ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Markster]

A trench through UW is my "fix the stop locations in the University area in 30 years" fantasy.

Comparing to the Toronto West Diamond isn't even what you need to look at. That's a massive heavy rail grade separation, with much stricter grade requirements, and larger height requirements. For LRT, you need even less distance to drop below the road level.

[BuildingScout]

Plus below grad rail corridors are unsightly, and tend to attract crime as well as taggers.

[clasher]

LOL, traffic already stops all the time on those streets so I dunno that it will really make a difference except to people who are making really short car trips and that's the price they gotta pay.

[Drake]

My fantasy is to see students use the pedestrain bridge over University avenue rather than amble into traffic whenever it suits them.

[BuildingScout]

My fantasy is to see students use the pedestrain bridge over University avenue rather than amble into traffic whenever it suits them.

That bridge is so useless. i wonder why they ever bothered. Same for the one over the train tracks, it is so hard to access from the campus side.

[The85]

Looking at the proposed Northfield Drive/85 interchange revisions, (that includes not allowing eastbound Northfield traffic to head north on 85, nor allowing westbound Northfield traffic to head south in 85), it will become a headache for drivers.  It will unnecessarily push volume to the Farmer's Market exit.  I wonder how discussions went between the Province (for Highway), the Region (for Northfield) and the City and Township went for dramatically changing the driving patterns around this interchange.  Let's hope that the left hand spoke to the right hand which spoke to the other two hands.

Clearly not entirely as the Province just repaved Northfield Drive over the Highway 85 bridge this fall as part of the current project to rehabilitate Highway 85 through Waterloo. This will all have to be torn up in about a years time for the LRT. Little multi-level government/inter-department coordination details like this matter and it is such a waste at the end of the day.

[BuildingScout]

The bigger question is is there any alternative? The planning document made it sound like there just isn't enough space for both Northfield station and a proper interchange.

[Canard]

In any major project involving multiple players it's impossible to not have some level of re-work occur. If everyone waited for everyone else, projects would take five times longer to complete. Sometimes you just have to accept that you're going to put down some pavement and know it's coming up again soon.

[zanate]

My fantasy is to see students use the pedestrain bridge over University avenue rather than amble into traffic whenever it suits them.

Not just students crossing there, it's a major trail crossing with pedestrian activated lights. That bridge, as others have mentioned, is pointless-- doubly so for trail users and cyclists. The only way you'll stop people using at-grade crossing here is by putting up a fence.

I'm not seeing the big deal for traffic stopping here. It's not like there aren't a billion other traffic lights (and a pedestrian crossing) already on University.

[plam]

My fantasy is to see students use the pedestrain bridge over University avenue rather than amble into traffic whenever it suits them.

Not just students crossing there, it's a major trail crossing with pedestrian activated lights. That bridge, as others have mentioned, is pointless-- doubly so for trail users and cyclists. The only way you'll stop people using at-grade crossing here is by putting up a fence.

I'm not seeing the big deal for traffic stopping here. It's not like there aren't a billion other traffic lights (and a pedestrian crossing) already on University.

The other question is who should get crossing priority? Should it be a crosswalk with pedestrian priority or the "you must beg for the walk signal," which is terrible?

People clearly should not walk into the street while texting (even if it was a crosswalk). But people will also do what is most convenient, always.

(By the way, on campus across from DC is going to be labelled pedestrian priority in the near future).

[Drake]

A lot of problems would be solved if the crossing went under the road there. A pedestrian crossing/tunnel/station with good access from both sides including from the University building would be great. 

I realize the pedestrian bridge sucks, however we were talking about fantasies.

[BuildingScout]

The other question is who should get crossing priority? Should it be a crosswalk with pedestrian priority or the "you must beg for the walk signal," which is terrible?

The University crosswalk activation buttor is very responsive. In fact I almost always get a red light when driving past it during peak hours.

[MacBerry]

The other question is who should get crossing priority? Should it be a crosswalk with pedestrian priority or the "you must beg for the walk signal," which is terrible?

The University crosswalk activation button is very responsive. In fact I almost always get a red light when driving past it during peak hours.

It is an over-reactive, too pedestrian friendly button. Vehicles be darned  Buses, cars bicycles and jet-pack vehicles wait and wait 

[rangersfan]

I find the University Ave crosswalk to be one of the least responsive that I have used. I have been bike commuting through this cross walk for the last 3 years and like myself most people get frustrated waiting for the walk signal that they just cross when the "coast is clear". Another terribly long wait is at the Northfield and Parkside crosswalk, unbelievably long.

[Markster]

Construction on the Waterloo Spur north of Columbia Ave.