ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[bpoland]

When I got off at Willis Way today I walked to the north end of the platform and used the crosswalk to get to QuickSandwich, but I was the only one.  Everyone else just herded across the street from wherever they were standing when the train moved out of the way. 

The only "official" exit from the north end of Willis Way platform is across the tracks to the MUT.  And then I guess you're supposed to turn right and walk north across Father David Bauer to get to the crossing with an island, then walk back south for 50m or so to get to Willis Way (the street).

Or did you mean the south end, which involves walking at least one train length south, almost to Alexandra, then crossing and walking back north for 2+ train lengths to get to Willis Way?

Either way, I admire your rule compliance

It's not like people would want to get to waterloo town square from that stop... /s

[KevinT]

The only "official" exit from the north end of Willis Way platform is across the tracks to the MUT.  And then I guess you're supposed to turn right and walk north across Father David Bauer to get to the crossing with an island, then walk back south for 50m or so to get to Willis Way (the street).

That changed recently, here's a picture I took while biking to work early last week:

http://www.kevint.ca/wrc/20190619_101901.jpg

Edit:  Nope, I'm mixing memories.  I had actually exited from the south today, but then while walking through the parking lot to QuickSandwiches I thought to myself "Why didn't I just cross at the curb cuts on the north end", not realizing that it's as you said and you'd have to cross Father David Bauer Dr. first.  When writing my post I just based it off of what I thought I could have done, but couldn't actually have done. 

[ac3r]

Taking the train downtown for lunch and just heard the platform announcement "To enter or exit the train, please push the button on the door."  Awesome!

I honestly figured this would be common sense. There is a button on the door, so logically, you push it to open the door. Or maybe I've just been on too many transit systems worldwide it is instinctual when you see one. One thing I haven't thought to take notice of is if the buttons light up? I am thinking how on subway/train/high speed rail on trains in places like Germany or France there is a big button you clearly push to open the doors that will be illuminated by a ring of LED lights. Two <> symbols that are encircled in red, which when you push go green.

Anyway, I rode it again today. It's interesting overhearing people speak positively about it. A trio of elderly ladies was very ecstatic about not only not having to drive to go to the malls or downtown, but that they are seeing places of the city they've never seen, because in a car you are more or less just observing this little sphere around you. The tram was standing room only at about 11AM, which I thought was unusually busy but I guess compared to a bus outside of rush hour that's fair, now that this is an arterial mode of transportation.

[ijmorlan]

Taking the train downtown for lunch and just heard the platform announcement "To enter or exit the train, please push the button on the door."  Awesome!

This is the kind of thing it would have been good to explain during the weekend, however, nobody said this once, all the many many times I was chatting with them.

We must have bumped into different people. I’m pretty sure I heard about the door buttons from a couple of people. Agreed in any case that better explanation would be good — prominent signs on every button (inside and out) would have been prudent. It’s an odd omission actually given the number of decals that actually are installed.

Also worth noting that many many people are leaving Frederick station by the missing entrance, because of course they are.

I’m glad to hear that. If people were meekly walking to the other end I would be extremely worried about our ability to resist an authoritarian government.

Not even joking.

I'm very happy to see the LRT running, but the frustrating bits are still there.

Very much agreed.

One other I noticed: in many places, there is both “no left turn” and “no U-turn”, but one signal head has one sign and the other signal head the other sign. I think both signs should be on both signal heads where applicable. I think seeing one sign in one location, and obeying only that signal head and its associated signs is an understandable failure — one is not supposed to have to look at all the signal heads, only at least one of the ones that applies to the lane one is in.

[ijmorlan]

The only "official" exit from the north end of Willis Way platform is across the tracks to the MUT.  And then I guess you're supposed to turn right and walk north across Father David Bauer to get to the crossing with an island, then walk back south for 50m or so to get to Willis Way (the street).

This is one of several similar screw-ups:

• Willis Way, north end
  
• Grand River Hospital, west/north end
  
• Frederick, north/east end
  
• Kitchener Market, east/south end
  
• Borden, west/north end
  

There are additional locations where a better job could have been done, especially of being ready for future development, but these are the ones which are blindingly obvious and indisputable.

In fact I wonder what happens if there is an AODA lawsuit from somebody saying that the crossing from (for example) the north end of Willis Way platform to the other side of Caroline is inaccessible. Presumably the response would be that it isn’t a crossing; but de facto it is and it isn’t the fault of the person using a wheelchair that the planners were too careless to notice that it is/needs to be one.

[danbrotherston]

Regarding the doors, I spoke to a dozen staff at least during the weekend, and never heard it mentioned, but to be fair, I never asked, because of course, I would have thought that the buttons were required to operate the doors, except that I had seen it operate a dozen times or more without using the buttons in the previous three days.

As for pedestrian access...yeah, there are a number of problems. I suspect that will be the biggest long term negative influence on LRT ridership the system has. Otherwise, as a rider, things are pretty great, and the few things like doors are just a learning experience.

[neonjoe]

Over 73,000 customers boarded iON trains this weekend.

https://www.kitchenertoday.com/local-new...m=facebook

[white_brian]

I was stopped today at the intersection in front of Cameron waiting to turn left. The North bound lane was closed due construction work at Cameron. The two vehicles in front of me started to turn left as per the signal but were stopped by a flag man so they were stuck on the tracks as a southbound train was approaching. The train was blowing its horn and the stuck vehicles were blowing theirs.

[jeffster]

So the changes to the route closest to my house changed enough that my kid can no longer use the bus for his summer job. It used to be a 700m walk to the bus stop, and the bus would stop about 10 meters from his work. Now the closest 'drop off' is about 2 km. He could choose to take the bus to an Ion station, then transfer to another bus after that, but the travel time went from 7 minutes to over an hour, and if he works too late, he'll miss the bus to the Ion.

Oh well. Disappointed but not surprised, they have to make the routes profitable and better access to the Ion stations. I'm pretty sure that it only affects a handful of users, not like my kid would be using it every day (he relies on Daddy Taxi Service).

On the other hand, since our route does go to an Ion stations, and my daughter has an appointment at GRH (KW) this week, we can avoid the $15 parking fee. My dentist is on King as well, so if I need to have any major work done, I can just use transit now.

[jeffster]

Taking the train downtown for lunch and just heard the platform announcement "To enter or exit the train, please push the button on the door."  Awesome!

This is the kind of thing it would have been good to explain during the weekend, however, nobody said this once, all the many many times I was chatting with them.

Frustrating moment when the train doors did not open arriving in station, and it took 7-10 seconds for someone to push the button.

Also worth noting that many many people are leaving Frederick station by the missing entrance, because of course they are.

I'm very happy to see the LRT running, but the frustrating bits are still there.

It makes me wonder who thought having manual doors opening and closing was a great idea. This used to be a frustration with me and other kids when we took the bus to school. Half the time you had to kick the door to get it to open, as it was manual.

Does anyone know if the got the "next station is" for the Kitchener stations figured out yet?

[panamaniac]

Taking the train downtown for lunch and just heard the platform announcement "To enter or exit the train, please push the button on the door."  Awesome!

This is the kind of thing it would have been good to explain during the weekend, however, nobody said this once, all the many many times I was chatting with them.

Frustrating moment when the train doors did not open arriving in station, and it took 7-10 seconds for someone to push the button.

Also worth noting that many many people are leaving Frederick station by the missing entrance, because of course they are.

I'm very happy to see the LRT running, but the frustrating bits are still there.

Say what?

[ijmorlan]

Also worth noting that many many people are leaving Frederick station by the missing entrance, because of course they are.

Say what?
[/quote]

Here:

https://goo.gl/maps/odRAoSdpcVRiLhx4A

Note that the east/north of the platform, towards which we are looking, is not an exit, ramp and tactile strip notwithstanding (and there is now a sign saying “Emergency Exit Only” which wasn’t present when the photo was taken).

There is further discussion in the last few replies on this thread.

[panamaniac]

Got it. Thanks. I imagine I'd do the same thing, if my destination were, eg, the courthouse or the library or such.

[Rainrider22]

I just took the train with my girls from Fairway to Conestoga and back and I have to say it is awesome. So smooth, and length of time is ok. The train was very full and looked like a lot of new transit users were won over, myself and my daughters included. I did get a chuckle when we were returning and I saw a guy in a mini van with the crossing arm down on the hood of his van at Caroline because he stopped past the white line. Maybe people will get the message and start stopping in the proper position. I didn't feel bad for him at all...

[danbrotherston]

Got it.  Thanks.  I imagine I'd do the same thing, if my destination were, eg, the courthouse or the library or such.

As all human beings would.