ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

The rectangular cutouts in the concrete are for redundant inductive loops for traffic control only.

No progress at Cameron Heights or KCI crossovers.

Railway crossing signals are in at Waterloo Park on the "south" crossing.

UoW platform is getting the same concrete rework for stay current grounding that R&T park got a few weeks ago. 3 more platforms to go after these two.

Bearanger TPSS enclosure is finished off - wood on back, dense vertical black bars on front. Columbia had the poles in place; Northfield TPSS is just about finished off. Not sure how I feel about them.

The crossing behind Albert McCormic Arena has arms now and the guys are wiring/testing them this morning.

Tons of work at the OMSF! Must be 50 guys out in the yard, at least.

Ballasted track is now in place in both directions across the Northfield bridge over the Conestoga Parkway.

Embedded track curve at Northfield/King is complete! Northfield traffic has now shifted to the south side of the Rapidway.

[jamincan]

UoW platform is getting the same concrete rework for stay current grounding that R&T park got a few weeks ago. 3 more platforms to go after these two.

What is this about exactly? I have no idea what "stay current grounding" means, unfortunately.

[Canard]

Oops - "stray". The Project Agreement says that the rebar in the platforms has to be welded (at least one of the bars that runs the full length must be welded to every "width" rebar). They missed this on the first 5 platforms they poured so have to jackhammer them up pretty good. Oops!

[jamincan]

Aha, makes sense. Hopefully they either got it right the first time or caught it the second time at Caroline - it would be slightly ironic if they had to repair it a second time!

[Canard]

1/6 - Saturday, August 27, 2016

Despite a minor neck injury that has left me relatively grounded for most of the week, I decided I couldn't wait any longer to get out, and ended up riding my bike more than 30 km today along the line to see where things are at.

The first batch of photos here are all along Duke Street, in Kitchener, where things are really coming along.

   

   

   

   

   

[Canard]

2/6 - Saturday, August 27, 2016

   
Trackwork along King, in front of the Kaufman Lofts.

   
The now-open intersection of Francis and King.

   
The track curve between Charles and Victoria is going in!

   
Another shot of the Charles/Victoria track curve.

   
As others noted earlier in the week, the first concrete pour of the Queen platform has now taken place.

[Canard]

3/6 - Saturday, August 27, 2016

Nothing was happening on Ottawa (other than the other "half" got paved), and the crossovers at both KCI and Cameron Heights haven't begun installation yet, so no photos from either of those locations.

   
At the end of Borden, while no track has gone in yet (work here was to start this week), the duct bank is now in place.  I'm most curious how this curve will look, when complete - it's a bit tricky, because it's a transition from embedded track to ballasted, and will also need a restraining rail because r<150m.

   
The embedded track curve at Allen/King is now poured.

   
Allen platform

   
Willis Way now has its overhead canopy in place.

   
Another shot of the Willis Way station.  The far side of the platform will serve as a platform for buses as well (transfer point).

[Canard]

4/6 - Saturday, August 27, 2016

   
Backside of the Willis Way anchor wall is now outfitted with the glass tiles, as well.  Just needs that top row!

   
Trackwork taking place along the Waterloo Spur.

   
Huge gantry supporting railway signals now in place at Seagram.  Thanks, Transport Canada!

   
Seagram stop uprights for the canopy now have protective coverings - presumably for the impending concrete work on the platform.

   
This, unfortunately, is what the entrance to the R+T Park station is now going to look like.  I think it's absolutely terrible.  Those fences have got to go, and look like garbage. C'mon!

[Canard]

5/6 - Saturday, August 27, 2016

   
Crossing arm work taking place today behind Albert McCormic Arena.

   

   
Tons of work happening in the OMSF Yard!

   
Track curve waiting for concrete between the Waterloo Spur and Northfield.

   
Ballasted track going in across the Northfield Bridge over the Conestoga Parkway!

[Canard]

6/6 - Saturday, August 27, 2016

   
Really hard to get a good vantage point here (too busy/was exhausted at this point), but the embedded track curve at Norhtfield/King is now complete, and traffic on Northfield has now shifted to the South side of the rapidway.

   
Looking back down Northfield.

   
A different view of the side of the OMSF that very few of us will (unfortunately) ever get to see - the grand entrance to the main hall.

   
Another shot of the main entrance.

   
TPSS Enclosure almost complete at Northfield.

[Canard]

Great article out of Ottawa (from a fellow I went to High School with!):

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...as-history

[Pheidippides]

I came across this old diagram of the which helps to answer my own question of a few pages back about what exactly is being installed at the platforms now and later:
http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/...pdf#page=4
   

[Elmira Guy]

Charging fees to the townships for services they do not benefit from is absurd.

While the title of this article is slightly (and deliberately I'm sure) inflammatory, it's absurd to charge fees for services that do not exist. Why should reisdents of Conestogo, Maryhill, Heidelburg, Wellesley, et al pay for transit when there is no transit available in those communities? Elmira and St Jacobs have transit (sub par though it may be), and residents of those communities rightly pay for it. But the other communities in the townships are not going to see transit service for decades, yet the region may very well decide to charge $3,600 per new home no matter where in the township they are built? If the chooses this option, is it unfair for residents of the townships to expect some transit service in return for their money, or is that asking too much?

I am an unswerving supporter of LRT but I don't think people should have to pay for something when there community is not serviced by it.

Region Eyes Fees On Township Builds To Help Finance LRT.

http://observerxtra.com/2016/08/18/regio...nance-lrt/

[rangersfan]

I agree with you Elmira_Guy but I think the argument would likely be:

"Rapid Transit will prevent suburban sprawl protecting all the townships from these changes.

While I agree it will cut down suburban sprawl and the associated costs that come with it, I just don't see how that significantly benefits the individual Township homeowner.
I hope this idea does not come to pass as it may prevent future rapid transit extensions and lines within the region.

[Elmira Guy]

Is it not already the case though that the cities are not permitted to expand out into the townships? For example, is there not a green belt between Waterloo and Woolwich?

Seems to me that residents of the townships should be getting some sort of rebate seeing as they had their waste transfer stations shut down and are now being forced to bring all rubbish and yard waste (that can't be curbed) into Erb St landfill. I mention that as I see it as indicative of the view held by the region towards the townships. Less important, but still a good source of revenue even if the services being charged for are not made available.

I'm curious to see what others think. It will be quite indicative of how people view the townships and their residents