On-going Calgarians hit by trains thread

[Jimmy Stang]

Frink et al would know best, but isn't the ultimate plan to tunnel under 8th Avenue and also have trains running on the surface on 7th? If that's true, in the context of this thread, going underground would do nothing to prevent people from driving into trains.

[NuclearPizzaMan]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Frink et al would know best, but isn't the ultimate plan to tunnel under 8th Avenue and also have trains running on the surface on 7th? If that's true, in the context of this thread, going underground would do nothing to prevent people from driving into trains.

Yeah, the 7th ave track isn't going anywhere. 8th will add capacity.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by NuclearPizzaMan

Yeah, the 7th ave track isn't going anywhere. 8th will add capacity.

That's what I thought. As much as I'm very much in the camp of "you can't fix stupid", I'd be open to some relatively quick and easy enhancements to the crossings downtown if any exist. Not for the people who run the red lights either, but for the commuters. One person's inattentiveness causes problems for thousands of commuters across the city.

But what can/should be done? Crossing arms? Bigger red lights that strobe or something? I'd love to see some giant pegs shoot up from under the road when the light turns red. Keep the carnage and debris off of the tracks at least.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by NuclearPizzaMan

Yeah, the 7th ave track isn't going anywhere. 8th will add capacity.

I believe the VERY long-term plan is to put the W-NE line underground on 7th after the S-NW line goes underground on 8th.

Also, the 8th Ave subway alone would reduce LRT traffic on 7th Ave and prevent delays on the S-NW line, so while it wouldn't eliminate collisions downtown it would reduce their impact on the city by ~75%.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

But what can/should be done?

[Acey]

^ Perhaps not that thing exactly, but shouldn't they really have something on the front of the trains to protect them from damage? Isn't it like $100k to fix them? And what do the morons who get hit have to pay?

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by SebC

Stoning is kind of primeval, but I like the way you think.

Nice train, btw.

[Acey]

Now, you didn't think we could make it a whole week without a crash, did you?! Request thread be renamed "On-going Calgarians hit by trains thread".

At approximately 11:30 p.m. [Sunday night], CFD crews, EMS and CPS responded to the intersection of 6 St. and 7 Ave. S.W. after a sedan struck the centre car of a westbound CTrain.

On arrival, emergency crews discovered the two occupants of the sedan were trapped in the vehicle. Fire crews extricated the two adult women from the car and EMS transported the two patients to hospital in stable, non-life threatening condition.

I like how they phrased it as "car struck the train" and not vice versa.

http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/two-women-...rain-1.1593301

[burn_this_city]

How do you hit the center car? Does the train blend in with the surrounding area because it's white?

[Acey]

Driver's still an idiot, but I always thought they should have more lights on the sides of the trains. Those couple green or blue lights (can't remember) they have at the top don't cut it. There should be amber lights at the top and bottom the whole length of each car, like the semi trailers have nowadays. Can't fix stupid of course.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

How do you hit the center car? Does the train blend in with the surrounding area because it's white?

Hey now. It's easy to miss spotting those giant, train-like objects when you're busy texting.

[HockeyIlliterate]

Originally Posted by Acey

Driver's still an idiot, but I always thought they should have more lights on the sides of the trains. Those couple green or blue lights (can't remember) they have at the top don't cut it. There should be amber lights at the top and bottom the whole length of each car, like the semi trailers have nowadays. Can't fix stupid of course.

It probably wouldn't hurt to add some light-reflecting tape lines (the kind that you see on safety jackets at a construction site) on the side of the train cars.

[chalms04]

Originally Posted by HockeyIlliterate

It probably wouldn't hurt to add some light-reflecting tape lines (the kind that you see on safety jackets at a construction site) on the side of the train cars.

IIRC the entire grey portion of the livery is reflective.

[HockeyIlliterate]

Originally Posted by chalms04

IIRC the entire grey portion of the livery is reflective.

I honestly had no idea.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

How do you hit the center car? Does the train blend in with the surrounding area because it's white?

i always assume that most of these accidents occur because the car is trying to run the light, so they hit the front of the train, and by the time everything stops the car is in the middle of the train car......

maybe i have it all wrong and the issue is really with the train drivers and the fact they are being pushed to stay on time.....

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by SebC

I believe the VERY long-term plan is to put the W-NE line underground on 7th after the S-NW line goes underground on 8th.

Also, the 8th Ave subway alone would reduce LRT traffic on 7th Ave and prevent delays on the S-NW line, so while it wouldn't eliminate collisions downtown it would reduce their impact on the city by ~75%.

Ive heard that as well and I just dont understand why they wouldnt put the NW/SW line under. It has more movements than the W/NE line. I wonder if the reason is how they get it underground after Sunnyside.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

i always assume that most of these accidents occur because the car is trying to run the light, so they hit the front of the train, and by the time everything stops the car is in the middle of the train car......

maybe i have it all wrong and the issue is really with the train drivers and the fact they are being pushed to stay on time.....

Not sure of the last one but of all the other car vs train accidents it was all the fault of the car and the insurers have had to pony up over 800K in repair costs. Ive always wondered if that cost includes the reduced revenue from a car being out of service.

These people are complete idiots. As they damaged public property their names should be released so they can be mocked and ridiculed for being the idiots that they are.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Not sure of the last one but of all the other car vs train accidents it was all the fault of the car and the insurers have had to pony up over 800K in repair costs. Ive always wondered if that cost includes the reduced revenue from a car being out of service.

.

If the city can show that damage.

[Ozy_Flame]

What is with 2013 being the year of Citizen/C-Train wrestling matches?

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

What is with 2013 being the year of Citizen/C-Train wrestling matches?

Bus surfing wasn't extreme enough.