Here’s the item from Metro CEO Art Leahy’s daily email to staff:
We successfully concluded the traffic simulation being conducted at three East Los Angeles intersections located along the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. The six days of testing began on Wednesday, May 11, 2011. The traffic simulation modified the traffic signals at selected intersections along the Gold Line to simulate gating along the alignment. All signals went to an “all red” signal phase when Metro Gold Line trains were detected to simulate the train pre-emption timing that would occur following installation of rail crossing gates. The primary purpose of the simulation was to identify the potential changes that would occur with Metro Gold Line train operations as well as impacts to motorist, pedestrian traffic and emergency response operations in the corridor.
Our Planning, Operations, Community Relations and Corporate Safety team members worked in close coordination with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to conduct the simulation. A final report of the simulation findings will be prepared in the coming weeks. The report will be distributed internally and submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects, Safety
A concrete example of signals going all red at once (including right turns)is NOW happening on the slow-moving Gold Line stretch via Marmion Way in Highland Park! The number of vehicles going parallel with the trains is virtually zero! This area appears to have been relatively accident-free, even though the residential homes are situated excruciatingly close to both sides of the tracks!
I thought the All Red was only going to be used for the SIMULATION since there are NO GATES at present. This would be the only possible way to simulate quad gates. If the quad gates are installed, it doesn’t mean that traffic traveling parallel to the Gold Line would have red lights in the final implementation.
However, an all red light stretch would NOT negatively impact this strecth of 3rd street as it sees little traffic today. This really is a sleepy, quiet, no automobile for a really long time stretch of East 3rd street.
During the rush hours, there are more autos, but it still extremely light compared to just about any other street in the city or East L.A. East 3rd has always been the secret EASY STREET to avoid the Pomona Fwy parking lot for decades because it has always been so lightly traveled. The busy streets are Atlantic Blvd. and further south Whittier Blvd, not so this stretch of 3rd.
This stretch of East 3rd feels more like a sleepy village rather than part of a big metro area. I think too many people are imagining this as a Whittier or Washington Blvd. when it is far from it. I can tell you that even at 4-5 o’clock high it is still a SLEEPY, quiet stretch, but with a LOT of signals that do slow down the train. Please, in terms of quad gates or even an all red (not likely) impact to vehicular traffic, there is plenty to spare and won’t make much of a difference.
Sadly, this can even be confirmed by the VERY LOW numbers of passengers on Gold Line east.
Remember
Signals going all red at once: maybe to discourage vehicular traffic from using 3rd Street, as there are so many alternate east-west routes with more than one lane in each direction that provide easier driving?!
I am wondering though why the signals go to “all red” when it would makes sense to at least let traffic flow parallel to the train. This would satisfy those who wish to see less of an overall traffic impact while still having full signal preemption for the train.
As a regular rider on this stretch, I really do hope it was measured as an improvement and if so, implemented. This would have a significant impact on my commute.