ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

Waterloo Street was also probably closed when the railway crossing signalling system was deactivated/removed at King. Remember, months ago when they fenced off King and Waterloo, they had to do that several weeks before work began so that people would get used to it being closed, because the signals were deactivated and it was such a safety concern. That was mandated by either CN or Transport Canada. It was specifically mentioned in the monthly (bi-weekly?) ion email updates.

[schooner77]

It looks like the corner of Caroline and Erb is down to one lane on Caroline, travelling south. With King blocked off, this seems like very poor timing and coordination. This corner is busy at the best of times, but becoming a complete zoo.

[MidTowner]

I think there is a tendency to kneejerk: either any complaint about closures is just a version of NIMBY — any excuse to complain about the LRT project; or any closure is just part of Ken Seiling’s master plan to force everybody to ride the white elephant LRT by snarling traffic. Real life, of course, is more complicated than either of these options.

I don’t think it’s at all NIMBY to question whether more could have been done to prevent a detour of a kilometre. That’s a substantial barrier for a lot of people.

I have personally assumed that Waterloo Street has been closed for genuine safety reasons, so I’m not using it (it’s closed). I see it being used sometimes by others- they are mostly young and mostly male from what I’ve seen. I haven’t see anyone in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller doing it.

We’re talking about a railway. It can be dangerous. If someone has a thoughtful reason based on observations why it’s not actually dangerous, please do communicate that with the Region for the rest of our sakes, so the closure can be lifted if it’s really not necessary.

[Markster]

I've done the illicit crossing of Waterloo St a month or so ago, and can confirm that it was patently ridiculous that it was closed. There was no safety difference from when it was an open street. No site works were happening anywhere near the street.

The main reason railways are "more dangerous" is because they see much fewer trains than an average street sees cars, so people forget to look both ways before crossing. All trains through here are already going slow, and ringing their bells.

It remains an absurd closure.

[MidTowner]

It remains an absurd closure.

You should contact someone with that (I know you are active on twitter).

[Canard]

I trust Transport Canada's decision over that of a frustrated forum poster/pedestrian. Sorry, Markster. It's a safety concern.

[Markster]

I'm simply saying that the conditions on the ground are no different from before the closure.

The only change is that Kitchener is no longer assuming liability. Easiest way for a private organization to deal with that is to put up a fence.

[Andy]

Oh well. I'm sure someone got wind of it since they reinforced the fences this morning.

The ground conditions are uneven compared to the Duke crossing. I don't think there's any danger related to the construction or railway, only that someone can trip on the uneven ground.

[BuildingScout]

I'm simply saying that the conditions on the ground are no different from before the closure.

The only change is that Kitchener is no longer assuming liability.  Easiest way for a private organization to deal with that is to put up a fence.

They had announced a similar closure of the train tracks around the university. I was told the university complained and GrandLinq reopened this crossing with a much shorter closure period, suggesting that indeed they have been careless in the selection of the closing period.

[taylortbb]

Mark, there is one difference compared to pre-closure, and that's the lack of any crossing alarm.

I'm personally comfortable crossing at Waterloo St, but I'm very careful to stop well before the tracks and look both ways. Any train in sight I won't cross.

But I understand why it's not acceptable to have a crossing of a mainline railway with no warning system.

[chutten]

But I understand why it's not acceptable to have a crossing of a mainline railway with no warning system.

Yeah, except for all the level crossings in other parts of Canada where the only warnings are the red-and-white crosses. Lived just down the hill from one, and my parents made sure to use that as an excuse to quiet us all down so we could look and listen.

[Canard]

Trains in an urban environment do not blow their horns. They're not supposed to - unless someone is crossing illegally. I live within sight of the tracks and once or twice a week, sure enough, I hear a VIA or GO train blast its horn, because some idiot crossed in front of it illegally and almost got killed.

So, the reason why Waterloo St. is now a dangerous crossing is because a) the signals are disabled, which would otherwise warn you, and b) the trains aren't blowing their horn.

...So it's not at all comparable to in the country where a non-active signal is ok - because there, the train blows its horn.

Sorry - grew up in a train family and Operation Lifesaver was drilled into my head from a very, very early age. I respect these machines - they have no respect for me!

[chutten]

Operation Lifesaver's where I got the "look and listen" bit from, so I get it.

That being said, I know of many machines that have no respect for me. Most of them are called automobiles, and they are far more likely to kill me than a train.

But now I find myself moving from talking about the world that exists to talking about a sensible place.

Waterloo St must be blockaded because our own laws and regs say so. That they don't make sense and are disproportionate in this or all situations is irrelevant. That they might only have to because of a sloppily-worded definition ("“road” means any way or course, whether public or not, available for vehicular or pedestrian use;" - Railway Safety Act - R.S.C., 1985, c. 32 (4th Supp.) (Section 4) ) is also irrelevant.

It sucks, and we have every right to complain about it and imagine a world that makes sense. But that doesn't help the NW-SE flow of pedestrians and cyclists in Kitchener.

Does anyone have an idea that _could_ help these people?

[isUsername]

Trains in an urban environment do not blow their horns.  They're not supposed to - unless someone is crossing illegally. I live within sight of the tracks and once or twice a week, sure enough, I hear a VIA or GO train blast its horn, because some idiot crossed in front of it illegally and almost got killed.

So, the reason why Waterloo St. is now a dangerous crossing is because a) the signals are disabled, which would otherwise warn you, and b) the trains aren't blowing their horn.

...So it's not at all comparable to in the country where a non-active signal is ok - because there, the train blows its horn.

Sorry - grew up in a train family and Operation Lifesaver was drilled into my head from a very, very early age. I respect these machines - they have no respect for me!

The railway that crosses Queen St. S. near Mill St. and goes by Victoria Park has at least three movements on most days. There's also a pedestrian crossing a few hundred meters up where the tracks cross the Iron Horse Trail. These trains don't normally blow their horns, either.

The horn isn't the only audible warning device. Trains also have bells, and the trains ring their bells at the road crossing and at the Iron Horse Trail crossing.

A crossing seems to be acceptable in this case, despite what is probably more interaction between trains and pedestrians/cyclists than would be on Waterloo St.

[curiouschair]

It looks like the corner of Caroline and Erb is down to one lane on Caroline, travelling south.  With King blocked off, this seems like very poor timing and coordination.  This corner is busy at the best of times, but becoming a complete zoo.

It's confusing, they seem to be changing the lane patterns on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure that the intersection will be like this for the next year or so.