[Quietcars] Fwd: Crossing light rail tracks

[Deborah Kent Stein]

Let's hope we're not looking at another emerging problem!  If there are good 
audible signals in place, then the quietness of the trains themselves 
shouldn't be a problem for us.

Debbie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
To: "Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety" 
<quietcars at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 12:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] Fwd: Crossing light rail tracks


> Debbie:
>
> We have light rail here in the Twin Cities.  I personally haven't found it 
> to be a problem, the train makes some noise, there is rail noise and they 
> tend to ring bells at intersections.  I know though that there have been a 
> couple incidents of people getting hit who didn't hear the train.  They 
> weren't blind either.  If you don't jay walk etc., I think the problems 
> would be minimal, but not necessarily non-existent.  Your schedule 
> solution really wouldn't work for commuter-type systems that have trains 
> every few minutes.
>
> Dave
>
> At 11:21 PM 11/19/2008, you wrote:
>
>
>>In our discussions about quiet cars, we've often been careful to refer to 
>>"quiet vehicles," to encompass trucks and buses as well.  If light rail 
>>trains are truly silent, as silent as the cars we're concerned about, then 
>>they *should* make a noise!  For generations bells have sounded at 
>>railroad crossings to warn drivers and pedestrians that a train is 
>>approaching. Pedestrians and drivers will need such warnings about light 
>>rail trains too.
>>
>>In the meantime, blind travelers better study up on the train schedules 
>>and hope the trains stick with them!
>>
>>Debbie
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Corbb O'Connor" <corbbo at gmail.com>
>>To: "Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety" 
>><quietcars at nfbnet.org>
>>Cc: <ben.j.bloomgren at gmail.com>
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 7:12 PM
>>Subject: [Quietcars] Fwd: Crossing light rail tracks
>>
>>
>>>Good day my quiet car friends.
>>>
>>>I send this query from Ben on the NABS list with the hope that some of 
>>>you hear might be able to help. As Michael Townsend has said in the  past 
>>>on this list, guide dogs may help reduce (though not eliminate)  the 
>>>dangers posed by light rail trains at intersections, I'm curious  as to 
>>>how a cane user would make this crossing safely. I haven't been  to an 
>>>NFB training center, but would be curious as to the considered  opinion 
>>>of those centers on the best way to do this -- other than, of  course, 
>>>for the train to sound like a train and make some noise!
>>>
>>>Many thanks in advance,
>>>Corbb
>>>
>>>-----
>>>Corbb O'Connor
>>>studying at the National University of Ireland, Galway
>>>
>>>Begin forwarded message:
>>>
>>>From: "Ben J. Bloomgren" <ben.j.bloomgren at gmail.com>
>>>Date: November 19, 2008 9:17:57 PM GMT
>>>To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
>>><nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> >
>>>Subject: [nabs-l] Crossing light rail tracks
>>>Reply-To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
>>><nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> >
>>>
>>>Hello all,
>>>
>>>On December 27, the Phoenix area gets its first taste (hopefully) of 
>>>light rail transit. The ads are already warning about the quietness of 
>>>the trains and advising pedestrians to look both ways before crossing. 
>>>My question is this:  How do blind people cross the street when there 
>>>are tracks?
>>>
>>>Ben
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>nabs-l mailing list
>>>nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>nabs-l:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/corbbo%40gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Quietcars mailing list
>>>Quietcars at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/quietcars_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>Quietcars:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/quietcars_nfbnet.org/dkent5817%40worldnet.att.net
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Quietcars mailing list
>>Quietcars at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/quietcars_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>Quietcars:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/quietcars_nfbnet.org/dandrews%40visi.com
>>
>>
>>
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
>>Version: 8.0.175 / Virus Database: 270.9.7/1798 - Release Date: 11/18/2008 
>>8:59 PM
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Quietcars mailing list
> Quietcars at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/quietcars_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Quietcars:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/quietcars_nfbnet.org/dkent5817%40worldnet.att.net