Valley Line LRT/ Valley Line West | ?m | ?s | City of Edmonton

TAS said:
Of note, there are 62 vehicle collisions per day in Edmonton (2019) or 431 per week.
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The impact of a vehicle to vehicle collision is different from the impact of a vehicle to train collision. Instead of the impact to only two drivers, there is impact to all of the riders on that train, if not riders on the entire line. Thankfully, Transed has only reported cosmetic damage to trains so far. One can project how it could work out in the future given the finite amount of trains that exist and the cost of repairing or replacing a train. If you have to shutdown the line for half a day, you have suddenly put how many cars back on roads that can potentially result in how many car accidents? I don't think it is quite as simple as saying people will get used to it. The amount of times I see people driving down a bike lane let alone the train right of way is too numerous to count. Unfortunately, I think expecting the behaviour to improve is idealistic at best.

All that said, the proverbial ship has sailed. It is what it is from a design perspective. Gates are a preventative measure at this point and ignoring their potential benefit is more or less sticking your head in the sand. Bad drivers are still going to be bad drivers tomorrow.
 
westcoastjos said:
The impact of a vehicle to vehicle collision is different from the impact of a vehicle to train collision. Instead of the impact to only two drivers, there is impact to all of the riders on that train, if not riders on the entire line. Thankfully, Transed has only reported cosmetic damage to trains so far. One can project how it could work out in the future given the finite amount of trains that exist and the cost of repairing or replacing a train. If you have to shutdown the line for half a day, you have suddenly put how many cars back on roads that can potentially result in how many car accidents? I don't think it is quite as simple as saying people will get used to it. The amount of times I see people driving down a bike lane let alone the train right of way is too numerous to count. Unfortunately, I think expecting the behaviour to improve is idealistic at best.

All that said, the proverbial ship has sailed. It is what it is from a design perspective. Gates are a preventative measure at this point and ignoring their potential benefit is more or less sticking your head in the sand. Bad drivers are still going to be bad drivers tomorrow.
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Vehicle collisions only affect the two drivers? So passengers in the car don't count? What about when a road has to close or those times when drivers behind the collision are stranded or held up for long periods of time, too, because there is nowhere to go? You've never been late because of an accident?

Agreed, a two vehicle collision doesn't have the same impact as one car vs. train collision could have, but the sheer volume of collisions weekly can generate quite an impact overall.

If you think expecting driver behaviour to improve is idealistic at best, does that notion begin and end with this issue of the train?

For example, left turns are still the most common and deadly accidents at intersections. You ok as you noted above to "more or less stick your head in the sand" about that or do you think they should be banned or only allowed when there is an advanced turn signal - which many intersections don't currently have?
 
TAS said:
Vehicle collisions only affect the two drivers? So passengers in the car don't count? What about when a road has to close or those times when drivers behind the collision are stranded or held up for long periods of time, too, because there is nowhere to go? You've never been late because of an accident?

Agreed, a two vehicle collision doesn't have the same impact as one car vs. train collision could have, but the sheer volume of collisions weekly can generate quite an impact overall.

If you think expecting driver behaviour to improve is idealistic at best, does that notion begin and end with this issue of the train?

For example, left turns are still the most common and deadly accidents at intersections. You ok as you noted above to "more or less stick your head in the sand" about that or do you think they should be banned or only allowed when there is an advanced turn signal - which many intersections don't currently have?
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What point are you trying to make here? Just playing devils advocate? It doesn't need to be an either or thing. Crossing arms would help prevent accidents plain and simple.
 
westcoastjos said:
What point are you trying to make here? Just playing devils advocate? It doesn't need to be an either or thing. Crossing arms would help prevent accidents plain and simple.
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Rightly or wrongly, at this early stage of this line I'm putting my trust in the public transportation and design experts who say the crashes are growing pains during the testing phase and not inconsistent in this standard design around the world.
 
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1646182030152007683
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1646244817259700228

It's happening! Marigold will be completely shutting down SPR between 131-139 streets on April 24, reopening November 2023. No cars, pedestrians, autonomous RC cars, nothin. I guess they want the summer to get stuff moving on this ROW. I wonder what they plan to get done in that time? it's only 6 months, according to this tweet.
 
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