do the same with the ION logos on the Anchor Walls?

   
The canopy is now up at the Kitchener City Hall station.

[Canard]

2/2 -  Sunday, February 26, 2017

   
Kitchener City Hall station.

   
Speed limit signs for unlikely "wrong way" operation have now been added to a number of places along the line.  The ones on Charles are especially confusing, with different speeds directly on top of one another, angled only slightly toward the respective track.

   
From the Willis Way platform, showing the "No Turn" signs, and the hideous light fixtures.  I'm told these are "Waterloo City standard" - so blame them!

   
Confusing lane markings on the Northfield Bridge for cyclists (sorry).

   
Half of the hoarding is down at Waterloo Town Square.

[ijmorlan]

This is just an opinion, but I kind of thought a dynamically glowing logo took away from the brand value of the ION logo. Also, afaik, ION stations are still going to have real-time displays, and GTFS real-time data as well as Transit App's approach to real-time data is only going to improve with time.

Well, I don’t know about the brand value part, but there is something cool about the concept of something about the station changing as the vehicle approaches, not just the number displayed on a LED screen. And I agree with Canard: if making the logo do that isn’t easy, there is something wrong with our technology and the technical culture in which it exists.