Why did planners not see this coming?

We have a shiny new train system that has brought a stop to passengers scrambling around at the downtown-street bus platforms looking for their bus. Instead, they now get off the train only part way to their destination, to resume scrambling for their bus outside of the downtown core.

We replaced a slow and somewhat reliable single-mode transit system with a bimodal version that offers fewer second-mode options; retained the scramble for many passengers; and resulted in more transit time overall for many.

If the goal of building an LRT system was to make transit worse, we can check that box.

If the goal was simply to have a train, we can check that box too, and go home. Just take an alternate mode of transit (if you have that luxury), like many of the planners of our new system.

George Young, Ottawa