THE SIGNAL LIGHT I CAN'T TRUST, WHAT ABOUT YOU????
Okay, I just couldn't figure out why so many people would claim they had the light when they were hit by Houston's light rail on the short route. But Metro monitoring cameras always came up with the proof that the driver was at fault and ran the red light. Well, I think I have found the problem. I was driving in downtown Houston near main when I came to the light rail. So when the light turned green I proceeded across the rails but in less than 1 second, and I do mean 1 second the light was yellow again and then red. And there was the light rail car right on me. I'm caught on the rail just as the light is turning red in less than a second or more...and I do mean no more. From this experience I assume in the engineering system the light rail car has the right of way. Meaning even if you have the green light and the rail is approaching the light will automatically change to accommodate the rail car. I see this as a very dangerous situation for drivers and pedestrians out there. Metro really needs to look at this issue because if it happened to me it's happened to others.
Call me if you want to follow up on a story. I tried to get Robert Arnold interested in it in February but he has been sitting on it.
ReplyDeleteI obtained the accident report and video from METRO through TXPIA.
I called the blind man who was nearly killed at Main Street Square. The report has names and phone numbers of witnesses.
METRO has a system that preemts the traffic control signals. It violates the Federal as well as Texas standards. See USDOT MUTCD 2000, part 10.
It happened to me, as well as others I know, and Edd Hendee was all atwitter in January when his wife, Nina, experienced what you did after leaving the Marathon.
While bad enough for cars, and likely caused the fatal crash last year, it is egregious to short-cycle the pedestrian crosswalk timer, as manifested when the blind man was plowed into by the tram.