ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Waterlooer]

I can confirm that Union and William crossing King are now open! Looks like Caroline/Erb intersection will be able to close tomorrow.

[Canard]

A nice article (!) from The Record about Saturday's visit from the Brampton troupe:

Local mayors share light rail tales with Brampton group

We walked a good chunk of the route, from University of Waterloo, all the way back to downtown Kitchener. Kim Moser even joined us and gave a presentation in Waterloo Town Square. It was bitterly cold, but the sun finally broke for the last hour or so.

[GtwoK]

As well, it's quite strange that they would not have buried the hydro wires before laying the track, which is what I'm having trouble understanding.

Why would they bury the wires?

That's been the norm elsewhere; where hydro wires cross the planned LRT track way, they get buried while utility work is done. Otherwise they'll be crossing the catenary wires.

[Rainrider22]

Does anybody know what these plates are for ?

[BuildingScout]

Does anybody know what these plates are for ?

Marilyn pictures when the train is approaching?

[isUsername]

Does anybody know what these plates are for ?

Is this at a crosswalk?

[darts]

Does anybody know what these plates are for ?

So blind people can feel the surface is different and know it's a crosswalk. How they find those plates to know where to cross is beyond me. Sometimes they are yellow but I imagine they will all look like that eventually.

[Markster]

It's "Tactile paving"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactile_paving

Tactile warnings provide a distinctive surface pattern of truncated domes, cones or bars detectable by long cane or underfoot which are used to alert the visually impaired of approaching streets and hazardous surface or grade changes.

How they find those plates to know where to cross is beyond me.

These are only at places where there are curb-cuts with level access. Elsewhere, there are curbs with a detectable drop, so one can tell there is no crossing.  These indicate where the sidewalk ends, and also indicate a signaled/signed crossing.

[KevinL]

[quote pid='21341' dateline='1463411535']
 How they find those plates to know where to cross is beyond me.

[/quote]

I understand they are very distinctive to a cane user.

[The85]

The tactile plates for visually impaired are now standard across Ontario under AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act). 

Any public sidewalk that is new or rebuilt in the Province will have these.

[tomh009]

 How they find those plates to know where to cross is beyond me.

I understand they are very distinctive to a cane user.

They are.  These are everywhere in Tokyo, both in the "dot" form to indicate edges, and in "groove" form to indicate paths.  The ones in Tokyo are bright yellow, but I suspect the colour is really rather irrelevant for the people these are targeted at.

[Canard]

I was just about to mention Japan! I couldn't believe how everywhere they have "the groove". I would see people just flying along with their cane locked into it. For a country with such little accommodation anywhere else for disabilities, they take care of people with a visual impairment astonishingly well.

[The85]

I understand they are very distinctive to a cane user.

They are.  These are everywhere in Tokyo, both in the "dot" form to indicate edges, and in "groove" form to indicate paths.  The ones in Tokyo are bright yellow, but I suspect the colour is really rather irrelevant for the people these are targeted at.

Alternating surface colours can actually be a significant assistance to some who are visually impaired. For those with low vision, colour can make a big difference.

Another component of improving universal accessibility for new/rebuilt sidewalks that continue all of the way to the curb (i.e. no grass boulevard) is to have an alternate colour such as a darker shade of concrete to delineate the boundary of the sidewalk to the road. Those with low vision can identify the darker concrete strip adjacent to the road and determine that it is the edge.

An example is the recently widened Weber Street at Wellington Street  https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4570166,-...312!8i6656

While it's a nice aesthetic feature, it's actual intended purpose is for accessibility.

[tomh009]

A good point: not all visually impaired people are completely blind, or using a cane. Thanks.

[kwliving]

I was just about to mention Japan! I couldn't believe how everywhere they have "the groove". I would see people just flying along with their cane locked into it. For a country with such little accommodation anywhere else for disabilities, they take care of the blind astonishingly well.

I'd like to address what I highlighted not because I think you had bad intent, but because I want to speak up about the perspective of disability.

Blind people don't need taking care of. They are also people and should be acknowledged as such, as in blind people or people who are blind or vision impaired.

Regarding the Japanese intersections you referred to, they were (re)designed so that a person with any type of vision impairment doesn't have the common barriers we have here. It allows them to cross the road safely and independently. Needs were accommodated that allowed independence.

Barriers are often attitudinal. If we can change people to believe that most disabilities can be overcome by improving the environment we live in, everyone could live in a much more accessible world. Often barriers can be removed at little or no extra cost. Convincing people of that proves to be the difficult task.

*soapbox off*