light rail collision investigation phoenix, arizona ......light rail collision investigation –...

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Light Rail Collision Investigation Phoenix, Arizona

Original Study April 2010

Paul E. Basha, P.E., P.T.O.E. James M. Witkowski, Ph.D.

Marina V. Stender, P.E., P.T.O.E. Yung Koprowski, E.I.T. James D. Beier, E.I.T.

Eleonor V. Exsted

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1

SIMILAR SYSTEM COLLISION EXPERIENCE ................................................................................................... 1

PHOENIX COLLISION EXPERIENCE ................................................................................................................. 1

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 2

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 4

RECENT PHOENIX COLLISION EXPERIENCE ................................................................................................. 8

List of Figures

Figure 1: Some General Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 2

Figure 2: 1st Avenue, South of Van Buren Street – Previous Traffic Control ........................................................ 3

Figure 3: 1st Avenue, South of Van Buren Street – Recommended Traffic Control .............................................. 3

Figure 4: 1st Street and Jefferson Street – Collisions Location ............................................................................. 4

Figure 5: 1st Street and Jefferson Street – Previous Traffic Control ..................................................................... 5

Figure 6: 1st Street and Jefferson Street – Current Traffic Control ....................................................................... 5

Figure 7: I-10 / Jefferson Street / Washington Street ........................................................................................... 6

Figure 8: 24th Street and Jefferson Street – Recommended Bicycle Arrows ........................................................ 6

Figure 9: Jefferson Street, East of 9th Street – Recommended Bicycle Lane ....................................................... 7

Figure 10: Jefferson Street, East of 9th Street Bicycle Lane Transition ................................................................ 7

List of Tables

Table 1: 1st Street and Jefferson Street – Collision Summary .............................................................................. 4

Light Rail Collision Investigation – Phoenix, Arizona

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INTRODUCTION

Testing for the Valley Metro Rail Light Rail Transit system began in September 2008, and operation began on 28 December 2008. Approximately 13 miles of the total approximately 20-mile Valley Metro Rail system are located within Phoenix. The Valley Metro Rail system operates at-grade in the same right-of-way as traditional motor vehicle travel lanes, but not coincident with motor vehicle travel lanes. The Light Rail Transit tracks intersect streets at numerous locations – most of which are also intersections of two streets. In 2008 and 2009, Valley Metro Rail provided more than 2.7 million safety messages through printed, e-mail, and website materials; participation at public events; and specific presentations by Valley Metro personnel. Light Rail Transit characteristics have been incorporated into the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles driver licensing examinations. A separate police unit is assigned to the Light Rail Transit system with the responsibility of ensuring safety and law awareness and compliance for passengers, motor vehicle operators, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Subsequent to a one-week dedicated intensive enforcement and education campaign in central downtown Phoenix in mid-August 2009, right-turn collisions reduced from 0.48 per week to 0.20 per week, and left-turn collisions reduced from 0.31 per week to 0.27 per week. The Phoenix Street Transportation Department and Valley Metro Rail requested that we determine if the collision experience was similar to similar transit systems, to investigate the collisions, and to develop traffic control modifications to reduce collisions.

SIMILAR SYSTEM COLLISION EXPERIENCE

Thirty-one systems were reviewed to obtain collision history of four systems with urban, at-grade, in-street, and same-direction flow light rail systems. The collision rate (collisions-per-directional-route-mile) investigation summary is:

SYSTEM ANNUAL COLLISION RATE CHANGE FROM 2002 TO 2007

Los Angeles ..................................................................... Decrease of 10%

Portland ............................................................................ Decrease of 11%

Santa Clara ........................................................... No change (very low initial rate)

Sacramento ...................................................................... Decrease of 11%

All United States Systems ................................................. Decrease of 4%

These data imply that collisions involving Light Rail Vehicles in Phoenix will likely decrease in subsequent years.

PHOENIX COLLISION EXPERIENCE

Thirty-nine collisions involving Valley Metro Rail Light Rail Vehicles occurred within the city of Phoenix in the initial 13 months of system testing and operation – one collision every 10 days. A generalized summary of their characteristics is:

87.2% of the private vehicles were traveling in the same direction as the Light Rail vehicle.

86.2% of the private vehicle drivers improperly entered the intersection.

85.2% of the collisions did not involve injuries to passengers or drivers

66.7% of the private vehicle drivers are metropolitan Phoenix residents.

59.0% of the collisions occurred in downtown Phoenix.

35.9% of the collisions occurred at 4 intersections.

43.6% of the private vehicle drivers were turning right or left.

33.3% of the private vehicle drivers were turning right or left.

Zero (0) collisions involved pedestrians or bicyclists. Each of the more than 125 signalized and major intersections of the Light Rail Transit system was carefully reviewed, and the traffic control devices were thoroughly examined. Driver response to traffic control devices was observed. Conversations with representatives of the Phoenix Street Transportation Department, the Phoenix Police Department, and Valley Metro Rail resulted in 25 specific locations for detailed analysis for potential traffic control modification:

4 intersections with more than one collision 2 intersections with similar characteristics 6 locations with parallel Light Rail Transit / motor vehicle lanes crossings 5 locations with frequent driver traffic control disobedience 4 locations with pedestrian concerns 4 locations with bicyclist pavement marking concerns.


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GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Nine general recommendations were provided. At 13 of the 25 specific analysis locations, no further improvements were suggested. At 4 locations, no modifications were necessary. At 4 locations, additional bicycle lane pavement markings were recommended. At 2 locations, one-way signs and traffic signal relocations were suggested. At 1 intersection, an additional pedestrian signal was necessary. At 1 intersection, an increase in pedestrian walk time was recommended. Most of the recommendations have been implemented. The general recommendations primarily involved simplifying traffic control including fewer words on signs thereby increasing letter size, depicting Light Rail Tracks instead of medians on signs, removing confusing signs, and eliminating redundant signals Some of the 9 general recommendations are depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Some General Recommendations Figure 2 depicts previous traffic control and Figure 3 depicts modified traffic control included in the general recommendations.


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Figure 2: 1st Avenue, South of Van Buren Street – Previous Traffic Control

Figure 3: 1st Avenue, South of Van Buren Street – Recommended Traffic Control


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SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

One of the four intersections that experienced multiple collisions in the 13-month period was 1st Street and Jefferson

Street. Table 1 provides a detailed collision summary and Figure 4 depicts the collisions location.

Table 1: 1st

Street and Jefferson Street – Collision Summary

Figure 4: 1st

Street and Jefferson Street – Collisions Location

Report # Date Movement Vehicle LRT Sun Location Violation

None 12/30/2008 Right-turn EB EB Night Unknown

962-090899754 6/4/2009 Right-turn EB EB Sun Behind Improper Turn

961-090973875 6/17/2009 Right-turn EB EB Night Failed to Stop

961-091527085 9/24/2009 Right-turn EB EB Into Sun Unknown

Day Time Injury Number Injury Severity Age Gender

Tuesday Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Thursday 4:28 PM 0 0 45 Male

Wednesday 7:16 PM 0 0 35 Female

Thursday 10:27 AM Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Total Number of Collision Occurrences at Marked Location

Jefferson Street

1stS

treet

US

Airways

Center

N.T.S.

N

4

#


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Prior to the study, through motor vehicles at intersections similar to 1

st Street and Jefferson Street with parallel Light Rail

Transit have relatively long green indications. However, both right-turn and left-turn traffic from these streets have long red arrows. These long red indications result from the potential that Light Rail Vehicles might appear. However, Light Rail Vehicles appear only every ten minutes. Therefore, the turning traffic from streets that parallel Light Rail Transit tracks should receive red indications only when Light Rail Vehicles are approaching or when through motor vehicle traffic receives red indications. At other times, the turning traffic should receive green indications. Figure 5 is a photograph of the previous traffic control and Figure 6 is a photograph of the modified traffic control per our recommendation.

Figure 5: 1st Street and Jefferson Street – Previous Traffic Control

Figure 6: 1st Street and Jefferson Street – Current Traffic Control


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The I-10 / Jefferson / Washington Interchange, comprised of four traffic signals and Light Rail Transit tracks, was thoroughly examined. Figure 7 depicts the previous signal operation, the new operation when a light rail vehicle is approaching, and the new operation when a light rail vehicle is not approaching. Vehicles crossed the Light Rail Transit tracks from the primary motor vehicle travel lanes to the frontage road motor vehicle travel lane when Light Rail Vehicles had a go signal indication – creating a potential collision between a light rail vehicle and a same direction personal vehicle. The signal timing was modified in November 2009. PREVIOUS NEW WITH LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE NEW WITHOUT LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE

Figure 7: I-10 / Jefferson Street / Washington Street Bicycle pavement markings were also provided in crosswalks to assist bicyclists negotiating street intersections that also included Light Rail Tracks as depicted in Figure 8. These arrows were recommended when a bicycle lane moved from one side of the Light Rail Tracks to another side of the Light Rail Tracks – which frequently occurs where frontage roads are present. Figure 8: 24

th Street and Jefferson Street – Recommended Bicycle Arrows

N.T.S.

N

I –1

0 E

XIT

RA

MP

JEFFERSON STREET

I –1

0 E

NTR

AN

CE

RA

MP

LIGHT RAIL

I –1

0 E

XIT

RA

MP

JEFFERSON STREET

I –1

0 E

NTR

AN

CE

RA

MP

LIGHT RAIL

N.T.S.

N

I –1

0 E

XIT

RA

MP

JEFFERSON STREET

I –1

0 E

NTR

AN

CE

RA

MP

LIGHT RAIL

N.T.S.

N


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The bicycle lane adjacent to Jefferson Street, west of 9

th Street,

is located on the north side of the frontage road. East of 9

th Street, the

bicycle lane transitions to the south side of the frontage road to eventually transition to the south side of mainline Jefferson Street further east. Figure 9 provides aerial photographs of the previous and current lane striping. Prior to this study, the bicycle lane terminated at 9

th Street

and resumed east of Jefferson Street. The study recommended that the bicycle lane remain continuous on the north side of the frontage road.

Figure 9: Jefferson Street, East of 9th

Street – Recommended Bicycle Lane The bicycle transition to the south side of the frontage road now occurs further east of 9

th

Street as indicated in the photographs of Figure 10.

Figure 10: Jefferson Street, East of 9

th Street Bicycle Lane Transition

PREVIOUS

NOW

BICYCLE LANE TERMINATION

BICYCLE LANE RESUMPTION

CONTINUOUS BICYCLE LANE


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RECENT PHOENIX COLLISION EXPERIENCE

From January 2011 through July 2012 (the most currently available data), 31 collisions involving Valley Metro Rail Light Rail Vehicles occurred within the city of Phoenix – one collision every 19 days. This represents a 50% reduction in collisions from December 2008 to December 2009, the 13 months prior to the study. A total of 3 collisions have occurred at the 4 downtown intersections compared to14 collisions at these intersections prior to the study. Of the 31 collisions, 12.9% involving right-turn vehicles compared to 43.6% prior to the study, and 51.1% involved left-turning vehicles compared to 33.3% prior to the study. Vehicles improperly entering the intersection caused 71.0% of the collisions compared to 86.2% prior to the study.

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