How to stop dummies from driving on the raised TTC ROWs?

[PukeGreen]

Am I the only person here willing to admit I did this accidently once (southbound on Bathurst, turning off Lakeshore heading west while driving to the airport). I'll concede I must have missed the sign - but I just aimed straight for the tracks as I knew that was the first lane, and even though I hang around here, I hadn't realised that there was any streetcar-only lane on Bathurst.

Thank you, nfitz. I've never made that particular mistake but I have made other similar ones. I'll admit to accidentally driving the wrong way down a one-way street one of the first times I drove in Toronto, because the town I grew up in didn't have any one-way streets and I missed the sign. Lucky for me I was met only with some angry honking and escaped with nothing more than a red face and a mental note to be more careful next time. Others aren't always so lucky.

I think it's extremely harsh for so many people on here to state that a women deserved to die simply for making a wrong turn in an unfamiliar city -- in all honesty, who has not done that? It seems there are various good suggestions above for distinguishing streetcar right-of-ways from roadways in more instinctive ways that don't involve reading and registering a sign -- many of the suggestions don't seem prohibitively expensive, so why not consider them?

 

[W. K. Lis]

The original St. Clair right-of-way was bare tracks. Now when the St. Clair right-of-way is coming back, the single occupant motorist has demanded left turn lanes, which reduced the roadway width. So to compensate the loss of width, the right-of-way was paved with concrete for the fire trucks. So now the Fleet St. right-of-way is paved with concrete.
Now they are demanding a way so the cars wouldn't go on the right-of-way. So is it back to the bare tracks?
Make up your mind. My head hurts.

 

[TKTKTK]

The coloured cement, while a little stark, might be the best method. A TTC red maybe?

 

[tzv]

Now that some woman has got herself killed by driving on the Spadina ROW, how can we stop dummies, tourists and others who simply can't drive from ending up on the ROW?

My personal treat would be to install something along these lines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7_wpczou7g that drops down only for streetcars.

Good idea, but I don't know how well they would stand up to the salt and sand in the winter, one faulty mechanism and streetcars are stuck.

I think they need to make better use of rumble strips

 

[nfitz]

Good idea, but I don't know how well they would stand up to the salt and sand in the winter, one faulty mechanism and streetcars are stuck.

Agreed. Also watching that video, it looked like one of the cars almost bounced into a women pushing a stroller. The problem with that type of barrier, is that it could just as easily get someone killed, which will defeat the purpose ... what if the barrier raised and crushed the fuel-tank?

 

[drum118]

Agreed. Also watching that video, it looked like one of the cars almost bounced into a women pushing a stroller. The problem with that type of barrier, is that it could just as easily get someone killed, which will defeat the purpose ... what if the barrier raised and crushed the fuel-tank?

This will support your comments and it has lights of all things. No matter what is done, someone is going to get kill for their mistake.

You got people driving into bus shelter or up onto the sidewalk now.

 

[Admiral Beez]

This will support your comments and it has lights of all things. No matter what is done, someone is going to get kill for their mistake.

I care far less for the idiot who drives where he/she shouldn't and puts themselves at risk than for the innocent people riding on a transit ROW who could be killed by some idiot. Bring on the bollards I say. If one idiot is killed or injured by crashing into the bollard, then this will likely make it to the media and hopefully reinforce the fact that the ROW is not for you.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Actually the question is how to stop people who are clearly not fit to drive from getting on the roads.

AoD

 

[MisterF]

I don't see why the bollards wouldn't stand up to winters. We've actually had a couple developers here in Cobourg propose them on their projects, essentially creating gates. The Town doesn't allow them.

 

[drum118]

There was a memorial service at the site in the westbound lane today around 2pm.

It may show up in the video I was trying to shoot from the PCC, but it was a rocky ride shooting that video.

Drivers were saying they would like to see bollards as noted or one that pop back up after it is knock over by the streetcar and passing over it.

 

[nfitz]

I care far less for the idiot who drives where he/she shouldn't and puts themselves at risk than for the innocent people riding on a transit ROW who could be killed by some idiot. Bring on the bollards I say. If one idiot is killed or injured by crashing into the bollard, then this will likely make it to the media and hopefully reinforce the fact that the ROW is not for you.

In the one video, the person who was nearly killed was the toddler in a stroller sitting one the sidewalk near the roadway when the car rebounded off the bollard.

Creating barriers that kill isn't cool. And likely would subject the person who designed it not only being dismissed from their profession, and would put Toronto on the receiving end of a large lawsuit!

 

[theman23]

I don't think we have to worry too much about people trying to sneak past the barrier, since it seems like most that go onto the ROW do so by accident. Still, simply painting the concrete would be a more cost-effective solution I think.

 

[simply Dan]

If an autopsy proves the driver was intoxicated while driving, not only is she undeserving of any sympathy from the public for getting behind the wheel endangering the public and ending her life, regardless of if it was accidental, but her family or next-of-kin should be sent the bill for the damages this reckless individual caused to the streetcar and track infrastructure.

 

[MisterF]

We're punishing people for the crimes of their family members now?? That's why we have no fault insurance, so people don't go around suing each other. Each party's insurance company pays for the damage to their own property regardless of who's at fault. At least that's how it works with a collision between two cars.

 

[drum118]

There is the video showing the memorial service July 1st and a better view of the location.

Shot from a rough ride on PCC 4345.

Nice long wait for the light at Fort York.