MTA warns of extended testing for GOLD LINE...
SO.CA.TA Members-Only Board
(by member Joseph Dunn), and echoed to the newsgroup
la.transportation as a public service.
For more information about SO.CA.TA, visit http://socata.lerctr.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
http://mta.net/press/2003/05_May/mta_081.htm
Here is the body of the above communicade...
MTA to Increase Schedule for Metro Gold Line Testing
Residents urged to be aware of increased presence of trains in their
neighborhoods
In preparation for the opening of the Metro Gold Line this summer,
MTA has begun increased operational testing from Union Station in
Los Angeles to Sierra Madre Villa Station in Pasadena. Trains will
now run end-to-end seven days a week up to 21 hours per day beginning
about 3:30 a.m. and ending about 12:30 a.m. This schedule will continue
until the line opens to the public.
Residents in the communities of Los Angeles, Lincoln Heights, Highland
Park, South Pasadena and Pasadena are advised to be aware of trains
operating in their neighborhoods.
Five electric P2000 Metro Gold Line trains will run at maximum operational
speeds and will cross intersections without stopping. Crossing gates
may be fully operational. When and where gates are not functional,
flagmen will be present at intersections to alert pedestrians and
vehicles. Public Utilities Commission-required audible warning devices
will be sounded at crossings. These sounds and patterns may not be
the actual sounds and patterns used during operations.
Overhead catenary wires and power substations will be fully electrically
energized 24 hours per day.
MTA Rail Safety Ambassadors will monitor key rail crossings where
youngsters are traveling to and from schools in the mornings and afternoons.
All Metro Gold Line emergencies should be reported to the MTA Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Transit Bureau at (323) 563-5000. All non-emergencies
should be reported to the MTA 24-hour rail answering service at (213)
620-RAIL.
--
Ray Dashner
Warnings of impending dangers to children at crossings near schools,
motorists and citizens living near electrified train systems are
neccessary only when the system is not patterned after the New York
City MTA Transit system. In New York, not a single train has ever
collided with a motor vehicle nor has a pedestrian been struck at a
crossing because there are none in the entire NYC system. Our local
MTA, State Legislature and PUC had heads in sand when design of the
Gold Line did not include undergrounding at all crossings. The future
price to be paid for this shortsightedness will surely be immense.
Just a few wrongful death lawsuits costs will exceed the initial costs
of undergrounding. New York City found the money to do exactly that
and history has proven their system is ultra safe and horn free!!!
BRAVO, NEW YORK MTA!!
Ray Dashner, Pasadena, CA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SO.CA.TA Members-Only Board <tra...@lerami.lerctr.org> wrote in message news:<bbh7pd$iic$1...@lerami.lerctr.org>...
> Angeles County Sheriff?s Transit Bureau at (323) 563-5000. All non-emergencies
Merritt Mullen
dra...@earthlink.net (Ray Dashner) wrote:
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Warnings of impending dangers to children at crossings near schools,
> motorists and citizens living near electrified train systems are
> neccessary only when the system is not patterned after the New York
> City MTA Transit system. In New York, not a single train has ever
> collided with a motor vehicle nor has a pedestrian been struck at a
> crossing because there are none in the entire NYC system. Our local
> MTA, State Legislature and PUC had heads in sand when design of the
> Gold Line did not include undergrounding at all crossings. The future
> price to be paid for this shortsightedness will surely be immense.
> Just a few wrongful death lawsuits costs will exceed the initial costs
> of undergrounding. New York City found the money to do exactly that
> and history has proven their system is ultra safe and horn free!!!
> BRAVO, NEW YORK MTA!!
You are talking about a system built almost 100 years ago. And it
certainly was not built by the New York MTA, but by private companies to
be operated for a profit. And you are forgetting about the LIRR,
Metro-North, and NJT, all of which have surface running and grade
crossings, and accidents associated with such conditions.
The Blue Line has been running very successfully for something like 10
years, and none of your dire predictions have come true. And of course
similar systems are in operation all over the U.S. and the world.
Maybe we should underground all the street and roads. Certainly the
number of accidents between automobiles or pedestrians and light rail
vehicles pales in comparison to accidents involving just automobiles or
automobiles and pedestrians.
Merritt
Bill Cousert
"Merritt Mullen" <mmull...@mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:mmullen8014-D580...@netnews.attbi.com...
> In article <e425ae02.03062...@posting.google.com>,
> dra...@earthlink.net (Ray Dashner) wrote:
>
> > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > Warnings of impending dangers to children at crossings near schools,
> > motorists and citizens living near electrified train systems are
> > neccessary only when the system is not patterned after the New York
> > City MTA Transit system. In New York, not a single train has ever
> > collided with a motor vehicle nor has a pedestrian been struck at a
> > crossing because there are none in the entire NYC system. Our local
> > MTA, State Legislature and PUC had heads in sand when design of the
> > Gold Line did not include undergrounding at all crossings. The future
> > price to be paid for this shortsightedness will surely be immense.
> > Just a few wrongful death lawsuits costs will exceed the initial costs
> > of undergrounding. New York City found the money to do exactly that
> > and history has proven their system is ultra safe and horn free!!!
> > BRAVO, NEW YORK MTA!!
>
> You are talking about a system built almost 100 years ago. And it
> certainly was not built by the New York MTA, but by private companies to
> be operated for a profit. And you are forgetting about the LIRR,
> Metro-North, and NJT, all of which have surface running and grade
> crossings, and accidents associated with such conditions.
>
systems of 100 years ago, and local governments are finding it hard to build
much smaller systems today? Henry Huntington built a system over 1,000 miles
long with his own personal money, yet the L.A. MTA is struggling to build a
system less than 100 miles long.
Kymberleigh Richards
However, this post is too late ... you lost your argument with the CPUC.
Now go grumble somewhere else, please.
=================================================================================
Kymberleigh Richards
President, Southern California Transit Advocates <http://socata.lerctr.org>
Member, Metro San Fernando Valley Sector Governance Council
Associate Member, California Transit Association
Webmaster, San Fernando Valley Transit Insider <http://www.transit-insider.org>
=================================================================================
Robert Cote
Kymberleigh Richards <webm...@transit-insiderDOTnospam.org> wrote:
> Nice to know that the NOBLAG contingent knows how to use computers.
>
> However, this post is too late ... you lost your argument with the CPUC.
It is too late and I share the disgust about "it's for the children" appeals
to emotion but I'd like to point out that the LA Blue Line is a very dangerous
transit line and equally a very dangerous transport line. It is not solely an
LRT issue but it is a transport issue.
Elson
"Ray Dashner" <dra...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:e425ae02.03062...@posting.google.com...
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Warnings of impending dangers to children at crossings near schools,
> motorists and citizens living near electrified train systems are
> neccessary only when the system is not patterned after the New York
> City MTA Transit system.
Incidentally, the majority of those injured/killed at rail crossings are
*adults* who drive automobiles around crossing gates.
Children seem to know better.
dvs519
<webm...@transit-insiderDOTnospam.org> wrote:
>Nice to know that the NOBLAG contingent knows how to use computers.
>
>However, this post is too late ... you lost your argument with the CPUC.
>
>Now go grumble somewhere else, please.
>
>On 29 Jun 2003 20:28:17 -0700, dra...@earthlink.net (Ray Dashner) wrote:
>
>>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>Warnings of impending dangers to children at crossings near schools,
>>motorists and citizens living near electrified train systems are
>>neccessary only when the system is not patterned after the New York
>>City MTA Transit system. In New York, not a single train has ever
>>collided with a motor vehicle nor has a pedestrian been struck at a
>>crossing because there are none in the entire NYC system.
The last grade crossing on the New York City subway lines was
eliminated about 20 years ago. It was at the 105th Street of the
Canarsie (L) line.
There still may be some crossings on the Staten Island Rapid Transit
Line which is now operated by the NYCTA (MTA) and uses BMT subway
cars.
>> Our local
>>MTA, State Legislature and PUC had heads in sand when design of the
>>Gold Line did not include undergrounding at all crossings. The future
>>price to be paid for this shortsightedness will surely be immense.
>>Just a few wrongful death lawsuits costs will exceed the initial costs
>>of undergrounding. New York City found the money to do exactly that
>>and history has proven their system is ultra safe and horn free!!!
>>BRAVO, NEW YORK MTA!!
>>
>>Ray Dashner, Pasadena, CA.
>>
>>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>SO.CA.TA Members-Only Board <tra...@lerami.lerctr.org> wrote in message news:<bbh7pd$iic$1...@lerami.lerctr.org>...
>>> This message was posted on the SO.CA.TA Members-Only Board
>>> (by member Joseph Dunn), and echoed to the newsgroup
>>> la.transportation as a public service.
>>> For more information about SO.CA.TA, visit http://socata.lerctr.org
>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>=================================================================================
>Kymberleigh Richards
>President, Southern California Transit Advocates <http://socata.lerctr.org>
>Member, Metro San Fernando Valley Sector Governance Council
>Associate Member, California Transit Association
>Webmaster, San Fernando Valley Transit Insider <http://www.transit-insider.org>
>=================================================================================
==========================================
Dave by the Beach
Southern California
Kymberleigh Richards
[editing done to keep relevancy]
>>On 29 Jun 2003 20:28:17 -0700, dra...@earthlink.net (Ray Dashner) wrote:
>>
>>>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>>Warnings of impending dangers to children at crossings near schools,
>>>motorists and citizens living near electrified train systems are
>>>neccessary only when the system is not patterned after the New York
>>>City MTA Transit system. In New York, not a single train has ever
>>>collided with a motor vehicle nor has a pedestrian been struck at a
>>>crossing because there are none in the entire NYC system.
>
>The last grade crossing on the New York City subway lines was
>eliminated about 20 years ago. It was at the 105th Street of the
>Canarsie (L) line.
Making the point that there *were* grade crossings in the past. Which would put the lie
to the original Ray Dashner statement "In New York, not a single train has ever collided
with a motor vehicle nor has a pedestrian been struck at a crossing''.
Ever? Doubtful. Something had to have driven the removal of the previous grade
crossings.
>>> Our local
>>>MTA, State Legislature and PUC had heads in sand when design of the
>>>Gold Line did not include undergrounding at all crossings. The future
>>>price to be paid for this shortsightedness will surely be immense.
>>>Just a few wrongful death lawsuits costs will exceed the initial costs
>>>of undergrounding.
Look at the history of the Blue Line and show me how many "wrongful death lawsuits" have
occurred in its ten-year history. Reality check: Accidents happen on the Blue Line
because people try to "beat the train" or drive around crossing barriers (which is why the
Gold Line has four-way gates *plus* pedestrian crossing gates).
NOBLAG is wrong. The Gold Line has proper safety measures and is *not* a danger.