Free Republic

ChronicallyBiased.com has learned of an apparent new Houston Chronicle policy regarding light rail's notorious accident rate. The Chronicle will no provide coverage of many Metrorail collisions. News of the policy appears in an message by the Chronicle's Lucas Wall on Wednesday: From: Wall, Lucas; XXXX@XXXXX Date: Wed Aug 4, 2004 3:46 pm Subject: MetroRail Crash NumbersI’m not going to continue this debate. But FYI, the Chronicle is no longer reporting every light rail collision in the paper. This decision has to do with space constraints and the fact we do not report on every fender bender car crash. But we...

FROM TODAY'S HOUSTON CHRONICLE April 22, 2004, 11:55PM Metro agrees to contract for next 4 light rail lines By LUCAS WALL Metro has taken a significant step toward the construction of Houston's next four light rail lines. Directors on Thursday authorized signing a five-year contract estimated at $60 million with STV Inc. of New York, the same consortium that shepherded development of the Main Street line, which opened Jan. 1. ... Six firms competed for the project, which includes options for two two-year extensions. Dennis Hough, the Metropolitan Transit Authority's director of contracts, said STV and its 16 subcontractors stood...

April 22, 2004, 12:58AMTrains' crash rate 25 times U.S. norm MetroRail records 36th collision of year By LUCAS WALL Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle RESOURCES Multimedia: • Metro train accidents • Take a tour of the rails(Requires Flash plug-in) Inside a rail car: Chronicle-produced Real Player video looking at the new Metro rail cars. • Metropolitan Transit Authority: Web site. The collision rate for MetroRail trains during the first quarter of this year is about 25 times the national average for light rail systems, according to data from the Federal Transit Administration. MetroRail's crash total reached 36 on Wednesday after a...

Main Street was dangerous before the rail, records showBy LUCAS WALL Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle(Since this comes from the Houston Chronicle, I have added disgronifier comments in [bracketed blue Arial italic font].) RESOURCES Multimedia: • Metro train accidents • Take a tour of the rails(Requires Flash plug-in) Inside a rail car: Chronicle-produced Real Player video looking at the new Metro rail cars. • Metropolitan Transit Authority: Web site. Vehicles collided frequently along the Main Street corridor long before the MetroRail line was built, Texas Transportation Institute data show. Between 1998 and 2000, nearly 8,000 crashes were recorded along the...

David Wolff, chairman and president of the commercial development firm Wolff Cos., recently took over as chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's board of directors. Mayor Bill White tapped Wolff to oversee transit policy and the Metro Solutions expansion plan, which voters narrowly approved in November. Wolff sat down recently in his Galleria-area office with transportation reporter Lucas Wall. Question: Metro has a lot of opponents in the community -- 48 percent of voters cast their ballots against the expansion plan. What can you do to improve the agency's image and promote the benefits of mass transit? Answer: It's unfortunate...

A jogger caused a hazardous materials investigation Tuesday after he poured white powder on the ground at about 10 locations near Hermann Park, apparently to mark his trail, officials said. The suspicious substance, found about 7 p.m. around Ewing near San Jacinto, temporarily shut down light rail traffic through the area. Hazardous materials specialists analyzed about five samples of the power and concluded it wasn't toxic, said Houston Fire Department Inspector Javier Rodriguez. The jogger, found carrying a small bag of the substance, was questioned and released without charges.

Police reports for the first 25 vehicle accidents involving the Metro light rail reveal only one fact for certain: Aries are the safest drivers. The collisions began Nov. 19 although the light-rail system didn't open to the public until Jan. 1. The list keeps growing -- it hit 31 Monday -- but this roundup focuses on the 25 pioneers, a diverse group. Officers don't ask for drivers' horoscope signs, but a check of birth dates reveals no Aries among the crashers. But it seems Geminis like to drive on the wild side. There are two Marys and a Maria in...

Two adults and a child suffered minor injuries today when a driver collided with a Metro train in the Medical Center about 2:30 p.m. today. Metro police officers said a woman ran a red light at Fannin and Binz, where lights in all four directions turn red when a train is passing. The driver, with an adult and child passenger, then stopped on the Metro tracks, police said, and was struck by a train. Police said no one on the train was injured. It is the 31st accident involving a Metro train since November.

After witnessing a weekend of self-congratulatory festivities marking the January 1st debut of Houston’s MetroRail transit system, the hometown newspaper’s editorial board could hardly contain its exuberance. “Viewed from any angle,” opined the Houston Chronicle, the kickoff celebrations were a sure “sign of good things to come.” To the board, itself a merciless campaigner for rail, the roughly 15,000 people in attendance suggested that a “large helping of crow” was in order for transit critics. Reports from Houston spread quickly causing the Arizona Republic’s editorial page to gloat “critics rail at light rail to no avail.” After all, what...

Rail collisions worrisome The crash rate between MetroRail trains and vehicles has far exceeded that of other cities with new rail lines, prompting Metro officials Tuesday to consider more safety modifications. Since Friday, there have been three crashes involving Metropolitan Transit Authority light rail trains, including incidents Monday and Tuesday where drivers made illegal left turns. A collision Tuesday marked the 10th wreck since testing began in the fall. Five occurred during the testing phase and five more have taken place since passenger service commenced Jan. 1. Those numbers are much higher than recent experiences in Salt Lake City and...

Crowds Force METRORail To Cut Service 2 Park & Rides Closed HOUSTON -- For the second night in a row, large crowds at METRORail stations forced officials to shut down some of the light-rail route and implement their emergency plan. Service for the new transit system was stopped at Main and Walker Thursday and Friday night when METRO police became concerned that crowded streets could lead to trouble. "Once it got to a point that we had too many pedestrians to operate safely, we discontinued rail through the downtown area," said Chief Tom Lambert, with METRO Police. Since METRO expected...

METRORail and MeI gave our new METRORail a chance at showing me it had practical applications. Most of us probably agree that this first 7.5 mile stretch of light rail does nothing to reduce traffic congestion and is not a commuting solution. It does, however, offer some practical niche uses such as easier access to the Medical Center for staff and visitors.My Dad is recovering from surgery at Park Plaza Hospital on Herman Drive, just one block from the rail's Museum District northbound station. I drove there several times, sometimes parking in a garage and sometimes at metered parking...