New Gold Line extension raising safety concerns

A light rail line that will have its eastern terminus within 1 mile of Monterey Park's city border will open Nov.

[art]

jeez

[RaidersIn09]

The dummies who try to cross these lines and beat the train are just the victims of social darwinism.

[Warren]

Supervisor Gloria Molina needs to stop her whining. At least her area got a line. Many parts of the county are paying higher sale taxes and don't have access to a light rail or the metrolink. I'm sure the MTA will put their warning signs in english and spanish. If the people choose not to read the signs; ignore the warnings or don't comprehend what they read, its their fault not the MTAs fault.

[JustMe]

I think it will be a good test of how smart (or not) some people will be as to whether they will be hit trying to cross when a train approaches. At some point we (society) have to stop being nannies and teach people how to care for themselves, as opposed to trying to stop them from getting hurt by physically preventing them via fences or subways. My mother thought experience was the best teacher - if you touched a hot stove and got burned, maybe next time you will not touch it because you didn't like being burned the first time.

[---abc]

I would like to see who the complainers are ! I bet it`s the same people that are NOT paying customers ! And if there are any "ACCIDENTS" they will be caused by the same complainers.And they will seek"law suits" ! Let`s move on to the future ! Is reelection time coming up for GLORIA MOLINA?

[Escape CA]

Don't know what the urgency is? Ummm , how about being a couple decades behind the times already with it? How about getting operational to generate some revenue?

[James]

Crossing a track is like crossing a street.

And Ms. Molina must have a very short memory if she doesn't know that this eastside rail line was planned as an extension of the Red Line subway. She was a member of the State Assembly when Waxman's bill was passed banning underground rail lines killing the east-side subway.

[Eric]

I lived in San Francisco for 5 years, and the Muni lightrail runs all over the city in shared lanes with traffic, and 99.999% of people manage to stay out of the way of the trains and avoid getting hit. I do not see what the big deal about safety is, because the train operators are present and should be able to apply the brakes should some idiot be walking on the tracks. And, furthermore, if people are that stupid as to walk on the tracks in front of a moving train, then I say let natural selection play it's course and rid the world of people with lack of common sense.

[Natural selection]

Seriously, a fence needed to keep off of the tracks? Common sense will dictate that you do not walk on the tracks, well, that and a whistle, and a rumbling noise. Go to someplace like Portland where no fences are needed. Why? Maybe because the people understand the whistle noise. Maybe the train can play La Cucaracha instead is whistling or ringing the bells. At least people will look.

[Gaby]

I am a life-long East Los Angeles resident and seeing the rail line now completed and about to begin operating, I am disgusted at the level of irresponsibility our leaders have displayed in regards to the safety of our community. All one has to do is journey out to the South Pasadena/Pasadena segments of the Gold Line to witness the huge disparity between the multiple measures taken in those communities to protect the residents from a passing metro line train and the scant measures taken in the East Los Angeles segment of the route. Another very important factor that has been completely overseen (or ignored) has been the fact that our East Los Angeles community is made up of a large Spanish-only speaking majority and there have been no substantial efforts made to properly inform them of the hazards of the new train running out in front of their homes and new safety measures that need to be observed. Traffic patterns have been drastically impacted, routines and walking routes will now pose a hazard, especially where there are NO protective gates and/or crossing arms (such as the ones all over the So. Pasadena/Pasadena route), and our biggest advocate, Gloria Molina has decided to finally start raising questions NOW, after the fact, when the MTA is less than three-weeks away from initiating service. She's had over four years to raise questions and make sure that her number one priority be the safety and benefit of her constituents--where was she then??

[JQ Public]

La gordita is just angry she didn't get a shot at the big subway contractors for the campaign shake down. It's too bad she didn't get her turn at the really big trough, and now she's termed out. This is about all about her not getting her swag, not safety.

[john doe]

Molina doesnt care about ELA or the saftey of the people she didnt care untill about 7-8 years ago when the downtown LA development started and all the rich young hipsters and big money people started moving down there. Now she has dollar signs in her eyes ready to sell this area out to big developers and gentrify the area like echo park and silverlake. She said that a few months back that ELA will be gentrified it came out of her fat mouth. ELA has been falling apart for years and they did nothing but small projects to make people think they were doing something but now in the last few years we have all this redevelopment of the areas infastructure like cal state LA, ELA college, general hospital, new high schools the gold line this is to lure in new people to the area and kick out he old.She is mad that she didnt get a full underground subway only because its more high end and not all crappy looking with all the wires and confusing lights. a full subway would attract more high end people into ELA and bring more development money into her pocket she could care less about ELA and the people just like the rest of the latino politicians its all about power and $$$$ for themselves.

[James]

Gaby wrote:

...there are NO protective gates and/or crossing arms (such as the ones all over the So. Pasadena/Pasadena route...

Gaby, there are crossing gates on all light rail routes ONLY when the right of way is separate from the street. There are hundreds of examples all over the world of street running rail lines without crossing gates. In many cities, cars even share the same lanes as the rail vehicles.

You are right on, however, with your criticism of Ms. Molina for raising the red flag so late in the game. She has had plenty of time to raise her concerns--why now? Political posturing.