Comments on: The importance of investing in mass transit

By: anonymouse

anonymouse — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:58:25 +0000

Guess what: Washington Metro had exactly such a system. It failed to detect the train like it was supposed to. My guess would be either some component failed and nobody noticed, or somebody made some unauthorized modifications, or maybe the design was flawed to begin with and nobody noticed until a train stopped at the exact wrong spot.

By: Amitabha Mukhopadhyay

Amitabha Mukhopadhyay — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:27:48 +0000

Mass transit systems could be made 100%safe using proper technology. If there is on board computer in the driver’s cabin and proper sensors placed on the line that can send signals to the driver for a couple of miles ahead continuously.If there is any train within two miles say the load on the track would alert the driver and the autopilot automatically and the train would stop.
Our main problem is that we always try to remain comfortable in an old technology systems and reluctant to innovate.
For a glimpse into the world of future mass transit systems please visit the website http://www.eloquentbooks.com/M.....080AD.html

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:49:24 +0000

In the Greater DC region, about 1,000 people die every year of car accidents. Having only 9 people die per year is an amazing achievement by auto standards. It’s a bad result compared to other transit systems, like New York’s, which have zero fatalities for many years in a row, but that just illustrates that transit is very safe.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:47:29 +0000

Heavier trains aren’t actually crash-worthier – Caltrain did tests, and found that except at slow speeds, light trains perform better in collisions.

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:26:51 +0000

So if NYCT uses fixed block systems, why did they buy CBTC on the L line and currently have an RFP out to install CBTC on the 7 line, to include the Javits extension as well?

Almost all agencies are going to either CBTC or PTC, for NYCT to thump their chest and say otherwise is a flatout lie. If it wasn’t for the TWU (Who I hate), we’d have one person trains, and that person would be just like WMATA – Open and close the doors and deal with emergencies. Don’t thank NYCT, thank the TWU

By: R2

R2 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:47:04 +0000

I recall Larry Littlefield (I think) over at Streetsblog raising this point w/ regard to FRA. Here in the states we tend to emphasize crash-worthiness whereas the Europeans keep their trains lighter and tend to focus on signal technologies to prevent accidents in the first place.

Certainly a debate worth having.

By: paulb

paulb — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:43:17 +0000

Making trains more crash resistant, a phrase I’ve seen in stories about the accident. Doesn’t that mean making the cars heavier? I’ve read this has been one of the big problems for Acela–high speed trains made too heavy by FRA collision requirements. Heavier cars means more electricity used, more wear and tear on the wheels and rails.

And I used to envy DC the Metro. Well, I still do.

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:50:08 +0000

I agree with prioritizing safety.

However, I favor more radical triage. Just eliminate a line completely. Maybe keep the stations open so the additional homeless people have another place to sleep but no longer bother keeping it operational. Use the savings to keep the other lines at a higher level of service.

I realize this is probably completely delusional. Its fun to speculate on which line should get the ax if they actually did this. The G? The trains out to the Rockaways? Why should the Rockaways be connected by subway to the rest of the city and not Staten Island. Howe about the L? See how all the new condo owners in Williamsburg like being stranded.

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:09:59 +0000

Stringfellow, R., Rancatore, R., Llana, P., Mayville, R., “Analysis of Colliding Vehicle Interactions for the Passenger Rail Train-to-Train Impact Test,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Paper No. RTD2004-66037, April 2004.
http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sdd/v.....2004_3.wmv

More at:
http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sdd/pubs-crash.html

By: Ariel

Ariel — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:01:18 +0000

Like the levees breaking in New Orleans, or the bridge collapsing in Minneapolis, this is another example of how the federal government has let our infrastructure crumble to dangerous levels.

Hopefully the Obama administration can pass a second, more well-planned stimulus package that sends money directly to the mayors, so that they can address hard-pressing infrastructure problems such as this one.