ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[danbrotherston]

That being said, I know they wanted the doors not to open automatically for the benefit of heating and air conditioning efficiency and comfort of passengers, and I'm gonna say...I'm definitely sympathetic to that argument.

I figured that was the case above all else, if we ignore the pandemic reasons. Since it's not an underground system - nor are any stations covered from the elements in any meaningful way - it makes sense to only open doors when people require them. It is convenient to have them open on their own, however. This helps people unfamiliar with the system or the physically or visually impaired who may not be able to easily locate the button before the train pulls off. I have witnessed people miss their stops because they are unsure how to do it, including an individual with a physical impairment who could not manage to reach the button.

Definitely are tradeoffs. To be honest, since we don't have an automated system, I think the driver should be looking to see if there are people trying to get off.