City of Edmonton

Nobody expects to see this train.

LRT on 111th Street travels the median of the roadway

Sure, there’s been construction in the middle of 111^th Street in south Edmonton for years, wreaking all kinds of traffic havoc for motorists and pedestrians alike. With a project of this magnitude, with perpetual traffic detours and delays, everybody knew something big was coming. But now that it’s here, the South LRT is catching people by surprise.

You see it in drivers’ faces as the train cruises down the roadway median, zipping between vehicles on 111^th Street. Drivers do a double-take, eyes wide, when they see a train fly past at 70 km/h, where no train used to be.

Right now it’s just commissioning, which is the comprehensive testing process for new LRT. The trains, the electrical systems, the signalization… everything’s got to be running smoothly, perfectly, before the South LRT can safely open to public service on April 25^th, 2010.

We’re getting there. New commissioning tests are completed every day. Which means from now on, trains are moving on the South LRT tracks, in perpetuity. Anyone crossing 111^th Street needs to know that trains are there.

Things have changed at 111^th Street intersections between 23^rd Avenue and 61^st Avenue. The intersections are wider; new traffic signs, signals and gates are operational; tracks are running through the middle, and trains are starting to move on those tracks. Drivers and pedestrians are beginning to interact with trains.

With all the changes, commissioning wrapping up and trains starting to roll, the main question for the City is how to keep South LRT intersections safe. Specifically, what can the City do to prevent four types of collisions: train/car, train/pedestrian, car/car, and car/pedestrian?

South LRT intersections include several safety features

Designing and building the intersections to be as safe as possible is one answer. Spreading the word about traffic safety is another. But no solution is foolproof, in part because every solution is pinned to the underlying fact that no government can control all the actions of its citizens.

When it comes to traffic, people break the law. If they did not – if every person who ever came into contact with the South LRT always obeyed every traffic bylaw to 100 percent accuracy – there would almost never be any collisions. But people make mistakes. The best their government can do is to try to minimize the frequency and consequence of those mistakes.

Safety features at each South LRT intersection help to achieve this goal. So does the City’s TraXSafe program that teaches how to stay safe around LRT. Public safety is a shared responsibility, though, so a return to defensive driving and safety fundamentals is the best measure any citizen can take.

It will take time for people to grow accustomed to the changes at South LRT intersections. So take the time. Be patient. Go slow. Everyone will get where they need to go, safely, if we all take a little extra time to watch out for each other.

For more information visit the City’s TraXSafe program at www.edmonton.ca/traxsafe

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Tagged as: "the every day way", City of Edmonton, Edmonton Transit, ets, LRT, safety, shift transportation modes, south LRT, Transportation, traxsafe

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