Free Republic

Undaunted by bad publicity, Metro light-rail trains continue to barge recklessly into cars and pedestrians. Equally undaunted, some cars and pedestrians continue to barge into the trains. But just how many collisions have occurred? There is some dispute. Metro's count, as of August 4, is 99. In its world, Houston is waiting breathlessly for that historic 100th crash. For a lot of Metro-crash aficionados, though, that momentous entry into triple digits is old news. John Gaver, an IT guy who runs the conservative Webzine Action America, has kept an exacting eye on the number of Metro incidents, and he has...

A pickup driver was killed in downtown Houston late Tuesday when his vehicle was broadsided by a Metro light rail train, the first fatality on the rail line since it opened to the public in January 2004. The accident happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. on southbound Main at Jefferson. The driver, who was killed on impact, was believed to be a man in his 30s. He was the only person in the Dodge pickup truck, police said. Veda Flores was following the pickup truck when she said the driver drove through a red light and into the path of the...

RIDING THE RAIL Late-night rail service's fate riding on Metro evaluation Low ridership could spell end to 'last call' trains By LUCAS WALL Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Late-night bar patrons downtown might be running out of time to use the train as their designated driver. Metro is reviewing whether to continue late rail service on Friday and Saturday nights. The extended weekend hours began in June at the request of city officials and downtown businesses who hoped the availability of the rail ride might lure more customers. It hasn't happened. "Ridership has been disappointing, but Metro leadership is now working...

Headline on paper front page online. Controversial Metro Rail hits Prison bus. More details to follow.

Metro should seek alternatives to light rail, he says IRVING - Houston leaders responded with enthusiasm Friday to an apparent warming of relations between U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and the Metropolitan Transit Authority. "I consider this to be a real positive, and perhaps a turning point, for improved mass transit in our region," Mayor Bill White said. "Metro has established a good relationship with Mr. DeLay, which is critical to getting the mass-transit funding we need." DeLay, who has opposed Metro rail plans for more than a decade and blocked federal funds for the Main Street light rail...

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...

Stranded riders complain of lack of communication A MetroRail train struck a pedestrian downtown Thursday evening, sending him to the hospital with serious injuries and stranding hundreds of commuters trying to get home from work. Witnesses said the man appeared to be intoxicated as he crossed Main between Rusk and Walker, stepped onto the landscaped esplanade in the center of the street and then into the path of the northbound train about 5:15 p.m. The man, whose name and age were not available Thursday night, was taken to Ben Taub Hospital where he was listed in serious condition. The man...

Over the past few years, downtown Houston has experienced a dramatic makeover. After decades of blight, the area has seen the restoration of old buildings and the return of retail, particularly restaurants and clubs. Many of these new businesses suffered through months of road construction with the hope that the arrival of light rail would turn things around. It's been almost six months since rail's launch, enough time, perhaps, for retailers to gauge whether the train will have a positive effect on their businesses. It should be noted, of course, that no two businesses have the same story to tell....

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...

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...