12-21-2015, 11:12 AM
(12-21-2015, 09:12 AM)MidTowner Wrote: Regarding what other posters have said about Ion's appeal, I'm not sure I "buy" that a train is inherently more comfortable. I think plam's right when he says it depends. He also makes a really good point about wayfinding- even if it's not significantly easier, maybe people will perceive it to be so (maybe the same with comfort).
Having grown up in Toronto I can say there's a pretty huge difference. The number of people I knew that were perfectly happy on the subway, but refused to take the bus on principle is quite substantial. They'd gladly pay $5 in parking fees to drive to a subway station rather than take the bus for (effectively) free (free transfers). Even Toronto's old and overcrowded subway felt comparably fast and comfortable.
The reasons were varied, from feeling sick on buses with not enough to windows, to confusion about where one's stop was (automated stop announcements have helped this significantly). The service frequency and reliability was also significant. The TTC minimum service standard of every 5 minutes for the subway is huge. No matter the time of day, if the subway is open (and it is 6am-1:30am daily) then the trains run at least every 5 minutes, even if they're nearly empty. It means schedules for the subway don't even exist, because there's no need for them.
ION won't quite have the frequency advantages (7.5-15 minute headways depending on time of day), but the other points remain valid. I'd also really like to see ION upgraded to a 10 minute minimum service standard, a reasonable compromise for Waterloo Region's ridership.