ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[clasher]

I think beams are a nice shape. Those are wide-flange beams, not I-beams... I-beams aren't very common anymore.

Right; if you want to get really picky, they're W-profile sections.

...but no one will know what you're talking about, unless they work in fabrication So I think I-beam is still a valid name.

Oh yeah for sure, I work as an ironworker and I figured people here would be more receptive to a bit of nitpicking I-beam is pretty much accepted as the colloquial term and we still use it in shop talk even though we all know better. W-beam just doesn't roll off the tongue.

[mpd618]

There's not much room to maneuvre here, regulation is driving it.

Regulation is driving it, but that doesn't mean there isn't room to maneuver and get the regulation amended or an exception made. The Region doesn't seem interested in doing that, however.

[panamaniac]

Having room to manoeuvre seems like a good thing!

[darts]

Here is the official statement from GrandLinq:

The LRT track  and CN Freight share the track through this area. There are also very steep ditches along the track that require us to meet certain standards with our fencing . Transport Canada regulations state that we must use chain link fence as opposed to rope in these areas.

Nonetheless, Along the track,  between Columbia Street and Erb Street (through the UOW and Waterloo Park), we will install a 1.5m High “Black Vinyl” Chain Link Fence, not galvanized. This was decision made in coordination with the City and the Region of waterloo.

Horray.  I can't even begin to fathom how hideous this is going to be through the beautifully futuristic buildings of UoW, too.

Such a shame.

if you stand inside the fence you won't see it.

[Canard]

This excellent drone-filmed video just popped up today showing the status of Ottawa's elaborate LRT conversion. Lots of familiar sights! The complex stations look a lot more involved than ours, for sure.



Meanwhile, in London...

[Canard]

Saturday photos!

   
Here's the current state of the future platform area at Fairway.

   
Lost of ground prep!

   
Rails were delivered last week to the hydro corridor, just West of Fairway. The trains are really going to fly here!  The white truck in the foreground is the Holland Mobile Welder - it's on site here to weld shorter sections of rails, delivered on truck, into long, continuous runs. You can see one of these completed runs heading off into the distance.

   
At Charles and Stirling, trackwork has continued South, toward the Borden platform!

   
A close up of a weld between rail segments. This is the first stage of welding two pieces of rail together; all this slag is knocked away and ground down flush, so the seam is... well, seamless! For long, mostly straight runs, or runs with very gentle curvature, the rail is just maneuvered into shape on site. For tighter curves, like here, the rails are pre-rolled to the exact radius required, and have to be assembled in a specific order and location.

[Canard]

   
Here you can see those individual pre-curved rail segments, laid out in their correct order.

   
There is a ton of rebar involved in the traffic crossings!

   
Crews were out on Saturday to get this work complete as soon as possible.

   
More rail segments at Charles & Stirling.

   
Here's a shot of the future Borden station platform!

[Canard]

   
Construction is now getting started all along Duke, behind Kitchener City Hall.

   
Construction on Duke, from behind Kitchener City Hall.

   
Construction on Duke.

   
A close up of the new staircase which was built by GrandLinq for this school. Some of their front property was absorbed by the project, so a new staircase was required.

   
Lots of trackwork now in Midtown.

[Canard]

   
Embedded trackwork in Midtown.

   
Closer to Waterloo, this short section of track stands at King/Union.

   
Track at King/Union.

   
Here's the Grand River Hospital platform, poured and ready for track! I can't wait for the Anchor Walls to go up, but I expect that'll be well into 2017 before we see the stations kitted out.

[timio]

Closer to Waterloo, this short section of track stands at King/Union.

Union/King is slated to open by May 15th before Caroline/Erb closes down for 4 months.  Can the concrete be poured, cured, and asphalt placed in that time?

[Canard]

Based on previous crossings, I think yes! It'll be tight, but I bet they'll pull it off.  Or at least be within a week or so of that date.

I am curious, why do you mention Caroline/Erb closing for 4 months, with regard to the Union/King intersection?  Or are you just comparing the scope of work?  If that is the case, those are two totally different beasts.  Caroline/Erb is a monumental task, while Union/King is a very simple crossing. Or are you saying that somehow Union/King is a bypass that people would use if Erb/Caroline is closed? If so, how?

[GtwoK]

The latest Ion update claimed that the Caroline / Erb intersection would not close until both Union / King and William / King reopened.

[timio]

The latest Ion update claimed that the Caroline / Erb intersection would not close until both Union / King and William / King reopened.

This.

On or about May 16, Caroline/Erb will close for approximately four months. Detours will be in place from King to University to Westmount and from Erb to Regina to William. Access to the Waterloo Town Square North lot will be available via Caroline. Both the King/William and King/Union intersections will re-open prior to the Caroline/Erb closure

[timc]

Based on previous crossings, I think yes! It'll be tight, but I bet they'll pull it off.  Or at least be within a week or so of that date.

I am curious, why do you mention Caroline/Erb closing for 4 months, with regard to the Union/King intersection?  Or are you just comparing the scope of work?  If that is the case, those are two totally different beasts.  Caroline/Erb is a monumental task, while Union/King is a very simple crossing.  Or are you saying that somehow Union/King is a bypass that people would use if Erb/Caroline is closed?  If so, how?

If you want to get from one side of Uptown to the other, and Willis and Erb/Caroline are closed, you pretty much need to use William or Union, right?

[timc]

Meanwhile, in London...

I was going to say that there isn't anything *really* wrong with a full BRT system. But talking about building BRT and transitioning to LRT in the future doesn't make any sense to me. You're going to end up paying so much more if you go that route.