ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[KevinT]

So I took ION to work this morning. Two buses and a train from stop 2047 in Doon South (the extreme southwest of Kitchener service) to the R&T Park Station (in north Waterloo) took just an hour and ten minutes, almost the exact time it takes me by bike. (I would have biked to Fairway to meet up with ION but I'm a fair weather biker and there was that threat of rain today.)

Observations:

Just as I'd experienced last night, there were no 'next stop' announcements northbound anywhere from Fairway through Grand River Hospital, they only started at Allen station. I do however love that they announce the connecting bus routes!

There was not a single graphic I spotted inside the train to explain what the 'door open' buttons were, and lots of people were confused when it came time to get off. The operator stepped out of the cab at Block Line to explain to everyone (since the internal PA was tinny sounding and constantly fed back, making it next to useless) that you had to push the button on the door when it turned green to get off the train, but a lot of people didn't pay attention. A high school student that was literally right beside the operator during the speech started to freak out and knock on the glass when the train pulled away with them still on it, then expected the operator to immediately stop and let them out on the tracks! Two of us calmed them down and explained that they could get off at Mill and re-board a southbound train, and that they had to push the button when it turned green both to get off and back on to the other train. Sadly the southbound train just pulled out of Mill as we pulled in, so they had a 10 minute wait ahead of them. We demonstrated the door opening process when the train stopped at Mill.

Confusion continued at every stop and by Central Station I got out of my seat and babysat the nearest door, since so many people didn't know what to do and couldn't get on or off. Some vinyl icons above the button on both the inside and outside of every door, as well as announcements on both the platform and in-train PA system every 3 to 4 minutes would go a long way towards resolving the issue. I hope it doesn't become like the TTC where they just give up on the buttons and open all doors at every stop, which will be awful on cold or hot muggy days as the HVAC struggles to keep up.

Even after a door button was pushed, the doors seemed to close too quickly. One, maybe two, people would make it in or out but then the chimes would sound and the next person would get caught unless they were quick to push the button again. It was quite distressing for the kid guillotined in their stroller! I wonder if they could just have a door stay open after activation for 60 seconds or until the train were ready to depart again (whichever came sooner)?

Everyone remained as friendly and talkative as they were during the weekend demo service, which was nice to see as my train seemed to be 90% commuters compared to the 90% tourists on my weekend trips.

In all I'm really digging this service, but there's still a few unfortunate glitches to be worked out. I hope they're lightning quick to get them tuned before people start getting turned off of the system.

[Bob_McBob]

Looks like the real-time departure issue is affecting all GRT services.

Real-time departure information is not available on our trip planning tools this morning. We are looking into the issue. Apps and other tools are showing scheduled departure times.

https://twitter.com/grt_row/status/1143126389186605056

[KevinT]

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!

[goggolor]

Is there actually a motion detector on the inside of the door that's supposed to open the door when a user is standing in front of it? That's what passengers were saying this morning when we had door problems - they told a woman to move away from the door and we were able to move shortly after. But I don't recall that being a feature. Was it just co-incidence the problems stopped when the passenger stepped away from the doorway?

[KevinL]

Interesting, I din't have to push door buttons during the demonstration service on the weekend. I guess they had the drivers controlling them then, but now they're manual?

[trainspotter139]

Is there actually a motion detector on the inside of the door that's supposed to open the door when a user is standing in front of it? That's what passengers were saying this morning when we had door problems - they told a woman to move away from the door and we were able to move shortly after. But I don't recall that being a feature. Was it just co-incidence the problems stopped when the passenger stepped away from the doorway?

There's a detector at the doors to detect 'obstructions' to prevent the doors from closing on them.

[danbrotherston]

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.

[KevinT]

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.

The ambassadors on my first Friday train explained that the doors were opening automatically for the launch weekend, but that starting Monday we would have to push the buttons ourselves.  I didn't hear it on my return trip, and there was no ambassador aboard Sunday evening.  A "Starting tomorrow..." automated announcement played every few minutes would have been helpful.

I suspect the ambassadors were all given talking points, but the nature of a temporary volunteer workforce means that many would have quickly forgotten to say it.  I give them points for trying.

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

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. 

[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