ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[insider]

Wow... no updates in 3 days? Nothing interesting to note?

[ookpik]

Nothing interesting to note?

Since you asked...

Region still negotiating LRT expropriation deals 

Coun. Tom Galloway, who chairs the committee overseeing the light rail project, said the negotiations are not holding up construction, which started this year. "There's a lot of expropriations that aren't settled but the expropriation has taken place and the project can move forward," he said.

Settlements have been offered to each of the property owners as part of the expropriation process but Debra Arnold, regional solicitor, did not answer how many are still being negotiated...

Former regional chair hopeful Jay Aissa is one such property owner who has not yet settled with the region.

The two sides continue to negotiate over a sliver of his commercial property on Northfield Drive. "We are in discussions with this property owner and its legal counsel in an effort to reach a mutually agreeable settlement on compensation for the partial expropriation at this subject property," Arnold said.

Aissa was issued an expropriation notice from the region mid-2013, Arnold said, for a partial taking of land in front of his Jay Fencing business...

[JCnb]

Work on the Northfield Dr. bridge has moved from the outer edges to the center of the span now that the parapet walls and sidewalks are done. 18 Months seems like an awfully long time to have the ramps closed, any idea what could take so long?

[timio]

According to the latest update, work has started around in the Waterloo Town Square parking lot in preparation for the new tracks, which look to be scheduled for next year.  Not clear if they'll be doing a temporary layer of asphalt at Erb/Caroline for the winter.

Various other updates as well, including closures of rail crossings around the University over the next few weeks and that Borden should be completely reconstructed by the end of October.

Some pictures from the E5 bridge yesterday (iPhone quality):

North towards the UW stop



South towards University:

[GtwoK]

Didn't realize a more full set of updates came in the form of a mailing list. Thanks timio!

From that update: Charles in front of the terminal is getting curbs / paved starting today! Picked a friend up from the terminal at 7 this morning. Was wondering why the street had been completely shut down.

Also apparently: more curbs and some asphalt work being done at Stirling and ending today. Will have to check that out. Curbs supposedly being placed around the Cedar station too?

Side note: I asked earlier, but no response: does anyone know what's happening with the Madison Ave — Charles ramp? Will that still be providing access to Charles, or will it be converted into a pedestrian walkway of some sort? Would be nice to see that retaining wall rebuilt too, but I don't think it'll happen.

[KevinL]

Side note: I asked earlier, but no response: does anyone know what's happening with the Madison Ave — Charles ramp? Will that still be providing access to Charles, or will it be converted into a pedestrian walkway of some sort? Would be nice to see that retaining wall rebuilt too, but I don't think it'll happen.

To my knowledge nothing much will change, the only difference would be that cars coming down it would not be able to turn left due to the LRT median.

[GtwoK]

Side note: I asked earlier, but no response: does anyone know what's happening with the Madison Ave — Charles ramp? Will that still be providing access to Charles, or will it be converted into a pedestrian walkway of some sort? Would be nice to see that retaining wall rebuilt too, but I don't think it'll happen.

To my knowledge nothing much will change, the only difference would be that cars coming down it would not be able to turn left due to the LRT median.

I see. The only reason I ask is because of this plan:



which appears to put a curb in front of the road. Unless they are just trying to denote a depressed sidewalk across it. But it doesn't seem to show reworked curbs like the other intersections do.

[clasher]

There's asphalt on Stirling where it crosses Charles and it's open to traffic... I just rode through there this afternoon... smooth as can be.

[Canard]

A few more segments of concrete embedded track have been poured on Borden between Courtland and the CN tracks.

[KevinL]

 Unless they are just trying to denote a depressed sidewalk across it. But it doesn't seem to show reworked curbs like the other intersections do.

That's my guess; perhaps just an oversight? Remember that these are guideline documents, GrandLinq will be working from far more detailed specifications.

[Canard]

https://twitter.com/MichaelLipka/status/...0567037952

[GtwoK]

https://twitter.com/MichaelLipka/status/...0567037952

Oh wow! This is great to see. Didn't think they'd be doing the tracks during this closure, seeing as other closures seem to pave the streets to later be torn up again for track laying. But great that it's getting done now!

I don't understand the comment in that tweet though; from what I've seen of the embedded tracks at Borden, there's virtually no bump in the road, and certainly not enough of one to disrupt a cyclist.

[clasher]

Streetcar tracks are notorious for cyclists due to the propensity for tires to get stuck in the gap. It's not a problem crossing tracks at a 90° but it can be worrisome when the angle becomes more acute. This was part of the problem with the iron horse where it crossed the tracks in Victoria Park before they re-aligned the trail so it crossed closer to perpendicular. I don't know what the plans for Benton are after the tracks are installed but if there are bike lanes they could paint them with a slight jog so that a bike lane crosses at a better angle. Steel rails are also really slippery when wet so that's another danger riders need to know. I don't know what the final plan for this intersection is though.

[ert86]

@clasher

Yup, I wiped out for the first time a few months ago when the south heading corner on Caroline/Erb closed, i had a feeling i should just cross on foot, but didn't and paid for it by flipping over the handlebars, luckily it was at 6:20am on a Sunday, so there wasn't any traffic.

[timio]

Didn't realize a more full set of updates came in the form of a mailing list. Thanks timio!

Construction Updates and Traffic Updates aren't really useful on the RideIon.ca website. They pretty much just say the same things in a different format. About every 2 weeks one of these updates gets sent out detailing what's going on.