Expo Line safety delay?

The Expo Line is facing an 11th hour controversy about whether the railway is safe enough. The Times' Jeff Rabin said there are concerns about safety near several schools (see kids walking on track in left photo), L.A. Trade Tech College and USC facilities. Critics point to the 87 people hit and killed on the Blue Line:

Several residents along the former railroad right of way are formally protesting the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority's applications to put rails across 44 intersections along the route. In addition, a USC engineering professor and Los Angeles Unified School district officials have voiced safety concerns. Builders of the rail line fear the issues raised by the utilities commission staff and others could delay construction for years and add millions of dollars to the project's cost. So they are fighting back, pushing legislation in Sacramento to cut in half the amount of time the commission has to act on the grade-crossing applications.

What do you think? Does the Expo Line need more safety features? Should there be more delays? Hit COMMENT and speak out?

Comments

[train horns]

those train horns are loud!

[Darrell Clarke]

See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEiyrT4vo50 of the Gold Line grade crossing at Indiana Ave. in South Pasadena. It shows quad gates for the street plus pedestrian gates (with addtional exit gates), similar to what's proposed for the Expo Line's gated crossings. The crossing gates descend in about 13 seconds, with total time just over 30 seconds -- same as a typical intersection's red light. It also shows the similar sound volume of car traffic, crossing bells, train horn, and the train passing.

[Amir K]

87 people have died at the hands (or in this case, the wheels) of the Blue Line. As much as my heart goes out to the families of the deceased, it is at the very least survival of the fittest. If one doesn't notice a train coming and doesn't get out of the way, it's deserved.

If 87 deaths is what's holding us up from some decent traffic congestion relief, take away guns for an hour or two. Otherwise, get us the relief we need or else the stress of all this traffic will give us a collective heart attack!

[JP]

How many die every year on the 405?

[cesar]

JUST ADD A FENCE ALONG THE RAIL!!!

IF YOU NEED THEM TO GO ACROSS THEN BUILD A BRIDGE OVER THE LINE! A SIMPLE EFFICENT BRIDGE! COMMON PEOPLE!

OH, DONT FORGET TO ADD A FENCE ON THE BRIDGE SO THEY WONT JUMP OFF!

BUILD THIS THING ALREADY! WE NEED IT!

[cesar]

JUST ADD A FENCE ALONG THE RAIL!!!

IF YOU NEED THEM TO GO ACROSS THEN BUILD A BRIDGE OVER THE LINE! A SIMPLE EFFICENT BRIDGE! COMMON PEOPLE!

OH, DONT FORGET TO ADD A FENCE ON THE BRIDGE SO THEY WONT JUMP OFF!

BUILD THIS THING ALREADY! WE NEED IT!

[Daniel OC]

it's true that fences and other preventive measures will help, although tracks are inherently a dangerous place to be near. it's important to repeat what has been done with the blue and gold lines, where public awareness efforts were carried out in local schools and community centers. the pamphlets, representatives making class presentations, posting up signs and warnings, etc. fences are only a physical barrier... the mental barrier has to be put in place as well.

[Sheryl]

Only 20 suicides?

Yeah, right. 67 people FAILED TO NOTICE the train tracks, the signage, the flashing lights and the crossarms.

Just who exactly are we trying to kid here? People who get hit by trains get hit BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE WAY. Trains can't swerve off the track and hit a person on the other side of the street. A train can only hit a person who is on the track in front of it! If you want children to be safe, TEACH THEM NOT TO STEP IN FRONT OF THE BLESSED TRAIN!!!!!

Let's be honest about this mess.

All these objections aren't about safety; they're about NIMBYism and political haymaking by the objectors, nothing more and nothing else. The people currently objecting have personal or political reasons to want to delay or prevent the Expo Line from providing public rail service thru their neighborhoods, plain and simple.

[greg kay]

No, the blame lies squarely at the feet of selfish Cheviot Hills residents who would disingenuously filie a protest in the name of safety, when their true concerns lie elsewhere. Even a non-signalized grade crossing is safer than any automobile intersection. Trains run on tracks - you know the exact two directions from which they will come. Train are required to use horns and bells at grade crossings. Trains don't drive drunk. .

[Damien Goodmon]

The problem is of Metros/Expos own making.

First, in the PUC Public Advocate's protest, they mention that they've been attempting to resolve their issues with the Authority/MTA for years! Metro has known about the problems - they've just chosen to ignore them.

Second, Metro/Expo didn't submit their grade crossing applications when they should have.

Here's how the process works. Any time any transit agency in this state wants to construct a line across an intersection (regardless of whether it is at-grade, below grade, above grade, or closing off the street) they have to get permission from the Public Utilities Commission to build the tracks and operate the train. The PUC has a protest period where any person, organization or the Public Advocate's office of the PUC can challenge an application - on whatever grounds. If no one files a protest within 30 days, the crossing is typically approved. BUT, if a credible protest is filed, for the first time in the entire project review/build process the protestant has the same legal standing as the MTA/Expo.

The PUC then oversees a legal process where a judge/commissioner thoroughly reviews the issues, attempts to resolve the dispute and eventually issues a final order. Currently, the process can be no longer than 18 months.

The bottom line is, Metro/Expo could have and should have submitted the grade crossing applications when the EIS was released (10/05), possibly even sooner. The protest period would have been over by now. Expo waited until early this year (heck, they haven't even submitted the final most controversial applications in front of Dorsey and USC yet!), and now the project could face delays. The blame is on MTA and Expo's feet not the residents who are protesting or the PUC public advocates office.

Shifting from a discussion of legal matters to transit advocacy and engineering matters, the reality is Metro's grade separation policy, as it pertains to safety, is very weak in comparison to state, federal and international transportation engineering standards. Everyone knows this.

Protests should have been expected and planned for by MTA/Expo. As the commissioner's lawyer said in the article, the PUC's primary objective when evaluating applications is safety. If there are more holes than a piece of swiss cheese in the safety policy by which Expo (or any other MTA line) is designed, then how could Expo NOT expect protests to be filed before the safety review board that they need approval from to begin construction?! How could Metro/Expo not plan for protests?

Why they failed to plan for this is anyone's guess.

After the LPA for Phase 2 is adopted in '08, Expo would be wise to submit the applications then so the safety review process can run its legal course. There will be changes to the line in phase 2 to make the line safer, just as there will be changes to phase 1 because of this process that will make the line safer. This is business as usual, and unfortunately MTA/Expo dropped the ball.

[Tom A.]

"Clint Simmons, who lives near the Exposition right of way, has joined Jolles in protesting the applications for at-grade crossings. 'Nobody is against light rail, but do it right,' he said."

Then why, Mr. Simmons, did you and your allies not bring it up at the public meetings held before the EIR and design plans were finalized?
And when you say you're not against light rail as long as it's done right, does that mean you're also not against paying higher taxes and delaying the project's completion for lord knows how long?
Just curious...

[Bob Zwolinski]

For cryin’ out loud… Now what???
I’m sure that the Expo Line will have the same type of fencing as the Gold Line has, preventing unruly minors and teens from playing on the tracks.

Of course the kids are going to walk on the tracks now. Who cares?? THE RIGHT OF WAY IS ABANDONED AT THIS TIME!!! There hasn’t been a train on those tracks for almost 17 years since the MTA purchased it from SP.
LET ‘EM WALK ON IT!

I’m sure that all safety measures along the line have been addressed already.
This is NOT our 1st light rail line here in Los Angeles County. We haven’t had any issues with kids playing on the Gold Line tracks. I’m sure the Expo line won’t have any either.

Once the trains start rolling, the kids should have enough common sense to stay away from the trains and tracks. Or are the kids nowadays just too dumb?

[Dr. B]

How many people have been killed in automobile fatalaties during the same period , on the 110 freeway which parallels much of the blue line.

[RB]

I don’t understand why the people citing safety concerns are misdirecting their energies. There have been 87 fatalities on the blue line tracks. 20 of those were deliberate suicides. That leaves 67 fatalities in 17 years. I understand we want to protect our kids and students, but let’s focus on real problems. 2,157 children were killed in car accidents in 2004 alone! This is according to the National Center for Health Statistics. First, let’s watch our children and keep them off tracks. Second, let’s educate our children to stay off of the tracks. We can’t protect the determined, but we’re all pretty smart enough to stay off of tracks and when gates at crossings are closing, lights flashing, and bells are ringing to warn us, we should probably pay attention.

[Scott Mercer]

One word: fences.

[Kate]

Not so hazardous that we should have to protect people from common sense. By all means, put up signs, and install traffic controls at as many crossings as possible. Sure, that costs money, but it's money spent to improve safety in a way that makes sense.

People who walk on the tracks are taking a risk. Teach them about the risk--and then if they make a bad choice, they're responsible for that choice.

[movielocke]

people are idiots, and people fear change. nothing at all like more delays to the already slow construction pace.

[Ben Hardy]

Firstly, these people should have made reasoned arguments at the appropriate time.

Also, train lines are FAR less dangerous to children than drivers of cars, who routinely run red lights, turn without indicating, and who knows what else when they're blithering into their cell phones when they should be looking out for children. More children have been run over by their own parents than trains, for sense's sake!

The Cheviot Hills NIMBYs and these ones near the University are simply parrotting nonsense. If you want an example of what the Expo line is going to be like, look at the Gold Line. It's mostly at grade, with safe crossings, with only one fatality since it opened, and that was a suicide.