Smarter signals along Main Street Downtown?
METRO reports that massive police presence and retimed signals downtown has reduced light rail accidents. 30 days, though, is not much data, and the police deployment obviously can’t be permanent.
The notable thing here is the signal change, which would be implemented on all the new light rail lines as well. The train gets its “proceed” signal just a moment before the parallel cars do. Thus, by the time a driver gets a green light, the train to his left will be visible. But the big lesson remains: some drivers are too stupid to deal with left turns being banned. Never mind that left turns weren’t allowed on Main before the rail line was built; people ignored that, too. So the new lines need left turn lanes, with left turn signals, so drivers can turn but will wait until it’s safe. Unfortunately, we have to design for idiots in cars.
Worth noting as always: there are not train accidents, they are car accidents. And car accidents are the real problem. Today’s toll: 3 dead on US290, 2 dead on SH6. No idea how many were injured; that’s too routine for the Chronicle to report.