ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

Point is: big projects can have big problems. And it's impossible for us to guess exactly what those problems are, from the outside with zero insight to the technical reasons as to why, so it's kind of pointless to speculate and reinforce each other's ideas. All it does is spin these self-reinforcing concepts which are not necessarily true or have any basis in how the real world of manufacturing actually works.

Ask me anything - I'd love nothing more than to get technical and share what I know and my experiences, if there's anything that crosses over between their industry and the one I'm a part of.

[Canard]

Oops... This must be related to the crossing work I posted photos of last weekend. [i](See post 5/6.)[/b]

http://www.570news.com/2016/09/02/waterl...ay-signal/

When we lived at the Kaufman Lofts, our unit faced Victoria and sometimes the Waterloo St. Crossing would get triggered and run endlessly. For days. It was awful. I can sympathize totally.

[danbrotherston]

Oops... This must be related to the crossing work I posted photos of last weekend. [i](See post 5/6.)[/b]

http://www.570news.com/2016/09/02/waterl...ay-signal/

When we lived at the Kaufman Lofts, our unit faced Victoria and sometimes the Waterloo St. Crossing would get triggered and run endlessly. For days. It was awful. I can sympathize totally.

Waterloo St. crossing?  I can't think of a train crossing in that area.

This type of thing happens not infrequently at railway crossings.  There's one 50 meters from my house that gets stuck on probably once a year.  It just goes indefinitely.  It creates a traffic issue, it doesn't have arms, so cars can (and legally can) cross after treating it like a stop sign, but many drivers don't know this and wait a while before going.  And I have to call the railway and get them to come fix it.  I'm not sure if the family could have done so here, certainly the railway is not a prompt responder, and there's also the issue of figuring out what number to call.

The noise is a bit annoying, but I really can't hear it from my house with the front windows closed.

As an aside, I really hate it when people describe themselves as "taxpayers".  First, "citizen" or "resident" or "person" conveys exactly the same entitlements.  And, while I don't know that, and don't want to ascribe this position to this particular person, many people do use the term "taxpayer" to imply they're more entitled to some right/voice in government/whatever, than those who "don't" pay taxes, like students, renters, whatever.

As another aside, you want an annoying noise, the accessibility features of the pedestrian signal on Glasgow is on continuously, I can't believe people who live there haven't complained.

[MidTowner]

As an aside, I really hate it when people describe themselves as "taxpayers".  First, "citizen" or "resident" or "person" conveys exactly the same entitlements.  And, while I don't know that, and don't want to ascribe this position to this particular person, many people do use the term "taxpayer" to imply they're more entitled to some right/voice in government/whatever, than those who "don't" pay taxes, like students, renters, whatever.

I had the same reaction. I think Sam let all of the ads last federal election get to his head. "Hardworking taxpayers with young children at home," please.

[Chris]

Waterloo St. crossing?  I can't think of a train crossing in that area.

This one here.

https://goo.gl/maps/gAMAXgTe62m

[KevinL]

I think some people feel that personally paying a property tax bill confers some kind of deeper status, despite that renters still pay that tax through their rent via their landlord. It is, of course, particularly pejorative when it comes to government spending and budgets - that it is somehow 'their' money that is being spent, and they should have some wider say on where it goes, democratic process be damned.

On a calmer note, Queen Station is really coming along - I won't be surprised if they do the main platform pour this weekend.

[danbrotherston]

Waterloo St. crossing?  I can't think of a train crossing in that area.

This one here.

https://goo.gl/maps/gAMAXgTe62m

Oh of course, derpedy derp.  I confused Waterloo St. with Water St.

[danbrotherston]

I think some people feel that personally paying a property tax bill confers some kind of deeper status, despite that renters still pay that tax through their rent via their landlord. It is, of course, particularly pejorative when it comes to government spending and budgets - that it is somehow 'their' money that is being spent, and they should have some wider say on where it goes, democratic process be damned.

On a calmer note, Queen Station is really coming along - I won't be surprised if they do the main platform pour this weekend.

Yup, some people do people feel that way.  They can go find a fiefdom to live in if they want.  The biggest irony is that my generation is often referred to as the entitlement generation.

Anyway, I can rant about this far too long.  I don't want to imply the person who wrote this necessarily feels that way, but I feel it's more of an implicit classism thing, but I do hate to see our language loosing progress away from equality.

I also saw the story made the record as well, in a fairly inaccurate article (in that it refers to the LRT big a billion dollar project).  The headline was also somewhat inflammatory, in that I hardly count one night of railway signal clanging as torture, and yes, I have had to listen to a railway clang all night before.  It is an unfortunate situation, and maybe the city should levy the standard noise violation fine against GrandLinq (really as a symbolic gesture), but most importantly, I hope they ensure it is only one night.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6836...isruption/

I can assume that the platforms which haven't been poured yet, have the rebar welded as needed?

[JCnb]

I noticed yesterday that the Weber street overpass (In Waterloo, over the LRT line) has temporary construction style fencing strapped to the side walls of the bridge

Two things that must mean: More permanent fencing/barriers will be installed as is done on most electrified lines and that the system must be or will soon be electrified?

[gomesjustin]

I think some people feel that personally paying a property tax bill confers some kind of deeper status, despite that renters still pay that tax through their rent via their landlord. It is, of course, particularly pejorative when it comes to government spending and budgets - that it is somehow 'their' money that is being spent, and they should have some wider say on where it goes, democratic process be damned.

On a calmer note, Queen Station is really coming along - I won't be surprised if they do the main platform pour this weekend.

Yup, some people do people feel that way.  They can go find a fiefdom to live in if they want.  The biggest irony is that my generation is often referred to as the entitlement generation.

Anyway, I can rant about this far too long.  I don't want to imply the person who wrote this necessarily feels that way, but I feel it's more of an implicit classism thing, but I do hate to see our language loosing progress away from equality.

I also saw the story made the record as well, in a fairly inaccurate article (in that it refers to the LRT big a billion dollar project).  The headline was also somewhat inflammatory, in that I hardly count one night of railway signal clanging as torture, and yes, I have had to listen to a railway clang all night before.  It is an unfortunate situation, and maybe the city should levy the standard noise violation fine against GrandLinq (really as a symbolic gesture), but most importantly, I hope they ensure it is only one night.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6836...isruption/

I can assume that the platforms which haven't been poured yet, have the rebar welded as needed?

My partner lives in that exact building, and I was staying there that night, I can assure you the signal noise was not that loud. So, this basically is just another crap piece by Jeff Outhit.

[Canard]

Well, I can tell you that living in the Kaufman Lofts with the bells going off at Waterloo Street, probably close to 500 m away, was awful.  It all depends on the orientation of your windows and the ambient noise in your unit.  If you have a fan on, not so bad.  If it's dead quiet, you'll hear a pin drop outside.

If they think it's bad now, just wait until service starts. Going to be lots of bellyaching then, for sure. Brace for it.

[Markster]

The anomaly aside, it is going to be a long-term noise pollution issue.
If trains are coming every 10 minutes each direction, then that means bells ringing every 5 minutes, all day long.

[Canard]

...for about one minute, too. At 70 km/h along the Spurs, they'll be triggered well in advance of a train approaching.



It irks me because the trains are so quiet, but these types of things are what make at-grade rail transport so unattractive.

Compare to this... https://youtu.be/j-RFXM06AZ0

[tomh009]

Well, I can tell you that living in the Kaufman Lofts with the bells going off at Waterloo Street, probably close to 500 m away, was awful.  It all depends on the orientation of your windows and the ambient noise in your unit.  If you have a fan on, not so bad.  If it's dead quiet, you'll hear a pin drop outside.

A lot depends on the windows used in the building.  Good windows do an amazing job of sound insulation.  We don't even hear ambulances in our unit when the windows are closed, even if it's very quiet inside.  I haven't been inside Kaufman Lofts, but it's quite possible the builder selected less expensive windows.

Triple pane windows are the best, similar to this:
http://www.bquiet.ca/how-they-work.html

[tomh009]

I think some people feel that personally paying a property tax bill confers some kind of deeper status, despite that renters still pay that tax through their rent via their landlord. It is, of course, particularly pejorative when it comes to government spending and budgets - that it is somehow 'their' money that is being spent, and they should have some wider say on where it goes, democratic process be damned.

Apartment renters are actually paying a higher rate of tax than house owners.  In Kitchener that's 2.1% (total) on multi-residential vs 1.1% on a single-family home.