ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[MacBerry]

A quick primer on the next possible LRT vehicles that may come to #Waterloo Region in Phase 2 development. #Metrolinx moves their next piece on the #LRT chessboard and says "check" #Bombardier

Our fleet is so small, that there's no way they'll go with another manufacturer for phase 2.  Bombardier would have to literally be out of business.  There are just too many efficiencies to be had with buying more Felxities.  And, we need few enough vehicles, that Bombardier, even at their lethargic pace, can still make them in a reasonable time!  

What happens to Waterloo LRT if Bombardier does go out of business? (bankruptcy protection? 3x?). 

Last year Bombardier was already broke (you didn't see any world banks lining up to service Bombardier's finance needs). They needed at least $2 Billion to stay afloat from Quebec and Feds. They could very well be done in the next year or couple of years because they won't have customers resulting because they can't be trusted as a builder/supplier.

I agree with your view on "efficiencies" for 14 vehicles, which really is less of an issue  for ionLRT and more so when the hundreds of vehicles (street rail and LRT) needed in Ontario can't be delivered on-time, serviced or parts supplied.

The message Metrolinx is sending to Bombardier > shut up and work harder, deliver on time or we have options and you won't be part of those options.  That message is now being sent to the rest of the world too. 

Bombardier needs to stop whining and actually care about their customers more than the usurious salaries they are paying Bombardier executives and senior managers.

[nms]

Also, I think I saw out of the corner of my eye while I was driving through William at King, that the trees were being planted in Uptown Waterloo.

You are correct. Looks great!
I can't wait for this finished streetscape (benches, etc)... the extra wide sidewalks on both sides are a great addition to Uptown.

Let's hope that there is some plan for greenery or shade on the east side.  In the afternoon, that side is going to be quite hot in the summer sun.

[Square]

On CTV news they say the first train will test maybe at the end of summer?! Is that normal or late? Sounds late to me.

[tomh009]

There was room on King for bike lane from Erb to William or further south, but there was a greater "need" for on-street parking that was lost to the LRT and streetscape work.

This was pure politics, to get the uptown businesses (and the Waterloo city council?) on board.  Objectively speaking there is plenty of parking, but the region decided to concede this point in order to get agreement on LRT overall.

Personally, I would give up the parking lane in a second, but the broad sidewalks are what we should have in the central urban core of (the city of) Waterloo.

[Canard]

Full wall fence now at the North end of the King St. Grade Separation.

[ijmorlan]

There was room on King for bike lane from Erb to William or further south, but there was a greater "need" for on-street parking that was lost to the LRT and streetscape work.

This was pure politics, to get the uptown businesses (and the Waterloo city council?) on board.  Objectively speaking there is plenty of parking, but the region decided to concede this point in order to get agreement on LRT overall.

Personally, I would give up the parking lane in a second, but the broad sidewalks are what we should have in the central urban core of (the city of) Waterloo.

Interesting. If the few parking spots were eliminated, it raises an interesting question: what are the traffic lanes on King St. in that area actually for? With no parking spots and no driveways, the only thing a car can do is drive the entire length of the block. But that can be done on adjacent streets. So why not just expand the (non-vehicular) street by eliminating the through lanes entirely? Of course that suggestion has already been made and is probably still too “radical” for Waterloo. Maybe when the LRT system needs rebuilding in a few decades.

[KevinL]

Now THAT's transit-adjacent marketing.

[panamaniac]

That site has been for sale for well over a year now, iinm. Is the lot too small to be attractive for redevelopment?

[timc]

Interesting. If the few parking spots were eliminated, it raises an interesting question: what are the traffic lanes on King St. in that area actually for?

At this point, the thing they are best suited for is going around the block when you've figured out that you got stuck on Caroline and can't turn left.

[Drake]

Assessed for $250,000. For sale for $1M more. A year later you say?

[Canard]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mill Station, looking all pretty and sidewalk-y. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wrLRT?src=hash">#wrLRT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wrAwesome?src=hash">#wrAwesome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/futureIONrider?src=hash">#futureIONrider</a> <a href="https://t.co/OIGEFTWZ0L">pic.twitter.com/OIGEFTWZ0L</a></p>&mdash; iain (@Canardiain) <a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/864280999122931713">May 16, 2017</a></blockquote>

[KevinL]

Is the open triangle space there the spot for the public art?

[nms]

Interesting. If the few parking spots were eliminated, it raises an interesting question: what are the traffic lanes on King St. in that area actually for? With no parking spots and no driveways, the only thing a car can do is drive the entire length of the block. But that can be done on adjacent streets. So why not just expand the (non-vehicular) street by eliminating the through lanes entirely? Of course that suggestion has already been made and is probably still too “radical” for Waterloo. Maybe when the LRT system needs rebuilding in a few decades.

The short answer is likely that they still need a north-south corridor for car traffic.  Through Uptown Waterloo, unlike in Kitchener, there is no parallel street that run from Union to Columbia that can easily take the traffic. (eg Park runs from Union north but ends at William; Regina runs south from Columbia but also ends at William).  Westmount and Weber in Waterloo are too far west and east to be viable north-south alternatives for traffic that needs to reach a couple blocks either side of King.

[Canard]

^^ I think so, Kevin. Check the site for the art projects, it has a technical diagram of the placement.

Kevin t points out on Facebook that they've done it again - sidewalk there is on the wrong side of the crossing arm. D'oh!

[KevinT]

Kevin t points out on Facebook that they've done it again - sidewalk there is on the wrong side of the crossing arm. D'oh!

Lol, thanks.  Specifically the sidewalk for those leaving the station to head south on Ottawa.  :-)