From Eastern Group Publications: Metro Starts Safety Enforcement Along Gold Line

Link: Metro Starts Safety Enforcement Along Gold Line : Eastern Group Publications

Metro Starts Safety Enforcement Along Gold Line

By Elizabeth Hsing-Huei Chou, EGP Staff Writer

Pedestrians or motorists who break traffic safety laws near the Gold Line Eastside Extension intersections are getting slapped with expensive tickets in the months leading up to the opening of the rail.

The new intersections may confuse some pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists at first, but public safety officials and Metro hope that with heavy enforcement, people will learn proper traffic safety habits quickly.
Metro CEO Art Leahy and Art Herrera, member of the Review Advisory Committee at the Indiana Station of the Metro Gold Line to East Los Angeles. (Photo Courtesy of Metro)

Sheriff’s Department officials have issued an average of 13 citations a day for traffic safety violations in the last month. Citations range from a couple hundred dollars to $400.

“The purpose is to save lives. That’s why these citations are so heavily fined,” says Luis Mendoza, spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol.

Three law enforcement agencies will be patrolling the six-mile light rail extension. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD), California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will be present at Alameda, First, Indiana, and Third streets and Pomona Boulevard, since there have been changes in traffic signage, traffic configuration and street parking.

Describing the public safety effort as “edu-forcement,” Sheriff’s Department Commander Dan Finkelstein says those who see another pedestrian or motorist getting a citation will also get the message.

Officials hope the increased enforcement will prevent pedestrians and motorists from trying to beat the train by crossing the Gold Line rails when the red lights are flashing.

“People see the arms coming down and they try to beat it because they’re in a rush,” says Mendoza.

“It’s very important to remind people that this train is only going to take a couple of seconds…” he says. “Tops, you’re going to wait maybe three minutes.”

Officials have also cited motorists for stopping their car on the rail, rolling past the limit line and making illegal right turns on red lights. Motorists might still be adjusting to how the stoplights at the intersections work, Mendoza says.

“Now there are so many traffic signals, so as they’re looking down and they’re seeing three four or five traffic signals, we just want to make sure they are looking at the right traffic signals. The metro has its own traffic signals,” he says.

Metro has also held drills, safety fairs, and school-site presentations. They have also blanketed the area with flyers, billboards and bus benches containing public service announcements.

Metro CEO Art Leahy says the transportation agency continues to fine-tune the Gold Line’s safety features. “I’ve asked that we install additional barriers to prohibit people from jaywalking… I’ve asked that we conduct one last safety peer review to make sure that we’re in compliance. [The Gold Line] is safe, but we’re going to make it safer,” he says.

Metro has begun testing trains on the rails, so people should already be paying attention to their new surroundings. The last time the Eastside had a train come through its streets was 50 years ago.