ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[danbrotherston]

Fallowfield is not going to work like you think.

--snip--

Again, see attached map.

Really good summary. I had a hard time visualizing how this would have worked had it been down in the yards, but it would have been a hot mess either way, and not pedestrian friendly at all. My issue that I saw, apart from having to navigate a lot of stair, is that it would not have had a visual presence from the street, which would have made it a security risk for Ion users. Not that you can't be mugged at any of the current stops, but at least you have somewhere to go, and you can be seen.

I guess that's why no subway station in the world is a success....

Honestly, this is ridiculous, grade separated stations are expensive, but in no way impossible or difficult to do well. Obviously also possible to do poorly, as are at grade stations, the station at Block Line being an excellent example (it's terrible as is, utterly idiotic), and ironic that you bring up social safety given that the alignment on Block Line has probably the most dangerous situation in the city.

It's bizarre to be having this discussion, one venue over you'll find people explaining how at grade transit is always garbage. I've not taken the extreme view in either direction, instead basing my opinion on context. This bridge is already grade separated, the context leads to a grade separated station, nothing else.