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Post by jejozwik on Oct 7, 2010 7:48:13 GMT -8
anyone watch the news? a semi truck was involved in an accident this morning and ended up in the east bound tracks.
service between sierra madre and allen is severely limited.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 7, 2010 7:49:12 GMT -8
Just heard, was about to post. There is no service to Sierra Madre Villa station. It's apparently blocking both tracks. === UPDATE ===From the AP, via the Press-Enterprise ( link): Trains slowed as big-rig falls on SoCal tracksThe Associated Press PASADENAA big-rig truck has overturned onto train tracks in Pasadena, disrupting rush-hour commuter rail service to downtown Los Angeles. California Highway Patrol Officer Ed Jacobs says a traffic accident involving the rig and another vehicle caused the truck to crash through the center divider on Interstate 210 and fall onto the tracks shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday. Jacobs says injuries were reported but he doesn't have details. No trains were on the tracks at the time. Several traffic lanes were closed in both directions. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says passengers on its Gold Line service can expect major delays and buses will shuttle riders between stations until the tracks are cleared.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 7, 2010 8:18:05 GMT -8
Fortunately no trains were hit and no passengers hurt. But it does make you wonder if Caltrans/Metro could do more to shield the train from the freeway. Here is the location of the crash. Notice the tiny barrier. (Click picture for larger version.)
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 7, 2010 8:41:02 GMT -8
As of 9:18 AM, Metro alerts: Gold Line btwn Atlantic & MEMORIAL PRK only. No serv btwn Lake-SMV. Shuttles en rte. Use Metro 181/Foothill 187 on Colorado btwn these stns. So no service to Lake, Allen and Sierra Madra Villa. I wonder why the other two stations are down. Maybe electrical problems?
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K 22
Full Member
Posts: 117
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Post by K 22 on Oct 7, 2010 11:03:48 GMT -8
It's unfortunate that this is just going to used as NIMBY fuel sooner than later.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 7, 2010 11:44:29 GMT -8
From KTLA: From Pasadena Star-News: More pics here.
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Post by jejozwik on Oct 7, 2010 12:27:01 GMT -8
^^ zoikes! thats a lot worse then the news chopper made it seam.
is that the power post stuck in the truck?
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Post by jejozwik on Oct 7, 2010 12:33:16 GMT -8
But it does make you wonder if Caltrans/Metro could do more to shield the train from the freeway./quote] judging by those SGV trib photos, i dont think a taller wall would have stopped this. perhaps thicker but... man
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 7, 2010 12:35:13 GMT -8
^^ Not sure thicker would make a difference: the barrier didn't break. It looks to me like the trucks took flight and went over the barrier.
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Post by jejozwik on Oct 7, 2010 13:46:52 GMT -8
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Post by James Fujita on Oct 7, 2010 13:46:59 GMT -8
^^ zoikes! thats a lot worse then the news chopper made it seam. is that the power post stuck in the truck? This is just a guess, but that doesn't look like a power post. The overhead wires are still intact. It looks like the big-rig was hauling dirt or soil or something in a big open top gondola trailer, and the trailer was equipped with a tarp, held in place by some sort of metal struts. It's the struts that you see in the picture there. How the struts got on top of the other truck, I dunno. But you can see the tarp/ covering wrapped around the truck. It would be interesting to know how this got started.
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dane
Junior Member
Posts: 59
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Post by dane on Oct 7, 2010 13:51:37 GMT -8
^^ zoikes! thats a lot worse then the news chopper made it seam. is that the power post stuck in the truck? This is just a guess, but that doesn't look like a power post. The overhead wires are still intact. It looks like the big-rig was hauling dirt or soil or something in a big open top gondola trailer, and the trailer was equipped with a tarp, held in place by some sort of metal struts. It's the struts that you see in the picture there. How the struts got on top of the other truck, I dunno. But you can see the tarp/ covering wrapped around the truck. It would be interesting to know how this got started. Yep, that's the frame for the tarp that you see wrapped around the pickup. According to news reports, it was started by a green toyota that made an unsafe lane change in front of the big rig, causing it to take evasive action, squeezing the pickup into the k-rail with both vehicles ending up on the tracks as you see them now.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 7, 2010 14:37:25 GMT -8
These days, the freeway commute is an unholy nightmare. I'm not a slow driver by any means. When traffic opens up, I have no problem driving 80, safely. What I have a problem with is these people swerving in an out of lanes, with no signals, tailgating, and speeding/passing in the slow lane. I see it every day. But I see it even more when it's raining. It's as if some people see rainy conditions as a challenge, leading to take even more risks than usual. The sooner I can take a train to work, the better.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Oct 7, 2010 15:21:20 GMT -8
These days, the freeway commute is an unholy nightmare. I'm not a slow driver by any means. When traffic opens up, I have no problem driving 80, safely. What I have a problem with is these people swerving in an out of lanes, with no signals, tailgating, and speeding/passing in the slow lane. I see it every day. But I see it even more when it's raining. It's as if some people see rainy conditions as a challenge, leading to take even more risks than usual. The sooner I can take a train to work, the better. I use to hate the swervers...until I became one as well. The reason being, because the United States (yes, this is a country cultural problem, not an LA problem), doesn't understand the whole notion of "moving over to the right". Too many times are cars stuck in the 2nd or 3rd lane, because they don't want to be next to the exit lane. I would have friends that would enter the freeway and go straight for the left-most lane because "I am going to be on the freeway for a while". That's the wrong mentality. In Europe, you will not see cars passing on the right; that's because it's common culture there that the passing cars (they don't call them fast cars there) pass on the left and the traffic STAYS ON THE RIGHT. It's a "code of conduct" that you stay in the right most lane and ONLY move to the left when passing. Unfortunately, because people in LA and the rest of the USA, think that if you are fast, you move left (even if you are the only car on the road!), there's going to be swervers, like me. I don't want to swerve, but I will pass you on the right if you should not be on the left.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 7, 2010 15:41:51 GMT -8
I use to hate the swervers...until I became one as well. The reason being, because the United States (yes, this is a country cultural problem, not an LA problem), doesn't understand the whole notion of "moving over to the right". Trust me, I have no sympathy for slow drivers in the fast lane, and I am not shy about letting them know it. I don't care if it's "easier for them" to hang out in the left lane, they will quickly be on my bad side if they try it. But that doesn't excuse anybody driving 80 MPH in the on-ramp while people are trying to accelerate onto the freeway, or "driving by surprise" (i.e., cutting people off without using signals).
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Oct 7, 2010 16:49:12 GMT -8
Trust me, I have no sympathy for slow drivers in the fast lane, and I am not shy about letting them know it. I don't care if it's "easier for them" to hang out in the left lane, they will quickly be on my bad side if they try it. But that doesn't excuse anybody driving 80 MPH in the on-ramp while people are trying to accelerate onto the freeway, or "driving by surprise" (i.e., cutting people off without using signals). Agreed
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Post by bobdavis on Oct 7, 2010 19:40:26 GMT -8
One of the problems with some of our freeways is the "left exit" (westbound Santa Ana/I-5 to northbound 710 being a good (?) example. Then you have drivers in the carpool lanes trying to get to their exits. One thing I've noted about I-210 (since that's the topic today) is that when it gets really busy, the carpool lane doesn't move faster than the others. When I think of all the dingbats out on the road, I consider it a miracle that we don't have more wrecks. Our "guardian angels" must be working overtime.
My wife and I were out running errands one afternoon, and this nutcase went tearing by, weaving in and out of traffic. I commented, "He must have gotten the call" "What call?" "The hospital called and said his brain transplant was ready."
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Post by transitfan on Oct 8, 2010 6:34:03 GMT -8
As of 9:18 AM, Metro alerts: Gold Line btwn Atlantic & MEMORIAL PRK only. No serv btwn Lake-SMV. Shuttles en rte. Use Metro 181/Foothill 187 on Colorado btwn these stns. So no service to Lake, Allen and Sierra Madra Villa. I wonder why the other two stations are down. Maybe electrical problems? Maybe the nearest crossover to reverse the trains is at or near Memorial Park (just guessing as I have never been on the Gold Line. Anyone know of a Gold Line track map online?) Edit: Just looked at Google Earth and there is a crossover just east of Lake Ave. Not sure why they didn't run to Lake, unless the bus connections are easier at Memorial Park (I suspect this is the case, since Lake is in the freeway median and would involve a longish walk to the nearest street to get to the bus).
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 8, 2010 7:51:27 GMT -8
As of yesterday afternoon, Metro was running normal service at Allen station, and then running a shuttle train on the single "good" track between Allen and Sierra Madre Villa.
As of this morning, full service has been restored all the way to Sierra Madre Villa.
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Post by bobdavis on Oct 9, 2010 20:35:35 GMT -8
I went by the scene this afternoon and found that Caltrans has installed a steel "patch" on the barrier, no track workers were seen, and trains seemed to be running normally.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Oct 9, 2010 22:12:42 GMT -8
This is correct, but it's more than a code of conduct, it's the law. If you are not actively passing someone, you must keep the left lane clear or there is a hefty fine and points.
In Germany (where I lived until a few months ago) you can usually drive as fast as you want which makes this concept work well. Artificial speed limits can clog it up.
One other thing to keep in mind, is that while in most areas there is normally no speed limit, Germany has electronic speed signs which will light up for weather, construction, etc. Usually 90 km/hr.
If you go faster than the posted limit, camera/radar systems send an automatic ticket in the mail. It's a national ticket, and if you get more than about 5 (based on points) you lose your license FOREVER!
People don't speed and *really* respect those signs. Cops spend their time looking for idiot passing behavior.
Is this a better system?
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