ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[kitborn]

Is this going to happen every year or is there something special about this year?

They have to close it because otherwise people would unsafely exit Frederick station from the north end to access the ceremony. 

This must be changed. It only need another meter or so.

[KevinL]

The cenotaph is scheduled to be disassembled for restoration soon, so the next couple years may not actually require this.

I have not heard this before.  Is there a source with more info?

Edit:  Part of the plaza renovation, I assume?

Nothing to do with the plaza, the cenotaph is on City land (it's properly a park). They've identified some issues with how everything is in place at the moment and while there's no visible deterioration, a restoration now will ensure nothing problematic happens going forward. They'll be re-landscaping the space a the same time.

I don't have a source immediately handy, but just earlier this year they ran some landscape designs through public review.

[KevinL]

Anyone else notice the amount of smashed screen on the ticket kiosks, almost like someone is intentionally damaging them.  On Sunday alone I noticed that at least Fredrick, City Hall, and GRH (both, SB screen dead) were damaged and a two more looked cracked but i didn't get a good look at them.  Also, Farmers market and Borden had cracked screens a few weeks ago.

The question is, was this due to plain brute vandalism, or people overly frustrated at a poorly designed user interface?

[panamaniac]

Probably vandalism.

[jamincan]

Do people do this to ATMs? Why ticket vending machines?

[panamaniac]

Are the ticket vending machines monitored by CCTV?

[MidTowner]

They should absolutely not shut down public transit for remembrance day. This is ridiculous. (Yes, I know they are making alternative arrangements but that's not good enough).

Wow   that's all I am going to say

On the one hand, Rememberance Day and its ceremonies are culturally significant and of great importance to many people. On the other hand, some people don't find it important, and it's not a statutory holiday, so most people have to go about their normal business. I can see both sides.

But I don't know how long the shuttles will add to people's trips, so it's hard to have an opinion about whether it's warranted or not. I don't think I would be in favour of, say, having all buses pull over to the side of the road at 11:00. But adding five or so minutes to trips on a handful of lines for a few hours seems justifiable to allow for the ceremony to take place.

[danbrotherston]

Anyone else notice the amount of smashed screen on the ticket kiosks, almost like someone is intentionally damaging them.  On Sunday alone I noticed that at least Fredrick, City Hall, and GRH (both, SB screen dead) were damaged and a two more looked cracked but i didn't get a good look at them.  Also, Farmers market and Borden had cracked screens a few weeks ago.

Every smashed screen is intentional. Perhaps you mean it is systematic.

Regardless, very disappointing.

[robdrimmie]

Transit users are impacted near daily for construction, cars hitting trains, bad weather, and any number of other perfectly mundane circumstances. Transit isn't sacrosanct, but perhaps it's okay that honouring military service and sacrifice is.

[Bayfield33]

They should absolutely not shut down public transit for remembrance day. This is ridiculous. (Yes, I know they are making alternative arrangements but that's not good enough).

wow, i don't like to post argumentative thoughts because i don't think this is the spirit of this forum.  having said that, you can make those statements because men and woman fought for us to have freedoms.  please show some respect to those people.
if that means transit stops for a bit- so there can be a ceremony at the Cenotaph- so be it.

[MidTowner]

Transit users are impacted near daily for construction, cars hitting trains, bad weather, and any number of other perfectly mundane circumstances.

That sounds like a pretty reasonable argument. It's only a few hours at a non-peak time, it's planned and has been announced a week ahead of time, and (I guess I'm presuming this part) the delay and disruption has been kept to a minimum.

[ijmorlan]

But I don't know how long the shuttles will add to people's trips, so it's hard to have an opinion about whether it's warranted or not. I don't think I would be in favour of, say, having all buses pull over to the side of the road at 11:00. But adding five or so minutes to trips on a handful of lines for a few hours seems justifiable to allow for the ceremony to take place.

I think they already pull over and stop for a couple of minutes around 11:00.

[MidTowner]

Do they really! I had no idea, I've never been on one at the time. I've rarely observed more than a handful of motorists pulling over at 11:00, so I've been operating under the assumption that, for most people, that practice was archaic.

[JoeKW]

I think my thoughts were misconstrued. I think, if this is going to be an annual thing (someone mentioned it might be temporary) that the tracks shouldn't have been put where they would impact the ceremony. I have no problem with the ceremony but I think it's ridiculous that this situation even exists. Poor planning but the region. Eventually, it will be a large disruption to people who need to get somewhere on a work day who don't have the luxury to work around disruptions.

[panamaniac]

The disruption pales in comparison to the crowds that participate in the ceremony. To be fair, I wish a better location could be created for the Cenotaph - never been a fan of the corner at Frederick and Duke.