Metro, we have a problem.
Lou Minatti
to admit that the new rail line is very poor designed. No need to
re-hash the accidents, we're all aware of them. At this pace, even the
Barnacle admits that the Red Line is far more succeptible to
auto/train collisions than any other light rail system.
Houston does indeed have many bad drivers, but I don't think we're
statistically worse than other cities. The root cause is painfully
obvious: Placing an active rail line down the middle of a city street
with many busy intersections is not a smart, efficient way to design
and build rail. Merely changing the signals will not change things.
The only way Metro will be able to make it safer is to permanently
close intersections, which would make traffic congestion in Midtown
far worse than before.
The voters have spoken and they want rail. They've authorized Metro to
spend close to a billion dollars over the next decade on the system. I
hope Mayor White does the smart thing and revisit the planned system
with Metro's new board members. For the safety of Houston drivers and
pedestrians, it's critical that future lines be grade-separated. (It
would also be great if the future lines were routed through areas so
as to relieve congestion, but that's a different matter.)
Neal Atkins
wrote:
>It's time for even the most ardent support of Metro's light rail plan
>to admit that the new rail line is very poor designed. No need to
>re-hash the accidents, we're all aware of them. At this pace, even the
>Barnacle admits that the Red Line is far more succeptible to
>auto/train collisions than any other light rail system.
What are you talking about? The system is brilliantly designed. It's
taking cars out 1 at a time. Unfortunately the "planners" didn't
forsee that the 1+million dollar each train would get damaged when it
collided with the 1+dollar cars.
At the present rate, will there be 10 trains left to run on "Superbowl
Sunday"?
William R. Cowan
Lou Minatti wrote:
Signage and proper street markings will help. The signage I have seen
are not clear or readible recognizable as opposed to traditional
signage. Crossing gaurds at intersection would help. On one of the
local stations today they showed a cop informing people that they have
stopped atthe wrong spot on the street for a red light. The acutal mark
was 20 feet behind where they stopped for a red light. One of the
people they informed was an Metro employee (go figure).
The thing I found the funniest ( not for the poor guy injured)was the
accident last week of the Union Pacific truck struck by the train as his
buddy lifted the rail gate. These guys should have known better. I was
having a good laugh (not to minimize the suffering of the poor soul
hurt) with others during saftey meetings about that this week since I
had the pleasure of doing some work in a BNSF rail yard in north Texas.
MRC
scotty
"Lou Minatti" <loumi...@myway.com> wrote in message
news:fc2fd83e.04012...@posting.google.com...
I don't know what to say. I was not for rail, but I don't want it to fail.
M R T
idiotic drivers need big flourecent lights with circus monkey's telling them
they can't turn onto the rails?
I too opposed the light rail. Now that it's here, I've learned how to
navigate around it.
WT Stull
Please be patient during this period of adjustment re: The Brown Streak. It
is the only way your city fathers could think of to Darwinate the more
clueless pportions of our fair city and make some insurance companies a
bundle to boot through higher premiums for the Moroniferous residents. We
aren't even charging an 'entertainment tax' although city council is
considering it if we don't start having some multi-fatality cleasings of the
gene pool.
Metro has obtained the services of Consultant Ratbert, HR Pro Catbert and
Hunter Darwin(Great,great great grandson of Charles Darwin). They have also
added Charles Mulholland, Osama Ben Liebling, Vic Hitler (comedian) and Dr
Joseph Mengele and Harry Truman to the advisory board.
The folks over at HISD believe test scores will improve markedly once the
critical mass of clueless students is reached over at Forest Park Cemetary.
Don't... Get.... Eliminated!
Regards,
Vic Romano, Kenny Blankenship, Takeshi and WT Stull bst...@ev1.net
"The Road of Excess leads to the Palace of Genius." - Kris Kristoferson
"M R T" <juno...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:_haSb.11203$sz3....@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
Steven M (remove dirt to reply)
wrote:
But there's something odd about it. I went driving, after there had
been 5-6 accidents. I knew all about the train, I had seen the
accidents, I'm generally a careful driver, and I didn't even need to
turn left, and I still have this urge ...
One thing that might help would be to replace the solid green light
with a green arrow. People are used to seeing the green light and
thinking that means I can go anywhere, but if you saw only a
straight-ahead arrow it might make you hesitate about turning left.
--
Steve M - uns...@houston.rrdirt.com (remove dirt for reply)
Ecclesiastes 9-11: 'speed does not always win the race, nor
strength the battle' ...
Damon Runyon: ... 'but that's the way to bet them'
George Kerby
Stull" <bst...@ev1.net> wrote:
> Citizens,
>
> Please be patient during this period of adjustment re: The Brown Streak. It
> is the only way your city fathers could think of to Darwinate the more
> clueless pportions of our fair city and make some insurance companies a
> bundle to boot through higher premiums for the Moroniferous residents. We
> aren't even charging an 'entertainment tax' although city council is
> considering it if we don't start having some multi-fatality cleasings of the
> gene pool.
>
> Metro has obtained the services of Consultant Ratbert, HR Pro Catbert and
> Hunter Darwin(Great,great great grandson of Charles Darwin). They have also
> added Charles Mulholland, Osama Ben Liebling, Vic Hitler (comedian) and Dr
> Joseph Mengele and Harry Truman to the advisory board.
>
> The folks over at HISD believe test scores will improve markedly once the
> critical mass of clueless students is reached over at Forest Park Cemetary.
>
> Don't... Get.... Eliminated!
>
> Regards,
>
> Vic Romano, Kenny Blankenship, Takeshi and WT Stull bst...@ev1.net
>
"I've Got Blood in My Stool"
-As told to Guy LeDouche
Right you are, Kenny!
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Lou Minatti
> On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 16:12:42 GMT, "M R T" <juno...@sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
> >It's not Metro's fault people can't pay attention to street signs. Do
> >idiotic drivers need big flourecent lights with circus monkey's telling them
> >they can't turn onto the rails?
> >
> >I too opposed the light rail. Now that it's here, I've learned how to
> >navigate around it.
>
> But there's something odd about it. I went driving, after there had
> been 5-6 accidents. I knew all about the train, I had seen the
> accidents, I'm generally a careful driver, and I didn't even need to
> turn left, and I still have this urge ...
It does seem to draw people to it like a moth to a light. Or like
moths to a bugzapper.
I was reading this morning about a jackass walking his dog last
Tuesday morning, ON THE RAIL LINE. A Metro cop saw him and hollered at
him to get off, just before a train came by. People still don't get it
- this is not like walking on a freight line, where trains are loud,
vibrate the ground and go by once every two hours. These trains are
incredibly quiet and will go by every couple of minutes.
> One thing that might help would be to replace the solid green light
> with a green arrow. People are used to seeing the green light and
> thinking that means I can go anywhere, but if you saw only a
> straight-ahead arrow it might make you hesitate about turning left.
That's a pretty sensible idea. It may help.
Lou Minatti
Here's another question: How much on average does it cost to repair
the trains after these incidents? Lots of drivers are out there
tooling around with only minimal coverage, if any. I'm willing to bet
that we'll end up footing the repair bills - there's no use sending
out the city sharks after some poor schmuck with no insurance if he
doesn't have a pot to pee in.
I also wonder if guys like Jim Adler are watching the events to see if
these drivers can sue Metro. I think a reasonable argument could be
made that Metro Rail's designers and engineers are at fault. If I was
sitting on the jury, I wouldn't buy it, but I'll bet a lot of people
would, especially at the hands of a skilled, smooth-talking shark.
Neal Atkins
wrote:
>> What are you talking about? The system is brilliantly designed. It's
>> taking cars out 1 at a time. Unfortunately the "planners" didn't
>> forsee that the 1+million dollar each train would get damaged when it
>> collided with the 1+dollar cars.
>>
>> At the present rate, will there be 10 trains left to run on "Superbowl
>> Sunday"?
>
>Here's another question: How much on average does it cost to repair
>the trains after these incidents?
No one has said that "urban planners" ever knew how to assess the
bottom line. To them a million dollar train taking out a 10 dollar
car is "cost effective" since it gets the nasty car off the road.
That it costs a million dollars to replace is of no moment to them.
They can always float another bond issue.
Not Me
wrote:
Fortunately for us tax paying types, Jim Adler is not, according to
those who have defended cases against him, a great trial lawyer. Those
settlements he touts were for cases that were actually worth that
much. Like most plaintiff attorneys, he tries to stay out of trials -
not much money to be made there.
I've seen several reprots that Metro is going after the insurance of
drivers that cause the accidents. Lots of the vehicles I've seen in
the accidents look fairly new, and should have at least state
minimums.
As for the UP guys who raised the crossing arms and drove right in
fron tof the Metro train, I hope they have marketable skills, because
I'm guessing that they will be looking for a new employer some time
soon.
scotty
"Not Me" <no...@springmail.com> wrote in message
news:h6oj10pb32i9ioak2...@4ax.com...
Na, they are union. They are safe.
inquisiti...@yahoo.com
prohibits the city from being sued. Remeber when some main water broke
a few years back that flooded a neighborhood. Well, the neighbors
couldn't sue the city for this.
loumi...@myway.com (Lou Minatti) wrote in message news:<fc2fd83e.04012...@posting.google.com>...
> nat...@austin76.com (Neal Atkins) wrote in message > I also wonder if guys like Jim Adler are watching the events to see if
William R. Cowan
Do not count on that. That was a major violation of their own saftey
training. As I understand (from working in rail yards) it a major
violation of rail safety rules is cause for immediate termination.
MRC
Adam Weiss
It's only going to get worse before it gets better. With no more 527
spur into downtown, 40,000 cars a day will have to find some other way
to get into and out of downtown. The planned construction of an exit
from 59 onto Main Street will turn Main Street into a parallel alternate
route for many if not most of those 40,000 cars. More cars means a
bigger chance for accidents, and it also means gridlock that could bring
Metro's trains to a grinding halt during rush hour.
What I'd do if I were Gabriel Johnson of the Transportation Department
is to move the proposed exit over a block to serve Fanin and San Jacinto
streets. Those are already wide one way streets and neither has a train
running down the middle of it. Get the city to resurface them and put
new sequenced traffic lights on them, and they could provide a safe
temporary replacement to the 527 spur - away from Main Street and
Metro's train.
Lou Minatti
There was another "incident" Tuesday. They're so common that the
Barnacle doesn't even print photos or separate articles anymore. It
barely made the "Briefs" section:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2388382
Then, today: "Metro hires experts to examine rail safety"
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2389928
I'll tell Metro what the problem is, and it won't cost them a couple
hundred grand for a "study" that is really nothing more than a way for
Shirley and her board to pass the decision making on to someone else.
Why the hell is it so hard for this town to produce a good mass
transportation system that benefits the majority of us? My wife and I
are heading to San Francisco in a few weeks (love the place but could
never afford to live there), and I've rarely needed a car. Now that
BART goes down to SFO we won't need a car at all. It would be great if
Metro provided a system at least partially as good. That 1% sales tax
we're paying was supposed to go towards mass transit, not making
downtown streets look nice. Yes, it looks swell downtown, but that's
not Metro's job. I am *%$%ing sick of traffic.
I think we know what the problems are:
1) Neanderthals who say they represent us. Let's hope Delay keeps his
promise now that it's been voted on.
2) Geography. Place like San Francisco and Manhattan are basically
narrow corridors, while Houston is like LA - a blob that has spread in
all directions. It's easier to serve narrow corridors.
3) A timid Metro board that kowtows to real estate developers rather
than commuters. The result is the Red Line fiasco.
George Kerby
fc2fd83e.04020...@posting.google.com, "Lou Minatti"
<loumi...@myway.com> wrote:
>
> I think we know what the problems are:
> 3) A timid Metro board that kowtows to real estate developers rather
> than commuters. The result is the Red Line fiasco.
No shit Lou. The newly appointed leader of Metro is David Wolff, one of the
largest (Westchase, Park 10, Interwood and Hwy6/Clay Rd among others). His
ego is so big that it hurts. Whenever Ed Wulf (shopping center mogul) gets
more press than him, he throws a tantrum. It ain't gonna get any better with
this guy, believe me!
Adam Weiss
<<snipped>>
>
> There was another "incident" Tuesday. They're so common that the
> Barnacle doesn't even print photos or separate articles anymore. It
> barely made the "Briefs" section:
> http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2388382
>
> Then, today: "Metro hires experts to examine rail safety"
> http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2389928
>
> I'll tell Metro what the problem is, and it won't cost them a couple
> hundred grand for a "study" that is really nothing more than a way for
> Shirley and her board to pass the decision making on to someone else.
>
> Why the hell is it so hard for this town to produce a good mass
> transportation system that benefits the majority of us? My wife and I
> are heading to San Francisco in a few weeks (love the place but could
> never afford to live there), and I've rarely needed a car. Now that
> BART goes down to SFO we won't need a car at all. It would be great if
> Metro provided a system at least partially as good. That 1% sales tax
> we're paying was supposed to go towards mass transit, not making
> downtown streets look nice. Yes, it looks swell downtown, but that's
> not Metro's job. I am *%$%ing sick of traffic.
I agree with you that Metro's train leaves alot to be desired, but it'd
cost alot more than a 1% sales tax to build the really great transit
system we all want. New York City built a grade-separated light rail
line out to JFK Airport. Just 1 mile longer than Metro's train, the
price tag was $1.9 billion. Even had they not completely blown their
budget, it'd have still cost nearly 5 times what Metro spent on their
train. Given the constraints Metro had to work with, I'd say they gave
us an OK start to what I hope will become a more comprehensive and
useful system.
What really gets me, though, is the Texas Department of Transportation
engineers and their counterparts in the Federal Highway Administration.
They're designing the new 527 spur as though Metro's Light Rail
doesn't exist! Main Street is one lane in both directions now, with
rail going down the middle of it. It is no longer well equipped to
handle major automobile traffic into and out of downtown. But that's
what TXDOT and FHA engineers are going to put on it by building the 59
Main Street exit and closing Spur 527. Sheer idiocy in my view.
>
> I think we know what the problems are:
>
> 1) Neanderthals who say they represent us. Let's hope Delay keeps his
> promise now that it's been voted on.
> 2) Geography. Place like San Francisco and Manhattan are basically
> narrow corridors, while Houston is like LA - a blob that has spread in
> all directions. It's easier to serve narrow corridors.
It's better to compare Houston to the Bay Area (which includes but is
not limited to San Fransisco) and all of the NYC Metro area (including
but not limited to Manhattan). Houston's downtown, for a city its size,
is very small. Unlike San Fransisco and New York, Houston is a city of
incorporated suburbs.
I am not familiar with San Fransisco, but I've lived in and around New
York City. The thing with New York City is that the subway is excellent
if you're in Manhattan. But once you're out of Manhattan, it's often
much faster to get around by car. The subways provide very circuitous
routes once you're off the island. Oh yeah, and there is no subway
service in Staten Island. Even one of the most comprehensive and
largest subway systems in the world has its limitations.
> 3) A timid Metro board that kowtows to real estate developers rather
> than commuters. The result is the Red Line fiasco.
Money talks.