ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[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).