Two decades of light rail development provide a suitable
milestone at which an assessment of safety and security can be objectively
addressed. According to the U.S. DOT statistics, in 1998, light rail covered
659 directional route miles with 530 stations, in 23 systems, having a total of
1,205 vehicles, carrying 275 million unlinked passenger miles. Since that time,
several more LRT systems have been constructed both in the U.S. and overseas.
Standards and rules, such as the Manual of Uniform Traffic
Control Devices, state regulations and local building codes have been applied
to engineering design, as has the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
System-related operational procedures have been adopted.
However, as LRT projects are isolated and independent,
variations have occurred and will do so again as others are implemented.
Safety review
Now that the transportation industry has had real-time
experience of LRT, it is appropriate to review some problems that have arisen
in operating systems, which have lead to unsafe conditions, accidents, injuries
and property damage, followed by consequential litigation.
Some of these may have resulted from faulty basic design of
the system itself, which may or may not have been foreseen when the
configuration was established.
Rather than being a form of criticism, this article is
offered from real-world operational experience to improve the future security
and safety of the traveling public, as well as to prevent litigation as the
result of incidents. It is based on my experience of actual events that have
taken place. The object is to prevent recurrence in the future wherever
possible.
Incident report
Open Stations: This
feature of LRT gives rise to people jumping the tracks in front of trains; stepping
on the rough ballast; ignoring warnings, etc. In some instances, fences have
been erected as a form of crowd control.
Island Platforms: These force the traveling public to cross
at least one track to access the train. This procedure is an inherently
dangerous condition. Even with gates and other deterrent devices, pedestrians
are free to wander, even without thought to their own safety.
Highway Signals: Use
of highway-type signs and signals for pedestrians lead to confusion, being not
relative to foot or wheelchair traffic.
Grade Crossings:
Associated pedestrian crosswalks, controlled by the highway warning devices,
have been omitted, forcing pedestrians dangerously to divert their itinerary
into road traffic lanes.
Coupler Jumping: Due
to the extended space between coupled cars on some systems, and the lack of
proper warnings or preventative devices, pedestrians have been known to pass
between cars, jumping the couplers, thereby causing injuries—this is
particularly dangerous when the train is moving. More than an estimated 6,000
such incidents occur annually on the San Diego system.
Stations on a Curved Track: Operators need to have maximum views of both sides of the train along
the platforms. Only then can they ensure safety of passengers and anything else
that is taking place between them. Specially designed mirrors provide a
solution to this problem.
Wheelchair Accommodation: While transit systems are obligated to provide accommodations for the
disabled, once a wheelchair is in the vehicle, and in the space provided for
it, the occupant can still move and the wheelchair can shift. Tie-downs or
anchors for wheelchairs in transit cars do not exist as they do in paratransit
vehicles—a check with the Federal Transit Administration confirms that there
are no such requirements.
Handholds: To
prevent passengers from stumbling or falling within a vehicle, it is important
that integral handholds be provided and easily accessible. They may be in the
form of suspended straphangers, part of a seat or horizontal/vertical bars.
Trespass: Unfenced
LRT systems are subject to trespass, as are railroads. System design should not
ignore this hazard, especially in areas subject to high activity, which
encourages vandalism as well as deliberate sabotage.
Signalization:
Main-line signal systems as applied to light rail transit have not, as far as
is known, caused any safety related incident. However, street movement of LRT
vehicles requires special attention. Road traffic signals must be coordinated
with LRT not only in regard to vehicular, but also pedestrian traffic.
Preemption is an important element in the design of such systems so as to
ensure the safe movement of all modes.
Preemption Control:
In order to expedite light rail operations at road and/or pedestrian
intersections, preemption is usually built into the control arrangements. Here
again, timing is important, especially to provide clearance of crossing
occupation prior to light rail vehicle movement over the crossing and to hold
the rail vehicle until the crossing has been signaled to stop. The MUTCD and
the CALTRANS Traffic Manual address this question. This is especially important
in regard to pedestrians and their special characteristics at the location
concerned. These include elderly and disabled persons, school children, rush
hour traffic, etc., accustomed to use the particular location.
Pedestrians:
Pedestrians generally are unpredictable, but they are the LRT system’s
payload and revenue. Their safety is a predominant feature of any light rail
system, therefore, although their safety must be ensured, their access to the
system must be encouraged and facilitated.
Personnel
Operator Competence:
One single operator is responsible for perhaps hundreds of lives. Therefore, it
is essential that all those responsible for ensuring operator competence have
the necessary qualifications and experience to make the judgment and to reject,
without qualms, an unsuitable applicant or existing employee. This includes
safety personnel actually in charge of a train and supervision of their proper
behavior in accordance with a clear set of rules and regulations as well as
operating procedures, both of which must be updated as necessary.
Management:
Notwithstanding all hardware and other safeguards provided in an LRT system,
the safe operation ultimately depends on individuals, all of whom, from
management to the lowest employee on the totem pole, should be competent and
careful. This responsibility starts at the top, continues through the
management structure through all concerned, especially safety personnel. This,
of course, is an obvious statement and applies to most businesses, but it is
all the more important where the lives of people is in their hands and should
never be forgotten. Constant vigilance by management is essential for a safe
system, and this applies to recruitment and employment of staff.
The Rule Book: This
important document should be reviewed periodically by management—also requiring
similar treatment are such instructions as standard operating procedures; drug
policy; and maintenance instructions, including updates and changes.
Supervisory Staff:
Delegation of responsibility for safety, among other things, is essential, but
those concerned must be chosen for their reliability—slack or
irresponsible attitude is unacceptable. Such staff should also be held
responsible for any foreseeable mishaps or accidents relevant either to the
system or to the public. It is not sufficient to simply ride the trains, they
must be trained to anticipate trouble, recommend solutions and, above all,
follow up to ensure action is taken.
Medical: The medical
condition of safety systems employees is a critical element in the safe
operation of a transportation system, including light rail. Therefore the use,
possession or sale of alcoholic beverages, intoxicants, narcotics or controlled
substances must be prohibited, and checked to be so before taking up, and
during duty.
Conclusion
Ever since transportation systems have been in operation,
accidents have occurred. And although the results have, in some cases, been
disastrous, the positive side is that they have led to remedial action and
improved safety.
It is therefore logical that, although experience of
so-called light rail in its present form is relatively short, the industry
would be well advised to take stock periodically to review accidents and unsafe
incidents to improve safety overall in this rapidly developing popular system
of people transport.
TME
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