Why is it unsafe, you ask!

First of all, it must be noted that the girl was standing at the edge of the sound wall behind the gate, waiting for an eastbound (on the far track) to go by. After it cleared, she stepped just past the sound wall (one foot) and was immediately hit by a westbound on the near track. I don't think she even made it to the first rail. Note that she could not see or hear the westbound at all until she started across; because (and only because) of the sound wall. Also because of the sound wall, the motorman could NOT see her either, standing just 7 ft from the track!

The crossing is unsafe because the 12 feet high sound wall is placed right up to the edge of the roadway - AND right up against the trackway (5 ft from the first rail). Standing right at the gate, it is impossible to see more than a dozen feet down the track.

Now if it takes just ten seconds to walk across the tracks (thats's pretty fast), you will be in harm's way even when a hidden 50mph (73ft per sec.) train is 730ft away! But you can see or hear for only a few feet!

No train can be seen coming on the near track without first stepping into its path. You are in its path less than a foot from the sound wall. Then add the quiet zone on top of all this. ---

That adds up to UNSAFE - under all circumstances!
There WILL be a lot of dead people - period; unless that wall is taken down.

Moreover, there is no way to build a transparent sound wall - even out of pure plate glass - that will permit clear vision at the sharp angle that is necessary to see 730ft down the track. The wall must come down or the crossing permanently closed - period.
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And yes I said so to the proper authorities over a year ago. Unfortunately, UTA's hands were tied by the city (UTA was still fighting the city over it); but apparently the city's politicians couldn't care less about anything except a bunch of noisy crybaby NYMBY's. Sadly this political myopia has already cost a life, a little child's life at that, even before revenue service began.


So yes, the city should be challenged in court - along with those #@%$%^@# NIMBYs.

On the other hand, there is a high probability that the little girl who paid with her life, belonged to one of those stupid neighborhood NIMBYs that demanded this ridiculous sound wall be put up in the first place. I am sure they loved their little girl - so they've already been punished enough. --- BUT: "When will they ever learn!"

OPB


P.S. --- Something else to consider: Why is the Federal Government in the business of dictating all this design minutia in the first place - Can't something be left to local control? It was actually federal law that gave the city the power to tie the hands of the state owned UTA, in the first place. Otherwise, UTA could have exercised its own good judgment (it does exist there), without interference from the city and its nose-in-the-air NIMBYs; to avoid this hazard in the first place. ---

"When will WE ever learn!"