12-21-2015, 02:31 PM
Mentioned earlier, ION will have "cachet" or a different feeling in the mind than the bus network. It is a single thing that is (in a simplified form) easy for the general public to understand and use. And it'll be new. And it's being touted as fast and safe and modern and comfortable and convenient... and we've been hearing about it for years (and will continue to for years to come).
Unlike the buses, which people generally only complain about (like the timing of the 201 and 204 interconnect at at F-H at Highland. Come on!), people won't start complaining about the ION's service until 2017
So, the 'novelty' will attract people to it, if nothing else. I don't expect it to be a large trend, but one that might be measurable.
That being said, running the numbers shows that cars are just too good in the Region at the moment to give up. Copious usually-free parking, cross-town traffic that is frustrating only at peak... if you already own a car, you aren't likely to use ION except for novelty's sake.
(( I hadn't thought about ION as lunch-time transit. So long as they implement fare collection properly enough that it's easy for occasional riders, I can easily see the tech people hopping on to transit to and from lunch. The level of service means you know you can get back to the office in time for that 1:30 someone booked that morning. Then we're getting hybrid passengers: ones who commute by car, but end up using transit during the day. ))
Ultimately I think ION is a part of the Region making the (safe) bet that traffic and parking will worsen in the future in the Region. Then someone considering a first, replacement, or second vehicle will finally have an acceptable alternative.
Unlike the buses, which people generally only complain about (like the timing of the 201 and 204 interconnect at at F-H at Highland. Come on!), people won't start complaining about the ION's service until 2017
So, the 'novelty' will attract people to it, if nothing else. I don't expect it to be a large trend, but one that might be measurable.
That being said, running the numbers shows that cars are just too good in the Region at the moment to give up. Copious usually-free parking, cross-town traffic that is frustrating only at peak... if you already own a car, you aren't likely to use ION except for novelty's sake.
(( I hadn't thought about ION as lunch-time transit. So long as they implement fare collection properly enough that it's easy for occasional riders, I can easily see the tech people hopping on to transit to and from lunch. The level of service means you know you can get back to the office in time for that 1:30 someone booked that morning. Then we're getting hybrid passengers: ones who commute by car, but end up using transit during the day. ))
Ultimately I think ION is a part of the Region making the (safe) bet that traffic and parking will worsen in the future in the Region. Then someone considering a first, replacement, or second vehicle will finally have an acceptable alternative.