Grand River Transit

[Markster]

Even demolishing the Highland Hills terminal has to be economically viable. That's a lot of concrete to pull up. There's plenty of parking already, so I can only imagine it happening with a new retail pad being built to replace it.

[TMKM94]

I could see Yum! (KFC/Taco bell) building a new building. Since renovations keep getting delayed at the current building, supposedly the reason taco bell on Westmount closed was because they we're going to combine the taco bell with the KFC at Highland hills.

[Markster]

The final GRT service improvement plan is out.  You can find it in the Planning and Works Agenda:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...5-0526.pdf

Mostly the same as what we saw in April.  GRT calls your attention to the following changes:

Notable changes or features of the recommended plan which address public feedback received in April 2015 include:

• An additional 204 iXpress stop on Ottawa Street North, to improve connections to the revised Route 23 Idlewood;
  
• Shifting the proposed alignment of Route 23 Idlewood near Stanley Park Mall, to improve transfers between routes by reducing the walk between stops and continue to provide service along Holborn Drive;
  
• Additional 200 iXpress stop at Parkside Drive and Northfield Drive, to build ridership patterns for ION and improve transit access to North Waterloo Industrial
  Park.
  

I, and others, had repeatedly suggested they relocate their suggested Queen/Mill 204 iXpress stop to Queen/Courtland, as that is closer to a large population centre, and provides better stop spacing between King/Frederick and Queen/Highland, but they have not chosen to do so.

[timio]

Another thing noted in there is the 2016 implementation of the electronic fare card. No specifics on when in 2016, but I was under the impression from the news last year that it would be implemented this year.

[isUsername]

The final GRT service improvement plan is out.  You can find it in the Planning and Works Agenda:
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...5-0526.pdf

That's the wrong link. Here's the correct link: http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...0526.1.pdf

[rangersfan]

So happy to hear an ixpress stop is being added to Northfield and Parkside.

[D40LF]

Really disappointed to hear about Queen / Courtland. Given that the 204 will not be stopping at CST, I would have to walk to/from either Queen / Mill or Frederick St to/from my connecting route on Courtland. Needless to say, I won't be using it.

[Markster]

Well, the placement of the Queen 204 stop at Mill instead of Courtland has driven me completely off the wall, and I've put up some posters calling on the community to request a move of the Mill stop to Courtland.

I simply have a hard time thinking of any justification for their preferred stop placement.  At best Mill St means that the bus stops somewhere that it doesn't obstruct cars turning left from Courtland on to Queen St.

The benefits of putting the stop at Courtland, meanwhile, are significant.
1) It has more even stop spacing
2) There are a dozen existing high-density housing buildings, including 2 seniors homes, within a block and a half's radius.
3) It allows for transfers to the #8 (Fairview via Courtland)
4) Jubilee Dr is the gateway to Victoria Park
5) Much future development is planned for this corner (Arrow Lofts 2, Barra Castle, Benton St lands)

   

Please do share my facebook photo, or RT me to spread awareness of this error in the making.

[Pheidippides]

Are they planning to use the existing stop on Queen at Mill, near Joseph Schneider Haus, since it already has a shelter with wiring? The current map and previous committee report shows the stop west of Mill, but the previous map (inset) shows it east of Mill. It would seem even more ridiculous to have a stop for the 204 west of Mill and a separate stop for other routes east of Mill.

I also have concerns about the stop at Highland and Queen. Because of the turning lane on Highland to get on to Queen, and the lack of space for the shelter, the stop will have to be well back of the intersection putting it at the stop currently at Garden which is a good 120m from the Highland and Queen intersection and a mere 600m from the Belmont stop. Why wouldn't the stop be around the corner on Queen at Homewood where the stop spacing would be greater, and a shelter with wiring already exists?

Then it would make even more sense to have the next stop be at Courtland to maintain greater stop distances.

[Markster]

Are they planning to use the existing stop on Queen at Mill, near Joseph Schneider Haus, since it already has a shelter with wiring? The current map and previous committee report shows the stop west of Mill, but the previous map (inset) shows it east of Mill. It would seem even more ridiculous to have a stop for the 204 west of Mill and a separate stop for other routes east of Mill.

Presumably yes, it would be the existing stops that have shelters. Those shelters existing is the going theory as to why they've picked that stop instead of Queen/Courtland.
I wouldn't see them making a new, different stop for the 204. It will use an existing stop.

[MidTowner]

I think that's a great poster, Markster!

I also brought up this stop location when input was requested (after the stop location was pointed out here), and I'm frustrated that, in the improvement plan recommendation document, their response to the Queen/Courtland stop request was: "In order to provide faster service on the iXpress, staff are reluctant to add too many additional stops; after implementation, other stop locations will be reviewed if required."

That definitely mischaracterizes the request. I know that I was very clear that I suggested moving the Mill stop, not adding a new one. They identify the feedback, but do not justify their decision to place it at Mill. They also identify the feedback about 204 that there are too many stops (apparently 6 people identified this as an issue), but don't make any attempt to respond to that. There may be some really good reason for choosing Mill (I'm not sure that existing stop infrastructure qualifies), but they haven't said what it might be. Stop spacing alone suggests it's not quite right- the trip generators near Courtland make it a no-brainer to me.

[timio]

The Columbia street detours are in place as of this morning. It was somewhat odd to see the 201 turning left from Westmount onto University and then the 7E zipping around the west side of ring road this morning.

[Markster]

I also brought up this stop location when input was requested (after the stop location was pointed out here), and I'm frustrated that, in the improvement plan recommendation document, their response to the Queen/Courtland stop request was: "In order to provide faster service on the iXpress, staff are reluctant to add too many additional stops; after implementation, other stop locations will be reviewed if required."

That definitely mischaracterizes the request. I know that I was very clear that I suggested moving the Mill stop, not adding a new one. They identify the feedback, but do not justify their decision to place it at Mill. They also identify the feedback about 204 that there are too many stops (apparently 6 people identified this as an issue), but don't make any attempt to respond to that. There may be some really good reason for choosing Mill (I'm not sure that existing stop infrastructure qualifies), but they haven't said what it might be. Stop spacing alone suggests it's not quite right- the trip generators near Courtland make it a no-brainer to me.

All things I brought up in a letter I sent to my Kitchener Regional Councillors.  The frustration level is high in me.

Please do write a letter of your own!

For their part, Tom Galloway has at least acknowledged receipt of my letter. My 1000 word long letter, with various images too.

[panamaniac]

I also brought up this stop location when input was requested (after the stop location was pointed out here), and I'm frustrated that, in the improvement plan recommendation document, their response to the Queen/Courtland stop request was: "In order to provide faster service on the iXpress, staff are reluctant to add too many additional stops; after implementation, other stop locations will be reviewed if required."

That definitely mischaracterizes the request. I know that I was very clear that I suggested moving the Mill stop, not adding a new one. They identify the feedback, but do not justify their decision to place it at Mill. They also identify the feedback about 204 that there are too many stops (apparently 6 people identified this as an issue), but don't make any attempt to respond to that. There may be some really good reason for choosing Mill (I'm not sure that existing stop infrastructure qualifies), but they haven't said what it might be. Stop spacing alone suggests it's not quite right- the trip generators near Courtland make it a no-brainer to me.

All things I brought up in a letter I sent to my Kitchener Regional Councillors.  The frustration level is high in me.

Please do write a letter of your own!

For their part, Tom Galloway has at least acknowledged receipt of my letter.   My 1000 word long letter, with various images too.

If you are serious about the length of your letter, I'm afraid you did your cause no good - no politician or bureaucrat is likely to read or take seriously a screed of that length.

[dunkalunk]

Well, the placement of the Queen 204 stop at Mill instead of Courtland has driven me completely off the wall, and I've put up some posters calling on the community to request a move of the Mill stop to Courtland.

I simply have a hard time thinking of any justification for their preferred stop placement.  At best Mill St means that the bus stops somewhere that it doesn't obstruct cars turning left from Courtland on to Queen St.

The benefits of putting the stop at Courtland, meanwhile, are significant.
1) It has more even stop spacing
2) There are a dozen existing high-density housing buildings, including 2 seniors homes, within a block and a half's radius.
3) It allows for transfers to the #8 (Fairview via Courtland)
4) Jubilee Dr is the gateway to Victoria Park
5) Much future development is planned for this corner (Arrow Lofts 2, Barra Castle, Benton St lands)



Please do share my facebook photo, or RT me to spread awareness of this error in the making.

I've seen a few of these posters around the neighbourhood. Hopefully this leads to some council contacts to get this change actually seriously considered by Council/Staff.

Another point: not placing a stop here is not only a longer walk for existing GRT customers, but also a lost opportunity to capture new ridership from existing and future MDUs.