ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

Since this is out in the open now, I guess I can talk about it:  This is the new Ontario standard LRT pictogram:

   
(without the blue circle)

That single ugly one-off sign on Borden will get replaced, and this is the new icon that is replacing it.  All future LRT lines in Ontario will use this same icon - which is absolutely fantastic.

Sorry, notmyfriends.

[urbd]

Is it just me or is anyone else not pleased with the amount of new grass strips being added to the streetscape? I was expecting an extra wide sidewalk (or any hardscape really, i thought they would use the black concrete 'brick' thing they've used in other parts) close to King/Victoria, along Victoria... but that whole stretch is now lined with sod - odd choice for what is expected to be the densest urban hub in the Region.

I guess you can't please everyone, but - you're kidding, right?    I think it looks absolutely glorious and I welcome any and all green that can be added to the urban landscape.  Francis between King and Duke, and all of Borden look a kajillion times better than they used to.

As I said, I like the way it looks. But in an urban environment, grass actually affects mobility and pedestrian movement. Grass is more difficult to walk on (wheelchairs, strollers, etc.) than on a smooth hard surface. Has anyone here ever heard of bioswales? There are lots of examples where you can keep a great pedestrian environment with actually useful landscape infrastructure. Grass just needs regular maintenance, water, etc. What I mean is that yes, having green is great, but in an urban environment it is better to have it either in defined planting beds, or bioswales that actually have a function, or planters. Not as grass.

The sidewalk along Victoria, from Joseph to Charles feels extremely narrow now with all that grass: two people barely fit side by side. 

A couple examples of better defined greenery:

[KevinL]

I guess King Street in central downtown ticks your boxes, then?

[jamincan]

Since this is out in the open now, I guess I can talk about it:  This is the new Ontario standard LRT pictogram:


(without the blue circle)

That single ugly one-off sign on Borden will get replaced, and this is the new icon that is replacing it.  All future LRT lines in Ontario will use this same icon - which is absolutely fantastic.

Sorry, notmyfriends.

I kind of wish there was less clutter on the design, but I like it nonetheless.

   

[Canard]

Infinite improvement over Borden-tram! Remember that?

[notmyfriends]

Infinite improvement over Borden-tram!  Remember that?

To each his own  <3

[DHLawrence]

I'm kind of sorry they aren't using the CLRV or PCC pictograms.

[Viewfromthe42]

Things I didn't think I'd see: at King, between Francis and Victoria, it looks like there's a sign suggesting that buses drive onto the LRT tracks between the two streets. I don't know how I feel about this, but it'll be interesting to see if it's true.

[Markster]

You mean this?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is dead wrong, literally. Can we fix this <a href="https://twitter.com/rideIONrt">@rideIONrt</a>? <a href="https://t.co/eGcVJ4UuGd">pic.twitter.com/eGcVJ4UuGd</a></p>&mdash; Andrew Dodds (@AndrewJDodds) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewJDodds/status/781589164592627712">September 29, 2016</a></blockquote>

Looks like they'll be fixing it.

[timc]

That sign is clearly there for train operators so they don't drive into the other lane on King Street.

[Viewfromthe42]

Right in front of that sign, though, there's a sign saying transit only this lane, pointing a bus towards the rail, which has sufficient dimensions to accommodate one.

[DKsan]

Right in front of that sign, though, there's a sign saying transit only this lane, pointing a bus towards the rail, which has sufficient dimensions to accommodate one.

Which leads me to question again: can buses use/fit on the embedded ROW? There are a few instances I can imagine where an iXpress bus could use the transit lane partially.

For example, the 204 iXpress, as seen here, looks like it could use Francis/Benton in DT Kitchener, and probably share stops too.

[nms]

I used to have to make that turn all the time and I suspect the planned channelized right turn will improve the situation enough to eliminate the backup between Erb and Albert that has tended to develop on Bridgeport. While the backup often extends well past Regina, that is in part due to delays at Albert and King. If there is free-flow on Bridgeport after Albert, more people would use the middle lane and merge later, which would then help reduce delays due to right-turning traffic at Albert and King, which is as much a culprit for delays in that stretch as the turn at Bridgeport & Erb is.

I'm not sure if it was a one-off because University was closed to east-west traffic, but I happened to be near Bridgeport and Albert between 5:00 and 6:00 on Thursday and traffic was backed up from Erb east of King Street.

[KevinL]

I'm kind of sorry they aren't using the CLRV or PCC pictograms.

That might cause confusion in Toronto. We should be seeing LRVs on Eglinton and on Finch West, and streetcars downtown.

[Markster]

I'm not sure if it was a one-off because University was closed to east-west traffic, but I happened to be near Bridgeport and Albert between 5:00 and 6:00 on Thursday and traffic was backed up from Erb east of King Street.

Fun fact, University was completely open!  All lanes!  And it was also a rather epic traffic jam as I rode a bus through there at 5:20.

I notice that drivers are still pretty pensive making the Caroline-to-Erb turn.  It doesn't help that the north sidewalk of Erb is out of commission and fenced off, so pedestrians have to walk on the road.