Ken Larsen's web site - Problems with Light Rail at-grade crossings

 

(May 22, 2017) Click here for a 3 minute video that sums up this issue.

 

This is the image GoTriangle wants you to have about Light Rail:

 

 

It shows a train whizzing along unimpeded by and safely away from car traffic ... which is shown to be minimal in this picture "thanks" to the use of Light Rail.

 

This is an image GoTriangle does not want you to see:

 

 

It shows what can happen at an "at-grade" crossing.  An "at grade" crossing is one where a train crosses a street on the same level as the street ... as opposed to crossing via a bridge over the street. 

To minimize the likelihood of collisions with cars, barriers and bells will be installed at each of DOLRT's at-grade crossings.  See this video of an at-grade crossing in Denver.  Note that car traffic is held up and there is bell ringing for 50 seconds. 

The DOLRT will have numerous at-grade crossings, and there will be 150 trains crossings at each every day.  That equates to two hours of traffic blocking and noise at each at-grade crossing each day. That's a lot of snarled traffic and noise.  The 150 number may actually be low, because on January 24, 2017 GoTriangle's Danny Rogers told the BOCC that train intervals may be lowered from every 10 minutes to every 7.5 minutes to compensate to the proposed reduction in the size of a train. 

 

Here is a 3 minute speech I gave on at-grade crossings at a Orange County Board of Commissioners meeting on March 7, 2017.

 

It should be noted that one of the main arguments in favor of DOLRT is that it will attract investment ... adding density and jobs along the DOLRT route.  That's all the more reason to worry about at-grade crossings.  Higher density will increase the likilhood of calamity.  The only way to avert such calamity is to not build at-grade crossings.  Build bridges instead.  That's called "grade separation".  However, if you do that, then the cost of DOLRT would rise dramatically.  The high cost of the DOLRT is already a controversial subject.

 

The NC DOT (Department of Transportation) is working to remove at-grade crossings for railroads because of their hazards.  [details]

 

Here are the train/car intersection portions of the DOLRT:  [It's based on this map which can be zoomed in on to show streets.]

 

#	Location	Type
	UNC/NC 54
1	Mason Farm Road	at-grade crossing
2	UNC Hibbard Drive	bridge
3	Baity Hill Drive	at-grade crossing
4	Manning Drive	bridge
5	Carmichael Street	bridge
6	Fordham Blvd (15-501)	bridge
7	Finley Golf Course Road at its intersection with Prestwick Road	at-grade crossing
8	Friday Center Drive #1 (south of 54)	at-grade crossing
9	Friday Center Drive #2 (south of 54) near the park and ride lot	at-grade crossing
10	Barbee Chapel Road south of NC 54	at-grade crossing
11	Little John Road south of NC 54	at-grade crossing
12	Downing Creek Parkway south of NC 54	at-grade crossing
13	Route 54	bridge
14	George King Road (Realigned) west of New North-South Connector	at-grade crossing
15	Wendell Road	at-grade crossing
16	Crescent Drive	at-grade crossing
17	Farrington Road south of Wendell Road	at-grade crossing
	University Drive/US 15-501
18	Farrington Road (2nd crossing)	underpass
19	Pope Road (a rotary will be built at intersection with Old Chapel Hill Road)	at-grade crossing
20	Old Chapel Hill Road	at-grade crossing
21	I-40 plus 2 exit ramps	bridges
22	Mt. Moriah Road	bridge
23	McFarland Drive	bridge
24	Duke Med Drive (two of them)	bridge
25	Honeycutt Drive	bridge
26	Witherspoon Boulevard	at-grade crossing
27	Southwest Durham Parkway	at-grade crossing
28	Garrett Road	bridge
29	unnamed road which runs from Garrett Road to Durham Chapel Hill Blvd	bridge
30	Snow Crest Trail at University Drive	at-grade median-running
31	University Drive (from Ivy Creek Blvd to Shannon Road) Along the way it crosses: Larchmont road Martin Luther King Jr Parkway Lyckan Drive Westgate Drive	at-grade median-running
32	Shannon Road	runs along north side
33	Mayfair Street	bridge
34	Durham Chapel Hill Blvd	bridge
35	Conifer Glen Lane	at-grade crossing
36	Pickett Road	at-grade crossing
37	Western Bypass Road	at-grade crossing
38	West Cornwallis Road	bridge
	Erwin Road
39	Cameron Blvd	at-grade crossing
40	Erwin Road (beginning at Cameron blvd)   Along the way it passes intersections from: Center for Living (CFL) Drive Morreene Road/Towerview Road Lambeth Circle South Lasalle Street Downing Street Douglas Street/Research Drive Eye Center Drive Fulton Street Emergency Drive Trent Drive Flowers Drive Anderson Street	at-grade median-running
41	Route 147	bridge
42	Erwin Road / 9th Street	bridge
43	Case Street	bridge
44	Swift Avenue	bridge
45	Powe Street	bridge
46	Campus Drive	bridge
	Downtown Durham
47	South Buchanan Boulevard	at-grade crossing
48	Wilkerson Avenue south of Pettrigrew Street	bridge
49	South Gregson Street south of Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
50	South Duke Street north of Memorial Street	at-grade crossing
51	West Chapel Hill Street at Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
52	West Pettigrew Steet	at-grade crossing
53	Blackwell Street / Corcoran Street at Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
54	South Mangum Street at Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
55	South Roxboro Street at Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
56	South Dillard Street at Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
57	Fayetteville Street at Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
58	Ramseur Street /Grant Street	at-grade crossing
59	East Pettigrew Street	at-grade crossing
60	Colfax Street	at-grade crossing
61	Murphey Street	at-grade crossing
62	I-147	bridge
63	Linwood Avenue	at-grade crossing
64	Massey Avenue	at-grade crossing
65	Price Avenue	at-grade crossing
66	Cox Avenue	at-grade crossing
67	Dupree Street	at-grade crossing