19th Century Transit Claims Another Life
Or was it 21st century technology? Hmmm.
COON RAPIDS, Minn. -- Authorities say a rail worker who was hit and killed by a passing train Wednesday morning likely didn't see or hear the train coming.
The emergency call came in to Anoka County at 6:49 a.m. The train was part of the Northstar Commuter Rail line that runs between Big Lake and Minneapolis. The track crosses Egret Blvd. in Coon Rapids and is operated by Burlington Northern-Santa Fe. The man was hit at an intersection between the Coon Rapids and Fridley stations.
A spokesperson for the Anoka County Sheriff's department says the worker was a 54-year-old man from Fridley. Lt. Paul Sommer says the man was testing a portion of the tracks with a short three car test train. He was talking on his cell phone at the same time and stepped from behind the test train. The spokesperson says the man crossed another set of tracks and was hit a by a train that was travelling at about 80 miles per hour.
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=869400
The area was a "no whistle warning" area, because it is heavily residential. Having lived for years by the Soo Line, I can appreciate that nicety, but the question has to be asked, where were the Northstar's safety procedures? Don't they instruct their employees not to walk blindly onto active rail lines while distracted? Don't they have a schedule which would have informed this poor guy that death was hurtling his direction at 80 MPH?
I hope this is investigated thoroughly. There's no reason for people to continue dying for this antiquated transit option.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email this
Trackback(0)
TrackBack URI for this entryComments (29)
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by Bikebubba , September 01, 2010
Wait a second here. You have a train pushed by a massive diesel locomotive (rumble rumble rumble) with the attendant rumble of steel wheels on rails, and he doesn't hear it?
Agreed that moving 350 tons of steel is foolish when a mere 40 tons of buses would carry the riders far more safely, but I'm having trouble believing he didn't hear a train coming.
written by Barthélemy Barbancourt , September 01, 2010
Maybe he had an ipod in.
I had a friend work at a rail yard and he told me that the cars moving alone are almost silent sometimes. He said it's very dangerous at night.
So is this LRT 4 and Concealed carry 1?
LRT has hurt or killed far more people than concealed carry permit holders.
written by TomC , September 01, 2010
"19th Century Transit Claims Another Life" ... "Or was it 21st century technology? Hmmm."
It's a 19th century idea with late-20th century technology; like a horse drawn cart with a gas engine.
Any rail system that is used for a transit system is financially crazy and only comes close to making some sense in a densely populated urban area.
I think the most economical form of mass transit that uses near-21st century technology would be a fleet of electric buses with an on-board diesel or natural gas generator. The generator could be small and run at peak efficiency to charge a battery bank.
A special vehicle traffic lane could be added or used for these vehicles during rush hour traffic for a small fraction of rail. The 10 mile central corridor is estimated at over $100M per mile while a mile of new highway is about 1/50th that.
The cost of buses vs the cost of train cars is significantly less.
The flexibility of scheduling is obvious--though major corridor runs would never likely change.
The only area I can think of where a bus fleet costs more than a train line is in the operator costs. One bus requires a seasoned operator vs the train, which moves more people per operator.
If 35W/E, 394, 494/694, 62, and other major "permanent" corridors were to be developed with "smart" lanes for these buses, the operator could be little more than a drone. This would be a light-light rail.
written by Barthélemy Barbancourt , September 01, 2010
You can't push for the new urbanism if people can take a bus from the burbs.
Now if you build a trolley and raise the price of gas to $7 a gallon, you can force people to live in cities or along trolley lines. The left hates mobility as it leads to independence. They love people packed in high rises that are completely dependent on others for food, water, etc.
The best way to create more liberals is to increase population density and wipe out the suburbs and outstate small towns. Liberals have done a great job of killing off outstate, so the suburbs are next.
written by Nobody , September 01, 2010
We don't need no stinkin' trains and troleys. the public could have bought the trolley riders cars for what it cost us.
Mobility is always an issue for the elite class.
written by Jim ross , September 01, 2010
So all we have to do to get rid of the suburbs is embrace liberalism? You're telling me we can rid the world of all Home Depots, Olive Gardens, and townhome developments by being liberal?
Why aren't we all doing this? Let's do this! NOW!!!
written by Kermit , September 01, 2010
I like my suburb. The big city sucks rotten eggs. Fuck Minneapolis and the crooks running it, and the gangsters living in it.
written by jay , September 01, 2010
and Olive Garden is fine by me but Green Mill is closer. Got a Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards within 6 blocks of each other love em.
written by TomC , September 02, 2010
"The best way to create more liberals is to increase population density and wipe out the suburbs and outstate small towns."
So why is the Iron Range so liberal? Is it the union mentality? There is no doubt the Iron Range has been hurt immeasurably over decades by liberal policies. What about other outstate leftist havens? I don't know these areas of the state. I am just wondering how they, unlike most self-reliant rural areas, end up marching so stridently with the DFLers.
written by Jim ross , September 02, 2010
Unfortunately, many rural areas have self-relied themselves into mass population decline and the exodus of businesses. Ag is still strong (what's left of it), but Ag relies on the gov't more than just about any other industry.
As far as Da Range, unions definitely play a major role in its DFL way of thought. That area also loves pork, and the dems they elect have delivered it over the years (even though it rarely makes a positive impact).
It's sad to see to what has happened in many rural parts of our state. There are several reasons for the struggles. People want to blame one political party or the other, but like most things, it's much more complicated than that.
written by Jonny , September 02, 2010
kills another victim. Dude was an experienced guy that ignored the rules and was on a cellphone. He isn't the first he won't be the last. When you do a hazardous job every day you just get so used to the dangers that you forget them. it happens.
I am curious about the driver though. Was he so brainwashed by the "don't blow the horn" dogma that he was more concerned about getting in trouble than creaming a co-worker?
written by Kermit , September 02, 2010
He was driving @ 80 MPH. He may not have seen him until it was too late. I'm more interested in why safety procedures weren't in place or followed properly.
written by Jonny , September 02, 2010
I've seen folks around running jets with cell phones (how they hear I will never know)
I've seen people drive right up to jets with unsafe/misfired weapons on them to get "safety" paperwork filled out.
The guy had 30 years of experience on the rails. He thought he had seen and done it all and that he could ignore obvious basic safety measure due to his own level of experience.
Complacency, I've seen it a million times. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts
written by Barthélemy Barbancourt , September 02, 2010
My wife comes from a very small town in Northern MN that is dying due to farm subsidies.
Yet again, a government program that sent money directly to farmers not to farm has had a ripple effect of killing off the businesses that supported farming. If you get paid not to farm, you don't buy fertilizer, seed, fuel, tools, equipment, etc. Hell, you often don't even stay in town all year anymore taking your food and gas money with you too.
The US needs to get away from farm subsidies, but that will never happen as long as Iowa is the first presidential primary.
written by Don Roscoe , September 02, 2010
So the worker, who should be responsible for his own actions per the conservative code of conduct, ignores safety riles, And now it's Metro Council's fault? I can only assume you have never ridden Northstar -- it is a great way to commute into town.
As for replacing it with busses, that's the last thing 94 needs -- more traffic.
The suburb model will not be sustainable once gas prices get back to normal.
written by Kermit , September 02, 2010
it is a great way to commute into town
Provided you have any earthly reason to go into Minneapolis. Suburbs are self-contained these days, comrade. We have industry small businesses and everything out here. Daily shootings? Not so much.
written by Nobody , September 02, 2010
Don get real. If a need for comertial rail was there, it wouldn't need govmint money. If you like the europe/socialist model, move.
I like my burb, my yard, my car, bugger off.
written by Jim ross , September 02, 2010
Guns don't kill people, light rail transit kills people.
written by Don Roscoe , September 02, 2010
I can only assume you mean commercial not comertial.
When roads are created and maintained without government money, you'll have a point.
And remember, pedestrian and bicycles now carry the same weight in any transportation projects that are federally funded. And that would be almost all.
written by Kermit , September 02, 2010
Sure, but they carry a tiny fraction of the traffic. Typical government "efficiency".
written by Don Roscoe , September 02, 2010
Another oil rig exploded in the gulf this morning. No one hurt but there is a sheen of oil on the surface. This rig has had numerous fires etc since 2000.
Weren't you guys touting how safe offshore drilling was?
I'm pretty sure you'll figure a way to blame Obama for it. But we should ban offshore drilling until the industry gets it's shit together. Demand is down so there's no better time to do it. The jobs should be redirected into other endeavors.
written by Kermit , September 02, 2010
I...oh, forget it. There is no reasoning with the irrational.
written by TomC , September 02, 2010
Don, it is a chore to keep up with your nonsense.
"The suburb model will not be sustainable once gas prices get back to normal."
Gas prices will get back to normal--lower--when the government stops its over-regulation, over-restrictive and undo influence on the market.
"When roads are created and maintained without government money, you'll have a point."
It would be great if the usage taxes, the gas taxes, were used for this purpose instead of for the light-rail boondoggle. There would be enough for building and maintaining under those circumstances.
Also, roads serve the entire population every hour of every day with commercial transport. Light rail costs 50 times as much per mile and serves a very small portion of the population--even if you include only the urban population.
"Another oil rig exploded in the gulf this morning. No one hurt but there is a sheen of oil on the surface."
It would be nice if, unlike the sensationalist-oriented "journalists" if you would wait for some confirmation. The Coast Guard has withdrawn its sheen statement.
written by TomC , September 03, 2010
Sorry Jim, If it was from an adddress I do not recognize or expect, I do not open it. I'm paranoid like that. You might be sending me some enhancement information
Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
