|
October
21,
2005 |
|
Safety's
First.
Metro
has implemented a number of initiatives to help ensure the Metro Orange
Line operates with the utmost safety and security and asks the public to
do its part by adhering to all traffic signals, posted signs and street
striping along the 14-mile transitway. "I'm
committed to making the Metro Orange Line as safe and convenient as any
line we operate, for everyone - passengers, motorists, cyclists and
pedestrians alike," Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said. "It's vitally
important that we learn and follow the rules of the road to ensure that
our new line will be one of the best ones yet." Metro
has contracted with the Sheriff's Department to provide security on
the alignment and at stations 24-hour a day. Trespassing on the
transitway is strictly prohibited and offenders may be cited up to $500.
Sheriff's Department enforcement will include motor, cruiser and
horse-mounted patrols. The
transit agency has also worked closely with the Los Angeles Department
of Transportation (LADOT) to construct transitway intersections with all
necessary street infrastructure to enable motorists, bicyclists and
pedestrians to interact safely with 60-foot, 24-ton articulated Metro
Liner Buses as they cross through 36 Valley intersections between North
Hollywood and Woodland Hills. To
facilitate a more efficient flow of bus and vehicular traffic through
intersections, Metro Liners, like Metro Rapids, will employ a signal
priority system that enables buses to communicate with LADOT-installed
traffic signals. As the buses approach intersections, on-board
transponders communicate with the traffic signals to shorten the
duration of red lights and lengthen green lights. While the signal
priority system allows buses to improve upon travel times, buses will
nevertheless stop at red lights with the rest of traffic when required.
Buses will automatically stop at 13 Metro Orange Line stations to pick
up and drop off patrons. To
help ensure safe crossings at intersections, all Metro Orange Line
intersections come equipped with traffic signals for each direction of
travel. Arrow signals, for example, provide the exact direction
motorists should proceed. The
middle of many street intersections have clearly marked "Keep Clear"
zones intended to keep motorists from blocking the intersection.
Motorists are advised to stay behind the double white lines until there
is enough room and time for them to clear the intersection and get to
the other side. Turning on a red or yellow light at these intersections
is strictly prohibited to prevent motorists from placing their vehicle
in the path of an approaching bus. To
guard motorists from accidentally driving onto the transitway, "Do Not
Enter" signs and other directional signs have been installed on both
sides of busway entrances. Signs are complemented with flashing
electronic "Bus Coming" signs when buses approach the intersection. Each
intersection contains crosswalks to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to
safely access stations. Patrons should never jaywalk to reach station
platforms or run to catch a bus. If patrons miss their bus, station
electronic message boards will display the next bus' arrival. Wait
times between buses during morning and afternoon rush hour periods
should not exceed every six minutes. Metro
has also construced four signalized pedestrian crossings to help members
of the community access the other side of the transitway. Pedestrians
should obey the Walk/Don't Walk signals just as they would at any
other signalized intersection and look for buses traveling in both
directions before crossing. Pedestrians
and bicyclists should exercise caution at intersections where Metro has
installed soundwalls near residences as visibility to approaching buses
may be limited. Pedestrians and bike riders should always stop and look
both ways near these soundwalls. A
host of other security measures also have been installed on the Metro
Orange Line. All stations are well-lit and are equipped with closed
circuit television surveillance cameras at both ends of the station
which are monitored 24 hours per day by Metro's Bus Operations Center "Raising
the public's awareness about the safety features in and around the
Orange Line will help to ensure the safety of motorists, pedestrians,
cyclists and bus passengers," said Councilmember Wendy Greuel.
"Metro and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation have taken
extreme care to develop and post signage all along the Metro Orange Line
to alert the public to safety hazards, and I applaud them for making
safety awareness a priority for our community." As
Chair of the City Council's Transportation committee, Councilmember
Greuel introduced a motion last week asking the city's Department of
Transportation to work with Metro and LAPD's Traffic Division to report
to the City Council all of the safety measures put in place around the
Metro Orange Line, and to report back every 30 days on any safety issues
that arise after the grand opening of the transitway. Metro-155 |