Metrolink and Public Transit
Staff writer Nora Zamichow did well in raising safety questions concerning the Metrolink train accident (Nov. 29). The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) have been promoting train safety programs for schoolchildren and adults long before the opening of the Metro Blue Line and Metrolink.
Federal Railroad Administration statistics indicate that the cause of almost all train accidents in the U.S. has been due to motorists and pedestrians being too impatient to wait for trains to cross railroad intersections. As for the Metro Blue Line and Metrolink, it takes approximately 39 seconds for these trains to cross an intersection. We are actively trying to educate the public of this fact. Train commuters’ safety is on track; the real challenge is for the media to join the LACTC and the SCRRA in heightening public awareness of each citizen’s role in train safety!
ART GOMEZ, Public Affairs Manager Metrolink
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