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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

News Trimet Gets Bus Safety Suggestions From Florida Consultants

Posted by Angela Webber on Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 4:46 PM

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After an accident last month in which a Trimet bus struck five pedestrians, killing two of them, when the driver took an illegal left turn, the bureau hired a Florida consulting service to review its safety procedures.

The 26-page report includes some sucking up ("It is our belief that TriMet embraces the goal of attaining the highest level of safety achievable for its organization and will continue to improve its programs with this goal in mind"), and some nitpicky semantic suggestions ("It would be very helpful if a numbering system were used to reference the various sections instead of bullets"), but also some interesting research.

Things other cities have done about left turns:

[Cleveland:] GCRTA installed warning devices with audible beeping for left and right turns. Buses were retrofitted with the external beeping sound activated with the turn signal to alert pedestrians that a bus is turning. Strobe lights are also being installed above the left and right turn signals.
[Des Moines:] DART experienced seven bus-pedestrian collisions in Des Moines between 2007 and 2009; in each, the bus was turning left. As a result, DART has instituted a policy of blowing the horn in turns.

Suggestions:
- Buses carrying passengers should not make right or left turns on red, even if it is legal for motor vehicles at that intersection.
- Buses should only make "restrictive" left turns, that is, when there is a green left turn arrow or no oncoming traffic with the right-of-way. "Permissive" left turns should be eliminated for Trimet routes.
- The city should consider operating particular intersections with lots of pedestrian traffic with a "pedestrian-only" cycle at peak pedestrian times. This has been implemented famously in Tokyo and in NYC at Union Square.

More than you could ever want to know about bus safety after the jump.

Bus Operator Training:

Of concern is the fact that, while rail operators receive annual recertification, bus operators do not. Industry best practices dictate that bus operators be recertified in rules & procedures and emergency operations, if not annually, then at least biennially.

On [never] Driving When It's Wet Out:

It is recommended that operators never operate through standing water covering the roadway.

Committees on the elimination of committees:

Overall, the number and type of committees at TriMet could be improved. There are a fairly large number of committees, and many of them perform similar functions in different areas. [...] It is recommended that TriMet undertake a review of its committees and make recommendations for streamlining committees and developing membership standards.

 

Comments (8) RSS

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1
Yay. Pedestrian only!
Posted by Will Radik on June 9, 2010 at 5:41 PM · Report
2
Um. "Never driving when it's wet out"?

Um. Anyone? Someone want to take this?
Posted by kiala on June 9, 2010 at 8:42 PM · Report
3
They can't be serious about not driving busses when its wet out, can they? In Portlands case, that would be a large majority of the time. And what about not driving through standing water? That is indeed not such a good idea, but only if it is more than 3 or 4 inches deep. Rutted roads collect water every time it rains.
Posted by ujfoyt on June 9, 2010 at 8:57 PM · Report
4
I think, "standing water" probably means really big, really deep puddles, the kind that can make you hydroplane and lose control. I don't think they're saying don't drive when it's wet out. Yeah I know, I'm no fun whatsoever.

Now what I want to know is, what's the appeal of hiring consultants from Florida to advise us on our transportation issues? There was the Florida designer they hired to make the CRC look like a big jumble of white tubes, and now this. Is there some advantage to hiring consultants who are the farthest away they can be within the bounds of the continental U.S.? Or are they just cheaper in Florida?
Posted by Inductee on June 9, 2010 at 9:23 PM · Report
5
Busses should have almost new, quality, all weather tires so rain isn't a problem (do they?). Everyone needs to pay attention when around heavy machinery whether operating or in its path. Horns seem like a pretty good idea. Or other noises. People who live on bus routes should vote on noises they like. Loud blaring horns for every turn, piercing whistles, maybe even a loud clap.
Posted by TaxiPimp on June 9, 2010 at 9:36 PM · Report
6
Anything involving "the city" under it's current lack of leadership isn't going to go anywhere. They don't think transit is any part of their jurisdiction!

Strobes, sirens, audible warnings, horns... they'll all eventually become part of general noise pollution, just like the crummy automated voice TriMet uses for automated stop announcements that slurs everything together and pronounces some things incorrectly (i.e., "lienfourteehawthorntoportland"), meaning that they'll just drown out into the background like everything else does eventually. It's rather amazing when the automated announcements go two or three times, while people are walking on with their "smart" (dumb?) phone in one hand, still held up to their ear with conversation still going, asking the bus operator what bus they're boarding, and/or if the bus marked "to St. Johns" goes to Gresham Transit Center first. The *really* sad part is I know people will think I'm making this stuff up!

And, what are people who are sensitive to blinking lights and/or horns going to do? Especially if the audio/visual seizure display is visible everywhere, including inside where they live?
Posted by Jason Barbour on June 10, 2010 at 4:42 AM · Report
7
How about just enforcing the laws of the road? I've yet to see a driver of the 45 follow the limit going down Beaverton-Hillsdale highway. Tis a matter of time before a bus goes over the side of a cliff as it merges with Barbur.
Posted by NIG GER on June 10, 2010 at 9:42 AM · Report
8
Wait.. wait wait.. Lights, sirens?
How about... THE BUS DRIVER DOESN'T KILL PEOPLE!
What an Idea! What a Revelation!!
Possibly, if the driver paid attention to the FIVE people in a legal crosswalk, this wouldn't be an issue.
My consultancy fee will be $16,988.90
Posted by zombiesai on June 10, 2010 at 2:16 PM · Report

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