Waterloo Region Transit Developments (ION LRT, new terminal, GRT buses)

[reaperexpress]

Quick little update - June 17, 2016. As always, construction continues at lightning speed.

Caroline at Allen, looking east. Interestingly, they used a standard yellow case for the transit signals, rather than the all-black design recommended by the traffic manual (in order to be as distinct as possible from the regular signals). At first glance, I mistook the transit signal for a pedestrian signal.

Caroline at Uptown square, looking north. Shiny pole in foreground suggests that a traffic signal will be installed. Also note the elevator shaft construction in the background: a surface parking lot is being replaced with a retail/office building.

Uptown station (southbound), looking north. It will be interesting to see how they manage the desire line from the island-ish platform to the Uptown centre, which is on the opposite side of the street. Didn't see any dropped curbs, which suggests they may engage in futile fence-building.

Waterloo Park, looking north toward Seagram station. Not much new here if I recall correctly, though the west track now appears fully wired up. Over the east track, the running wire is still held up by carabiners.

 

[Markster]

Uptown station (southbound), looking north. It will be interesting to see how they manage the desire line from the island-ish platform to the Uptown centre, which is on the opposite side of the street. Didn't see any dropped curbs, which suggests they may engage in futile fence-building.

No fence building will happen at this platform. The road-side of the platform is going to serve double duty as a bus stop for Route 5.

Also, fun fact, you can see the concrete patch job they had to do on this platform. It was originally poured too close to the tracks, and they needed to cut it back about 1 to 2 inches.

 

[drum118]

No fence building will happen at this platform. The road-side of the platform is going to serve double duty as a bus stop for Route 5.

Also, fun fact, you can see the concrete patch job they had to do on this platform. It was originally poured too close to the tracks, and they needed to cut it back about 1 to 2 inches.

I stand to be corrected, but isn't a sidewalk is to go there??? I remember seeing a sidewalk to the south and most main streets have 2, not 1 sidewalks.

If the platform has to be cut as stated, they will bring a saw cutting company to saw cut it in no time.

 

[reaperexpress]

I stand to be corrected, but isn't a sidewalk is to go there??? I remember seeing a sidewalk to the south and most main streets have 2, not 1 sidewalks.

We are talking about the edge of the platform facing the road. The west side of the road will actually have a "multi-use trail", which is sadly nothing more than a 3.0m sidewalk where cycling is permitted. Caroline has far too many pedestrians and turning vehicles for such a thoughtless design, but we weren't able to convince them otherwise during the consultation phase.

 

[Markster]

I stand to be corrected, but isn't a sidewalk is to go there??? I remember seeing a sidewalk to the south and most main streets have 2, not 1 sidewalks.

The multi-use sidewalk will be on the left of the tracks. It has not yet been poured.

If the platform has to be cut as stated, they will bring a saw cutting company to saw cut it in no time.

Yeah, it's already done. They even had to cut out rebar. You can see in the picture that the concrete at the platform edge is a bit different, as it was the pour to give a nice clean edge after cutting it back.

 

[drum118]

July 03
This is part One of 4 parts as there too much to be put into one posting. 133 photos are on line from KW terminal to Fairview mall. Had plan to do this on Sat, but something came up to change the day.

I have a crow pie for the person who stated that the Charlies and Queen St area would be open within weeks of my post of not been open as plan. By rights, this area should be open before the end of the month, once they finish the track work since the roads are 100% complete and strip. Some sidewalk ares still be to be done. The posted sign states May opening.

Poles are being installed by the bus terminal as well various sections of Charles St. Aaaahh!! nice to see real transit signals using the bar system. One on each side of the street with traffic lights. Now if only we get TTC do do this as it will make life a lot easy for everyone.

Charles St will not be 100% complete before Sept down to Borden Ave, as there are many small and large sections waiting track work as well sidewalk. From Borden to Ottawa is partly ready for paving, but both intersection far from being ready. I find it strange they built an ROW in the northbound curb lane for that short block that will require the LRV to cross the northbound lanes twice to get to the centre section and not stay in the centre of the road like the rest of the line.

All the poles are up on Borden Ave from what I could see.

I decided to travel Ottawa St this time since I already did Borden the last trip. I expected to see the same work there like Borden, but how wrong was I. Completly floor at what I saw as well the sign stateing the road close for about 8 months starting April. This would see December being the completion time frame. After my walk over to the Mills St intersection, completion will not happen this year considering there still 4 block of underground work still to be done. Some of the road maybe done and open by Dec, but too much work to be done before anything can start, let alone completed by Dec.

If you are a pedestrian or an cycles who want to cross the track at the Mills/Ottawa intersection, you are royal screw and it could be until the end of the year. CN crew installing the new track that will bypass the current location that will be use for the southbound LRT line. I am assuming once the new track is in place and cut in at each end, the existing track will be remove to build both new track for the LRT. Until that is done, you take your chance crossing the track or find someone to drive you to where you want to go, since it a looong walking distance around this area.

In all my years watching tracks been built by TTC and others, I have never seen a short gap between the rail head and the concrete between the rails that is taking place here. This is a first for me and something like the 9th different way of building tracks in concrete.

 

[KevinT]

My suspicion is that the curb lane was used for the NB track between Ottawa and Borden due to the narrowness of Ottawa and the 25m minimum radius requirement. Although I suppose they could have brought it back to center immediately with an over-square curve followed by a counter bend, instead of hugging the curb for a full block before cutting back across Borden. Maybe it was to avoid moving as many underground utilities along that block of Charles...

 

[KevinT]

I have a crow pie for the person who stated that the Charlies and Queen St area would be open within weeks of my post of not been open as plan. By rights, this area should be open before the end of the month, once they finish the track work since the roads are 100% complete and strip. Some sidewalk ares still be to be done. The posted sign states May opening.

This intersection will be opening tomorrow:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...-reopen-thursday-grandlinq-confirms-1.3666835

As to the delay, the article explains that too:

Grandlinq said the intersection was closed for an extended period because it made more sense to do all the track and water and sewer infrastructure upgrades at Queen and Charles at the same time.

The original plan had been to close the intersection, re-open it, then close it again later for more work.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Aaaahh!! nice to see real transit signals using the bar system. One on each side of the street with traffic lights. Now if only we get TTC do do this as it will make life a lot easy for everyone.

My guess as to why they didn't use it is because it hadn't been in use when the TTC began building it's rights of way. Alos they probably figure that since everyone is used to traffic lights they would just use a different form of them. They do have a few specialized lights at some intersections using a white bar at the top of the normal traffic lights.

I wouldn't be surprised if they change them out around the same time as the cross town is getting it's signals in place.

 

[drum118]

My guess as to why they didn't use it is because it hadn't been in use when the TTC began building it's rights of way. Alos they probably figure that since everyone is used to traffic lights they would just use a different form of them. They do have a few specialized lights at some intersections using a white bar at the top of the normal traffic lights.

I wouldn't be surprised if they change them out around the same time as the cross town is getting it's signals in place.

TTC has the bars sigs at a few location for years. QQ/Spadina westbound.

As to the posting above on the delay, totally crap by CBC and Grandling, as the work was done other than the track and road work back in April and before then this year. Have the photos.

Lets see if the carhouse complex is 100% complete come Oct 1 as plan, as it far from it and no idea what the inside looks like. Will be part 3 of my review.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The vertical bar (go) was the only "legally" designated transit signal. The horizontal bar (stop) may have is still not in the MTO driver's handbook. See link.

In other words, Waterloo cannot "legally" turn it on to use the horizontal bar for transit.

 

[ShonTron]

The white bar, up until the latest HTA changes, simply meant a transit-only signal phase. If general traffic could go when the bus/streetcar/LRV could (say, in a median), there would be a green signal. So the white bar was used for transit-only turning phases (Queen and Dundas lefts to Broadview, BT/Zum buses exiting the Bramalea Terminal, left turn from Spadina to Adelaide/Charlotte Loop), or for transit-only queue-jumps, as seen at a few intersections in Ottawa.

I hope the TTC can change the signals to allow distinct white-bar signals, and do away with the "transit signal" signage to reduce visual clutter.

 

[cplchanb]

I hope the TTC can change the signals to allow distinct white-bar signals, and do away with the "transit signal" signage to reduce visual clutter.

Easier said than done. The current setup has been around for a few generations. All thats going to happen is confusion because drivers will have no idea of the change and wont bother to check their dusty drivers handbook
for what it means. Id say its more cost and practically effective just to leave the status quo especially if it still works. Ion on the other hand can afford to do this because its an entirely new system so drivers can right away be indoctrinated
into the new format.

 

[Markster]

The vertical bar (go) was the only "legally" designated transit signal. The horizontal bar (stop) may have is still not in the MTO driver's handbook. See link.

In other words, Waterloo cannot "legally" turn it on to use the horizontal bar for transit.

I suspect that the driver's handbook does not apply, as the Waterloo system does not share the same lanes, and thus does not piggyback on the same traffic signals.

Even if it "applies", there is nothing stopping from Waterloo from using the horizontal bar. There is simply no provincial document that they can hide behind in case they are sued about it; they'll have to prove it reasonable themselves in court. Most decisions these days are made based on legal defensibility. GrandLink, being the builder/operator, has probably decided that a sane signalling system that causes fewer crashes is better than one that is highly confusing, but arguably more defensible... maybe.

 

[modernizt]

Awesome updates here. As someone Waterloo born and raised and who was an advocate for LRT in the Region, it's amazing to see it coming to fruition. Between visits to Waterloo, this thread keeps me on the edge of my seat for 2017!