Ion LRT construction frustrates Kitchener residents

Some Kitchener residents say theyare growing frustrated with the slow progress and lack of clarity during the construction of the Ion light rail transit (LRT) line.

"I would say anything but smoothly is the best way to describe it," said local businessownerScott Hamill. "It's been an ongoing struggle for us to operate in amidst of the almostmilitarizedzone that it feels like in construction."

Hamill is the co-owner of Grand River Rocks climbing gym at Charles Street East and Borden Avenue South in downtownKitchener. He told CBC Radio's The Morning Editionhost Craig Norris his customers are frustrated because of the hassle it takes to get to his business.

• Drone-shot video shows Ion light rail progress

"It's almost impossible for us and our staff and our customers to navigate through the maze, which is changing on an almost daily basis," he said. "Thesignagejust isn't there."

A 14-year-old boy named Michael even called into the CBC station in Kitchener to say he and his friends stopped going to the gym due to "very hindering and quite annoying" construction.

"They seem to be frustrated and angry about how hard it is to see us," Hamill said.

Grandlinq spokeswoman Avril Fiskinspoke to CBC before Hamill reached out and said workers are using a "very efficient"plan.

"What design/build means is that the design and the construction moving ahead not in parallel but with the design slightly ahead," Fiskin said. "So what it means is it's designed to be made, construction comes in fast to follow up to that."

This means decision-makers are making their decisions on the street and changes are made as required.

"So that then requires more design, which then requires construction to speed up to catch up on that. So it's hard to pin the schedule."

'Dangerous' parking lot

But for Hamill, the lack of traffic management and long delays are hurting his business.

"The other big thing would be traffic and construction crews on our property. [On] more than oneoccasionduring construction, they erroneouslyfunnelledall of the traffic on Charles Street through our parking lot,which became quite dangerous," he said.

"[People are] flooring it through our lot," Hamill added.

The businessman said in one instance, a stage that was supposed to be done in three and a half months is currently wrapping up at about the 14-month mark.

In another, he saidthe main entrance to the gym was damaged by a crane carrying a beam during construction.

'Navigate through the maze'

"For the most part, they have been quick to respond to ongoing problems," he said. "But they haven't done anything successfully to prevent it from happening again up until now."

That's why other businesses in the area have initiated their own signage campaigns to help deal with the flow of traffic being diverted off main roads, according toHamill.

"It's almost impossible for us and our staff and our customers to navigate through the maze, which is changing on an almost daily basis," Hamill said.

"What they told us just isn't mirroring what's happened."

The rapid transit system is expected to be completed sometime in 2017.