METRO: Safety by Design

Discussions with other rail authorities and cities influenced the design of the METRO system to make it safer and more street-friendly. Observing and researching similar light rail systems around the country proved to be invaluable in determining appropriate system enhancements for the METRO system.

U.S. cities with similar light rail systems include Houston, TX; San Jose, CA; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; and Minneapolis, MN, among others. All of these cities have light rail operating within their streets (semi-exclusive alignments).

The most common light rail vehicle accident types for on-street systems are:

  • Left and right-turning vehicles crossing illegally and in front of light rail vehicle
  • Red light running
  • Pedestrians walking in front of moving light rail vehicle

To improve traffic operations and minimize these and other common collision types, the following features were incorporated into the planning, design, and/or construction of the METRO light rail system:

1) Protected left and right-turn lanes – Turns across the tracks are made only from exclusive (left- or right-turn-only) turn lanes. “Protected” signals control left- and right-turn movements by red, amber, and green arrows, which are the safest form of turning control used by traffic engineers. Other cities tried using special “no left/right-turn” signs in shared lanes that activate when a train is approaching; however, these signs were mostly ignored by motorists, resulting in incidents.

2) Longer left-turn lanes – Left-turn storage bays were lengthened to handle projected 2020 traffic conditions, including storage for the added U-turns that will be required to access some driveways and local streets. Adequate storage is critical to improving safety and reducing congestion caused by traffic backing into through travel lanes.

3) Light rail vehicle cameras – Cameras are installed on METRO light rail vehicles so that train operators can better see passengers and any obstructions. They are also installed on the vehicle exterior for monitoring and recording traffic conditions and unsafe driving behaviors, including accidents. These types of cameras are currently being used on Houston Metro light rail vehicles.

4) Controlled track crossings – For safety reasons, traffic is only allowed to cross the tracks at a controlled location. Traffic signals or special signing activate when trains approach. METRO uses six-inch high curbs that separate and protect traffic from the trackway. Some cities use curbs and others use concrete barriers (e.g., San Jose), paint (e.g., Salt Lake City) or traffic buttons (e.g., Houston) to delineate the trackway area.

5) Countdown pedestrian signals – Pedestrian signals that count down the seconds of safe crossing time have been well-received in downtown Phoenix. They are installed along the alignment in the city of Phoenix.

6) Nonstop crossings for pedestrians – Where streets were widened for light rail, pedestrians are given enough time to safely cross widened streets without stopping.

7) Specially designed pedestrian access signals – At several locations new pedestrian signals allow people to cross at either end of the station platform. This shortens walk distances to/from the rail stations and reduces the potential for unsafe jaywalking.

8) Pedestrian fencing – To provide protection for pedestrians before and after large events, pedestrian fencing is added along Jefferson Street in front of Chase Field and America West Arena in Phoenix. Similar fencing has been installed for crowd control in downtown Houston with great success. In Tempe, two pedestrian-only signalized crosswalks and a landscape barrier have been added between the roadway and the tracks to minimize crossings along Veterans Way near Sun Devil Stadium. The cities continually work with METRO to develop the operation plans for events in the downtown area.

9) School zones – Special attention has been given to the safety of school zones along the light rail route. Some schools along the route have new traffic signal crossings, which is much safer for students when crossing the light rail tracks.

10) Neighborhood protection from park-and-ride traffic – Park-and-ride sites are designed to discourage park-and-ride traffic from spilling over into adjacent neighborhoods.

11) New frontage roads – Access on one-way streets are maintained for businesses with the use of new 16-foot frontage roads where needed. Drivers are able to enter the frontage roads at traffic signals and exit at signalized slip ramps to re-enter the main flow of traffic. The frontage roads were designed specially to handle large trucks and emergency access and are necessary to maintain safe business access on the one-way streets. This is the first design of its kind being used specifically for light rail applications in the U.S.

12) Safer light rail vehicle front end – A specially designed coupler system (a device used to connect two light rail vehicles) is on all light rail vehicles. The design covers the coupler mechanism with a smooth energy-absorbing surface and is designed to minimize impact and injuries in the event of a train-automobile or pedestrian collision. This is considered to be a leading-edge design that will likely be used on future light rail systems throughout the country.

13) Public education campaign – METRO has instituted a public education campaign to inform and educate citizens about how to drive, bike, walk near the light rail system safely. As future extensions are built, the campaign will also incorporate messages related to safety during construction and testing.