On-going Calgarians hit by trains thread

[Northendzone]

I think each level crossing in the city should be patrolled by guys dressed up like the buckingham palace guard. And then when those guys.get picked off then a more elaborate system of gates, barriers and machines that eat cars be erected.

Until then, perhaps some could design a smartphone app to warn drivers of oncoming trains......

[Wormius]

I think considering the place where most accidents *should* happen (25th & Macleod), I am pretty sure it's the barriers that keep vehicles from trying to make a run at it.

[Addick]

I think I may have a decent solution. However, it's a bit late so I might not be able to explain it all too clearly. Nevetheless, here it is:

Slightly shorter green lights for vehicle traffic, a short period of red lights for all traffic.
Currently some drivers are going through the intersection when they cannot clear it before the CTrain has a green light. Essentially, the green/yellow cycle for vehicle traffic is taking longer than planned/allowed and bleeding into the green/yellow cycle for CTrains. It might be wise to accept that it is taking longer for vehicles to clear the intersection and shift the light changes for vehicles forward according to the extra time it is taking them to clear the intersection. If the lights for vehicles change to yellow and red earlier while the lights remain red for CTrains, CTrains will be able to proceed on green but once the Nenshi nouns have finished running the red.

Originally Posted by billybob123

I'm sure it would be exhorbitantly expensive to put up barriers at each crossing.

Gate arms would probably take too much time as the trains would have to wait for them to be fully lowered.

[SebC]

^ That doesn't solve the problem of vehicles hitting trains when the train is already in the intersection (which seems to be the more prevalent scenario).

[frinkprof]

^I don't think it is. Most collisions have principal point of contact of the coupler on the lead car.

[Jimmy Stang]

Interestingly, this latest genius was actually heading the wrong way down 1st Street SE, so he/she wouldn't have even had a red light top stop them. Probably someone not familiar with the one-ways in Calgary, but a "one way" arrow is pretty universal and their inattention is still the cause of the collision.

[frinkprof]

Believe it or not one of the proposals in the LRV selection process for the latest order had an option for an airbag system at the front of each unit that would deploy under certain conditions in anticipation of a collision. It was something that the vendor had been testing and developing but hadn't executed yet. Didn't seem like it would be very effective in practice.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Joborule

The light is red though. What more indiction to not cross the road do you need? These people would be hitting cars the same way they hit trains.

The lights on 7 ave turn red out of synch with the rest of the intersections as one heads north or southbound. A red light should be enough but I would venture that higher effort is required to notify drivers unfamiliar with 7 ave (which I feel is a contributing factor with 50% of the downtown collisions)

[frinkprof]

I posted this in the Calgary Public Transit thread, but it's also relevant here.

I've done a little investigation with Calgary Transit contacts regarding the rash of private vehicle vs. LRT collisions and the associated costs of damages and alternative service, this response is (originally, got it second-hand) from someone who works in corporate claims with the City:

[...]We are extremely successful in recouping 100% of costs associated with collisions when the automobile is insured. This includes more than just repair of the LRV e.g. it includes the cost of putting shuttles into place. When someone does not have insurance we still pursue costs, but we have to be reasonable. If someone had a head injury as result of the collision and couldn't work... that would very likely be a situation where we didn't recover 100%. At that point, it is case-by-case [...]

[Vulcan]

I was turning left onto 28 ST. E off Memorial drive. The left turn signal goes on and we proceed to turn left, crossing the tracks. The bell goes off signalling a train is coming. The driver in front of me panics and stops, leaving me in the middle of the tracks. No way to go forward and the car behind me blocking me from backing up. I laid on the horn and thankfully he moved ahead, just in time but their is no solution for morons.

[KelVarnsen]

Not a train hit by a struggler, but it is a problem with a train.

@CalgaryPolice CPR train broken down @ Heritage LRT STN. W/B Heritage DR closed @ Haddon Rd E/B closed @ MacLeod TR for 3-4 hrs

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Not a train hit by a struggler, but it is a problem with a train.

@CalgaryPolice CPR train broken down @ Heritage LRT STN. W/B Heritage DR closed @ Haddon Rd E/B closed @ MacLeod TR for 3-4 hrs

Shouldn't effect Ctrain home since they are on a separate track but man will southland ever be busy. perfect timing for those commuting home tonight

[Joborule]

What was the final tally for 2013 people vs. trains incidents anyway?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

The lights on 7 ave turn red out of synch with the rest of the intersections as one heads north or southbound. A red light should be enough but I would venture that higher effort is required to notify drivers unfamiliar with 7 ave (which I feel is a contributing factor with 50% of the downtown collisions)

I remember once having to brake pretty hard for a red light crossing 7th ave because of exactly this.

I was driving late at night, and it was green lights all the way North through downtown, and I was looking ahead and didn't register that there was a red right in front of me, and had to stop harder than I should have if I had been looking at the right light

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I remember once having to brake pretty hard for a red light crossing 7th ave because of exactly this.

I was driving late at night, and it was green lights all the way North through downtown, and I was looking ahead and didn't register that there was a red right in front of me, and had to stop harder than I should have if I had been looking at the right light

I've done that exact thing years ago during my first couple years of driving, except I went right thru a red light on 7th ave. I was nearly one of the strugglers that hit or got hit by a train but thankfully I ran in front of it by seconds. Scared my passengers s**tless. I can definitely see how people might be distracted when looking north and see the next 8 green lights down the road. Downtown driving can be stressful and difficult on new or small town drivers (I had a few wrong way down the road experiences too, late at night).

[KelVarnsen]

Shouldn't the thread be titled, On-going trains hit by Calgarians thread?

[transplant99]

I just witnessed a guy right in front of me drive directly into the path of a ctrain on 36 st ne...one of the more incredible things I have ever seen. Simply unbelievable and has me more than rattled.

[Hockeyguy15]

Did he get hit?

[sec304]

Calgary Sun twitter has picture of a CTrain vs. minivan collision on 36th street from 18 minutes ago so I would assume that's it.

[MrMastodonFarm]