Comments on: Car vs. Link

By: Gerard

Gerard — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:41:39 +0000

A quick look at traffic accident data from SDOT shows that traffic accidents on MLK have dropped significantly if you compare pre-Link to post-Link numbers. Here are some numbers that could use some updating if anyone else has the time:

Total Accidents

Total accidents before construction
1997 367
1998 337
1999 343
2000 310
2001 308
2002 312
2003 316

Average 327 / year

Total accidents after construction (July 1, 2007 to December 31,2008)

2007 48**
2008 107

Average 102/year

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:49:12 +0000

Hey, I saw a car vs. car accident at MLK and South Orcas – those still happen, too. No Link in sight!

By: octopus

octopus — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:33:33 +0000

There is a rather horrible youtube of a mother in minivan trying to race a freight train and cut the crossing. Never overestimate the intelligence of your fellow citizens

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:14:06 +0000

Link does. Here’s all the switches on Link: In the Pine St Stub Tunnel beyond Westlake Station, Stadium Station pocket track, O&M Facility, on MLK near S Walden right after the elevated transition from Mt Baker Station, MLK at S Willow St just north of Othello Station, Rainier Beach pocket track, S 133rd St near Interurban in Tukwila, entering Tukwila Int’l Blvd Station, and entering SeaTac/Airport Station.

By: BryanK

BryanK — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:23:44 +0000

Tri-Met MAX has a lot of crossover switches in the system for just this purpose. Does Link not have them, too? (Not that they are useful every time — often a problem in one direction stops service both ways anyway.)

By: Anandakos

Anandakos — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:22:18 +0000

Gates can be dangerous with pedestrians. They make it just as difficult to get out of the trackway as to get in.

Not saying don’t have them, but do it intelligently.

By: Sherwin

Sherwin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:02:42 +0000

I was thinking about this. We’re lucky the Rainier Valley stretch is on an elevated median. That reduces the number of crossings and eliminates non-signal left turns. Essentially, there’s no excuse for drivers to make that mistake.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:38:33 +0000

Anyhow, on topic: What an idiot. What part of No Left Turn does this person not understand?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:38:02 +0000

I think it’s been linked to on this blog before: Search YouTube for “Metro’s Greatest Hits” (I think it’s Houston’s Metro Light Rail). Critics called it the Wham-Bam Train

By: Gordon Werner

Gordon Werner — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:09:31 +0000

car vs. LRV incidents are likely going to prevent rail traffic in both directions … so more switches will have little extra value (other than they are a good idea to have when a portion of a track needs to be taken OoS)

By: Martin H. Duke

Martin H. Duke — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:44:01 +0000

You could just as easily solve the problem with more switches.

By: JoshMahar

JoshMahar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:11:55 +0000

Service delays are going to be problem though. I really wish they had gone with dual tracks, or at least a 3rd rail line for these cases. Also would have helped with an express to tukwila and sea-tac.

By: Gordon Werner

Gordon Werner — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:45:53 +0000

there have been remarkably few accidents with LINK thus far …

knock knock knock on wood.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:34:55 +0000

That suicide wasn’t at the crossing.

By: VeloBusDriver

VeloBusDriver — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:29:20 +0000

Sadly, it’ll probably take one or two deaths and maybe a lawsuit to get them installed. I think there has already been one death down there but it was a suicide I believe, so it probably won’t count in the minds of those who make these decisions.

By: Brian Bundridge

Brian Bundridge — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:27:19 +0000

I agree on the gates as well. BNSF has them for a reason.

By: Mad Park

Mad Park — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:27:05 +0000

It would also be helpful to transit users if the “investigation time” for a routine, non-injury “fender bender” could reduced. I know supervisors have to be summoned and photos taken, but 40 minutes seems like a long time…

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:01:27 +0000

It’s kinda off-topic, but +1 on the stadium station and ped gates. You get a mass of humanity there containing both small children and plastered adults—seems like a recipe for disaster.

By: VeloBusDriver

VeloBusDriver — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:57:32 +0000

Safety will be improved over time through familiarity and spot fixes for common issues.

Examples off the top of my head:

Turn the lights red in ALL directions when trains move through the intersections where illegal left turns are a problem.

Put gates across the pedestrian crossing at the stadium station. I was walking there yesterday and almost watched a guy talking on his cell phone get mowed down by a Link train. The train was blasting away with his horn but the guy just kept walking…