ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Markster]

From the facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/34495058...story=null

For tomorrow: please enter by car/bike at 518 Dutton Drive and by GRT via 200 iXpress at Northfield/Parkside or by 9 at Northfield/Kumpf – you can enter via the Northfield ION Stop

[Bob_McBob]

Is public opinion about ION really as negative as local social media seems to indicate? I understand the construction has been a huge pain in the ass for KW drivers and most people won't actually use it, and based on the results of the last two elections it isn't a huge issue for most voters. However, CTV and The Record try their damnest to drum up controversy whenever possible, and it seems like showing even the slightest bit of support makes you stand out so much you become a target for online bullying. It just makes me feel very disheartened that so few people have anything positive to say, even in places like the Waterloo subreddit. It's always the same tired old nonsense.

[panamaniac]

Does it matter?

[Elmira Guy]

Who cares what they think? The project is literally (and nearly) a done deal. Nothing has changed with regards to the huge positive impact is will (and indeed already has had) have on the region. Those who are opposed to it are the ones who would never get out of their car to use it anyway, so their opinions count for bugger all.

Let them yip!

[Canard]

I think the fact that the last Open House had an hour-long wait that wrapped around the building, and was absolutely packed with people speaks a lot louder than a couple of dozen loud folks on social media.

[highlander]

Most of the comments in those places are negative regardless of the topic. Controversy is essentially their business model. On the other hand I hear there's a local forum with >9000 posts about ION, the overwhelming majority of which are positive. I highly recommend it.

[KevinL]

It's also easy for someone to say they won't ride a system that they've never seen in action or may not have closely looked into. Once they hear from friends and colleagues who have firsthand experience, though, they may quietly change their minds.

[Elmira Guy]

/\ I agree completely. That's another way I think these kinds of systems are going to have a profound and ongoing improvement on how people will look at modes of transportation other than the automobile. And equally important to me, it can't help but increase the appreciation for passenger rail in all it's forms.

[ijmorlan]

It's also easy for someone to say they won't ride a system that they've never seen in action or may not have closely looked into. Once they hear from friends and colleagues who have firsthand experience, though, they may quietly change their minds.

Indeed. For a long time I’ve been saying that by the time of the 2018 election, you won’t be able to find a serious politician who will admit to having been against it. With the opening date still in doubt I’m modifying that to be conditional on the system opening at least half a year before the election, but I think the point still stands. I think something similar is likely to be true of the general populace, although there will be a few die-hards.

[Pheidippides]

I imagine there are more than a few politicians who were hoping 2014 would be their last election and that the opening of Ion would be their great farewell and legacy event

With the opening date still in question they may have to consider running for re-election to get the "credit" at the opening.

[Bob_McBob]

It's not so much the vocal haters and whiners themselves, it's that aside from places like WRC, any discussion of the LRT is met with either overwhelming dislike or indifference. I understand we have thousands of people attending ION open house events, though of course the usual response is that everyone who doesn't attend doesn't support ION (and the one idiot who complained about The Record describing 2,670 at the last event as "thousands"). CTV loves to bumper their videos with people complaining about not wanting an LRT, and there is really not a whole lot of positive representation in the media. I'm also not aware of any official polling. And again, just speaking up in support is enough to garner bullying and harassment from the crowds of negative naysayers; I've had to block several people in recent weeks for following me around and calling me a woman or pretending I'm someone else posting under a fake account. It's like being in middle school all over again.

I understand the benefits of the LRT and what it means for the region, I just don't have any real feel for the general public support. I know in the end it doesn't matter since the system is already built, it just nags at me because I see so much negativity.

[Elmira Guy]

CTV and The Record are sludge with regards to their reporting on the LRT.

I have found that 570 News (at least in their online news) and the local CBC online news have been well-balanced in their reporting. Not sure about Waterloo Chronicle and Kitchener Post as I rarely read them (not for any particular reason either).

[JoeKW]

Does it matter?

Angry people vote, so it does matter quite a bit. We don't want some reactionary idiots running our cities.

[Canard]

Anyone else notice that the super duper fembot voice of ION premiered today at all of our powered-up platforms?

"NO SLEEPING ON BENCH" is my favourite lol

[Elmira Guy]

Is it the same voice as is being used on GRT?