Hiawatha Stoplights (was Re: [Mpls] Personal Rapid Transit)

[rpgoldman at real-time.com]

>>>>> "Dan" == Dan  <dmcgrath1 at mn.rr.com> writes:

    > AG:
    >> This is pure speculation on my part.  I figured the real
    >> problem with the traffic lights on 55 is that they haven't dug
    >> up the streets to install proper traffic sensing equipment so
    >> the signals can function according to cars that are present.
    >> They seem to be on timers at the moment which just doesn't work
    >> for a route that busy with a pesky train thrown into the mix.

    Dan> Whatever the problem is, I pray someone will figure it out,
    Dan> and fix it. When Hiawatha was rebuilt, it was a very nice
    Dan> route from the airport to downtown, and just a nice quick
    Dan> path through South Minneapolis. Now, everything about it is
    Dan> terrible. Trying to cross, or turn onto Hiawatha is a cruel
    Dan> experiment in human tolerance, and travelling either
    Dan> direction down it depletes brake pads more than gas. The more
    Dan> they tinker with the lights, the worse it gets.  I've had a
    Dan> deepening suspicion the engineers want travel by car on
    Dan> Hiawatha to be torturous to try to coerce us onto the train.

I'm afraid I can't point to a source, but I recall reading in the
Star-Tribune that there was some key component to synchronizing the
signals with the trains that was left out of the system as a
cost-saving measure.  Perhaps someone else on the list can find a
citation to the article or another source of information.  I believe
that there is actually some inadequacy with either the signal
actuation, or sensing that makes effective coordination of train and
auto traffic impossible without substantial additional investment.


-- 

Robert P. Goldman
ECCO
rpgoldman at real-time.com