Learn now to share the roads with light rail trains

If this week’s light rail train test-runs leave you stuck and fuming in unexpected traffic snarls, remember the motto of eternal optimists everywhere.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

So, when Ion trains force you to stop, take a deep breath and use the time to educate yourself on how to safely share the streets of Kitchener and Waterloo with this new kind of local public transit.

Suddenly, local motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are discovering how challenging this learning curve can be.

They’re encountering bells, flashing lights, lowered barrier-arms, and even traffic police with upraised arms, as five trains run up and down the 19-kilometre line.

Of course, the trains are what you need to watch out for most. They look sleek and modern. They’re also surprisingly big and at times pretty fast — moving at speeds of up to 70 km/h.

And with just seven months to go before the light rail system begins offering regular journeys, the trains, tracks and sophisticated technology designed to ensure everything works as planned must pass exhaustive tests.

So, if you’re using the streets along the LRT route, test yourself, too.

There are new rules. Most importantly, the tracks are for trains alone, period. Stay off them.

Never stop or park on the tracks. Any vehicle that does could be ticketed or towed. The consequences of a collision, of course, would be far worse.

Meanwhile, many intersections have been modified to prohibit left-hand turns.

There are new ways to behave. Be alert. The trains are powered by electricity and at times their sound will be drowned out by other street noises. So take care when travelling along the LRT line.

Cross only at designated places. Don’t be distracted by smartphones or headphones. Never ride a bicycle along the tracks, either.

There are new signs, too, lots of them. Some warn you to keep off the tracks. Some tell you a lane is reserved for trains only. Some indicate when the tracks run beside the road. Others light up when a train approaches an intersection.

And there are new signals for the trains themselves. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians need to follow their own signals, but should be aware of what’s telling the trains to stop and go.

The year-and-and-half delay in the startup of this project cast a cloud over it for some people. But the silver lining comes in the extra time we all have to figure out how to peacefully co-exist with light rail.

Exploring the route by car, bicycle or on foot will help people accomplish this. There’s a tricky spot on King Street near Victoria Street in Kitchener, for instance, where the tracks abruptly cross over a lane of traffic.

You can also learn more about safety around the Ion at the excellent website: grt.ca/ion.

Big changes are coming to Kitchener and Waterloo and no one should underestimate how formidable they’ll be.

But no one need be intimidated.

It took time for residents to become familiar and comfortable with all the roundabouts this region built. There were setbacks and even serious incidents. Today the region is better for this major change in its road system.

A year from now, and with a little effort from everyone, we bet the region will be better because of light rail, too.