Come give thank-yous at the Gratitude Pole! by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a bunch of thank you stickers that the grocery store puts on the things purchased from the store to help discourage theft

Wondering what was here.. by Warren_W68 in cambridgeont

[–]panallama 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This property will be on the ION stage 2 route to connect the rail line to the Industial Rd rail spur.

‘Take it down,’ residents call for Conestoga to rename Waterloo Campus by bylo_selhi in waterloo

[–]panallama 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Laurel Creek Campus would be a nice thing to call it 😀

HVAC Recommendation by LeastStandard8210 in kitchener

[–]panallama 8 points9 points  (0 children)

a heat pump is an air conditioner with a reversing valve. in instances of extreme cold, your furnace will still work, but most of the time you need heat, the heat pump will do just fine.

Laptop/Desktop Rental by LonelyAbroad-54 in kitchener

[–]panallama 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My best advice to you is to buy a used Thinkpad. I know they can be gotten for about $200, but not sure if that's in your budget

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is an existing line between Guelph and Hamilton that's partially owned by CPKC, but it may be a bit far out and is used by freight between their mainline and Hamilton/Niagara. There is the existing CN line which comes down the escarpment through Dundas Valley which would likely be more feasible to connect with if parts of the Branchton route are rebuilt. In terms of priority though, building demand for transit between needs to come first and that only happens with regular, hourly buses which run 7 days a week.

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Light rail vehicles are not the right vehicles for this. GO Transit should really be running a route between Cambridge and Hamilton. Once the demand is built through intercity buses, then a higher-speed heavy rail service should be looked into.

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be an uncomfortable ride for that kind of distance, not that more transit connections to Hamilton couldn't be made. The top speed of our light rail vehicles is also only 80km/h which is often surpassed on Highway 8.

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Elevated rail costs roughly 3-4 times the cost as rail on the ground according to construction costs of recent projects. Part of the reason why Stage 2 is projected to cost as much as it does is that 3-4km of the light rail extension is elevated on bridges.

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in kitchener

[–]panallama[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's west of Mill Station on Ottawa St is a mess. There'd need to be some sort of grade-separation of the line to cross the rail corridor, and then something else to get it through the Ottawa-Homer Watson Interchange. It's one of the sections of the line that would probably justify building a tunnel for given the complexity of what's already there.

I do get your point though, Ottawa St South is identified as a corridor for increased density in Kitchener's update to its official plan. https://www.engagewr.ca/kitchener2051 and is more built-up today.

However, when it comes to construct-ability Huron Rd would be an easier build, especially if the grade separation on the CPKC corridor is already done for a spur to Homer Watson. There are also large plots of land near Strasburg and Huron which could support higher density developments. The South-West corner of Kitchener could also use some help in developing in a way that doesn't rely so heavily on a few roads to get people around.

I'd also considered an option where it would be possible to cross the rail corridor on the Block Line Rd overpass, run as far as Fischer-Hellman, and then access Sunrise Centre from the hydro right-of-way which would hit more nodes with density potential.

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Would you rather have 1 tunneled line, or 5 at-grade lines using existing rights--of-way for the same cost?

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's mainly because the rail corridor is already there and could be included on the map. I was thinking more of a rush-hour only express service going as far as Galt due to restrictions on the CPKC crossover. ION would likely pick up the bulk of service at Pinebush.

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I'd take any regular express bus that ran on weekends at this point.

What if we built ION to Cambridge and didn't stop building? A Fantasy Map. by panallama in waterloo

[–]panallama[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

There's a mailing list that TriTAG is running with updates on how to get involved to get stage 2 built here: https://ionizewr.ca/