Light rail collision raises safety questions
RAINIER VALLEY, Wash. - Light rail from downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport is a few months away, but already there's been a collision between a car and a Sound Transit train.
The train collided with the car Wednesday during rush hour at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and South Dawson Street, sending the car's driver to the hospital.
The accident happened despite a safety education campaign - one that not all drivers seem to be getting.
Trains and cars are now rubbing elbows along the light rail route, as Sound Transit launches intensive testing in preparation for its July grand opening. But there are no special barriers in place - just no-turn signs - which didn't work to stop Sound Transit's first accident.
Neighbors say the crossings are dangerous.
"I've seen people taking chances. It's pretty scary," said one local resident.
There are no crossing arms at the 29 intersections where Sound Transit goes street level through Rainier Valley. Instead, drivers get bells, whistles and warning lights.
Sound Transit says the driver could have avoided the accident.
"The motorist took an illegal left hand turn and took a chance and was at fault," says Larry Phillips of the Central Link Oversight Committee.
A "no left turn" sign marks the intersection, but a KOMO News reporter who staked out the scene saw drivers turning anyway.
And then there are the kids.
"There's nothing stopping people from crossing, so, I see people, young kids crossing every day," said nearby resident Abdi Osman.
But on the plus side, the tracks through his Rainier Valley neighborhood mean a quick trip to the airport and many say it is worth the problems.
"I think it's great. I live right by it, think it's great transportation," Osman said.
Meanwhile, Sound Transit continues its safety campaign along that five miles of surface track.
"We're doing everything we can to get the word out to be very careful around the light rail system, especially when it's on a city street," Phillips said.
But not everyone is convinced.
"I think there's going to be more accidents, and it's quite scary," said Farhiya Osman, who witnessed Wednesday's accident. "There's a lot of kids, our kids have to walk through, so I don't think it's safe."
Brochures, billboards and radio ads have hammered that safety message for months.
Meantime they'll keep testing the trains through the Rainier Valley until the system opens this summer.
The train collided with the car Wednesday during rush hour at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and South Dawson Street, sending the car's driver to the hospital.
The accident happened despite a safety education campaign - one that not all drivers seem to be getting.
Trains and cars are now rubbing elbows along the light rail route, as Sound Transit launches intensive testing in preparation for its July grand opening. But there are no special barriers in place - just no-turn signs - which didn't work to stop Sound Transit's first accident.
Neighbors say the crossings are dangerous.
"I've seen people taking chances. It's pretty scary," said one local resident.
There are no crossing arms at the 29 intersections where Sound Transit goes street level through Rainier Valley. Instead, drivers get bells, whistles and warning lights.
Sound Transit says the driver could have avoided the accident.
"The motorist took an illegal left hand turn and took a chance and was at fault," says Larry Phillips of the Central Link Oversight Committee.
A "no left turn" sign marks the intersection, but a KOMO News reporter who staked out the scene saw drivers turning anyway.
And then there are the kids.
"There's nothing stopping people from crossing, so, I see people, young kids crossing every day," said nearby resident Abdi Osman.
But on the plus side, the tracks through his Rainier Valley neighborhood mean a quick trip to the airport and many say it is worth the problems.
"I think it's great. I live right by it, think it's great transportation," Osman said.
Meanwhile, Sound Transit continues its safety campaign along that five miles of surface track.
"We're doing everything we can to get the word out to be very careful around the light rail system, especially when it's on a city street," Phillips said.
But not everyone is convinced.
"I think there's going to be more accidents, and it's quite scary," said Farhiya Osman, who witnessed Wednesday's accident. "There's a lot of kids, our kids have to walk through, so I don't think it's safe."
Brochures, billboards and radio ads have hammered that safety message for months.
Meantime they'll keep testing the trains through the Rainier Valley until the system opens this summer.