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April
14,
2003 |
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MTA
Emphases Rail Safety,
MTA has
undertaken a number of initiatives to ensure that the Metro Gold
Line, scheduled to open this summer, operates with the utmost safety
and security. MTA has created a
state-of-the-art rail safety education program, established a close
security partnership with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department,
and is leveraging its considerable experience as operator of the
Metro Red, Blue and Green Lines in bringing proven, effective safety
and security measures to L.A. County's newest rail line. The 13.7-mile
Metro Gold Line will serve Pasadena, South Pasadena, Highland Park,
Lincoln Heights, Chinatown and downtown Los Angeles. Trains have not
operated in these communities for years, and a new generation of
residents must understand and adhere to safety precautions along the
route. Electric P2000 trains are scheduled to run approximately every
10 minutes among 13 stations during peak hour commute times, and
approximately every 12 to 20 minutes during non-commute hours. Rail Safety EducationEducation
is the most important element in MTA's rail safety program. The
public must be educated about safe interactions with trains or
MTA's extensive safety measures will be rendered ineffective.
Since September 2002, MTA has conducted proactive education
presentations that detail rail safety issues to the community and,
specifically, to surrounding schools. MTA's Community Relations Rail
Safety team attended scores of community events and 71 area schools,
reaching nearly 48,700 students with the rail safety message. Here students are
trained to be cognizant of approaching trains and their required
stopping distances, to stay away from tracks and idle trains, and
not to breach train crossing gates. MTA has taken actual photographs
of the rail alignments and has created interactive DVD presentations
to help the community recognize rail warning devices and how they
function in their neighborhoods. Real-life examples are used to
demonstrate what to do and what not to do near trains. "We expect the
interactive DVD presentations to provide a much more effective and
relevant safety message," said Lynda Bybee, MTA's Deputy Executive
Officer of Community Relations. "There's a lot of visual noise
in an urban setting. We want to urge everyone to be sensitive to the
warning devices that are there for their own safety." The newest tool
in MTA's education arsenal is a mobile theater that employs
advanced video and 3-D effects to simulate the true operation of a
P2000 train along the actual Metro Gold Line route. The ride is
similar to Disneyland's "Captain EO" ride, with vibrating
seats and surround sound. It provides an opportunity to make a
visually compelling, lasting impression on children and adults. The
mobile theater will be used throughout Los Angeles County. Safety is a
personal responsibility, and MTA will rely on its relationships with
the community to extend and amplify this safety message. "MTA considers
safety a partnership with the community," said Joanne Longsden,
Senior Community Relations Officer who works with MTA's rail
safety presenters. "It takes a willingness to share in these
efforts to ensure that the community interacts safely with these
trains." Other components
of MTA's Safety Education Program include a poster campaign in
schools to remind students daily about rail safety, and public
service announcements that will run on local television stations and
movie theaters in the coming months. Rail
Safety Operations
MTA
has employed a suite of safety measures on the Metro Gold Line that
have proven effective for 13 years on the Metro Blue Line, which
serves the communities between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach.
For example, MTA has made use of four quadrant gates on key
intersections that completely seal them off when trains are
crossing. Vehicle detection loops embedded in the pavement detect
vehicles that may be caught within the intersection as the gates
descend and automatically lift the nearest gate to allow the vehicle
to escape. Additionally, 23 of the 30 at-grade crossings on the
Metro Gold Line are equipped with pedestrian and swing gates, which
bolster safety by completely closing the crossing to foot traffic. Fiber optic signs
installed on traffic signal cantilevers are utilized in
street-running portions of the Metro Gold Line route to give drivers
advance warning of approaching trains. Used previously on the Metro
Blue Line, this safety measure has been instrumental in dramatically
lowering the incidents of illegal left-hand turns. The Metro Blue
Line has experienced a 50 percent drop in such incidents over the
last two years. MTA has also paid
close attention to signage and striping at intersections to ensure
compliance with Public Utilities Commission regulations. MTA will
closely monitor other safety measures as well. "Safety is
involved through design, construction, pre-revenue and revenue
operations," said Abdul Zohbi, manager of rail operations safety
at MTA. "If somebody reports a hazard on the Metro Gold Line,
we'll investigate the hazard and quickly come up with a solution.
Our job never ends." MTA's
successful rail safety education and operation efforts are the
result of a joint program between the agency's rail operations
safety and community relations departments. Security
Partnership with L.A. County Sheriff's Department
MTA
has recently contracted with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department
to take full security details on MTA's entire Metro transit
system. The Sheriff's Department will work collaboratively with
MTA's transit operating supervisors, its transit security unit and
Metro Gold Line management to coordinate security efforts. For the first
time, Sheriff's Department security assistants will be used to
inspect fares at Metro Red and Gold Line transit stations, allowing
the Sheriff's Department to extend its coverage and visibility.
Fare inspectors will provide riders with information, directions and
other assistance. They will also be able to write citations, call
for backup, and proactively resolve issues before they become
problems. "MTA will have
more station security coverage than it has ever had before with the
introduction of these fare inspectors," said Gerald Francis,
general manager of rail operations at MTA. "They will supplement
the eyes and ears of law enforcement, acting as a force multiplier
to increase security on the Metro Red and Gold Lines, which frees up
officers to focus on critical law enforcement duties. Furthermore,
they will also serve as customer service ambassadors to our
patrons." Station parking
lots will be well lit, and closed circuit television cameras will be
installed for monitoring purposes. Stations will be equipped with
emergency intercoms that will be directly linked to close circuit
television observers. Station structures will be well lit and will
have no hiding spaces. To deter graffiti, flat surfaces are
minimized and wrought iron fences are used instead of block walls. Contracted Metro
Transit Sheriff's deputies and security personnel will patrol
Metro Gold Line stations during all hours of operation. Metro
Transit Sheriff's personnel's full-time policing and security
measures will include vehicle and foot patrols onboard the trains
and in passenger stations. Sheriff's
transit motorcycle deputies will also patrol the Metro Gold Line
right-of-way full-time to ensure the safe passage of rail patrons,
motorists, and pedestrians. Motorcycle deputies have helped reduce
collisions dramatically along the Metro Blue Line, and will be
frequently seen at Metro Gold Line grade crossings to help ensure
traffic enforcement and community safety. The Sheriff's
Department has set up multiple bases of operation for policing the
Metro Gold, Red, Blue and Green Lines to speed response times. MTA and
Sheriff's Transit Services Bureau plan to employ a transit
community policing function that involves everyone associated with
the passenger station, including local police, fare inspectors,
transit rail supervisors and janitorial staff. The focus will be on
resolving problems quickly, establishing close contact with
passengers and local community members, and creating high visibility
for law enforcement. MTA-054 |
