Yesterday we posted (click here) about the Obama administration’s proposal to have new federal rules governing safety on all subways and light rail alignments due to spotty oversight & enforcement by 27 regional bodies.

Today Sound Transit’s train derails near the ST maintenance facility on an elevated alignment.

HMMM. Perhaps new safety rules & oversight will prove to be a good idea.

In a November 15, 2009 article reprinted by the Seattle Times (by Joe Stephens of the The Washington Post), new safety rules for subway and light rail lines are discussed:

” The Obama administration will propose that the federal government take over safety regulation of the nation’s subway and light-rail systems, responding to what it says is haphazard and ineffective oversight by state agencies“.

USDOT :

“Under the proposal, the U.S. Department of Transportation would do for transit what it does for airlines and Amtrak: Set and enforce federal regulations to ensure that millions of passengers get to their destinations safely. Administration officials said the plan will be presented in coming weeks to Congress; changing the law is subject to its approval.”

Previously Insufficient Funds for Safety Regulation, Oversight, & Enforcement:

“Commuter-rail systems are subject to a long list of federal regulations and are regularly inspected by federal safety monitors.

Safety oversight of light-rail and subway systems, however, is delegated to 27 regional bodies controlled by states. Quality varies widely, as does funding and enforcement power.

With a few exceptions, the agencies tend to be threadbare, averaging less than one staff person per agency, according to federal statistics.

One can only hope that new federal rules will:

1. Lessen the occurrence of light rail at-grade accidents with pedestrians & cars,

2. Lessen the occurrence of light rail train vs. car accidents via improved design standards , and

3. Lessen the occurrence of criminal behavior at light rail stations and on the trains (video cameras aren’t keeping people safe).

Here is an excellent study from Dr. Ron Utt, a senior fellow at Heritage Foundation, called President Obama's New Plan to Decide Where Americans Live and How They Travel. You might remember that Dr. Utt was our featured speaker at last years transportation event, where he spoke about performance-based transportation policy and traffic congestion relief. President Barack Obama's early comments on his opposition to suburban sprawl and his intention to alter the way Americans live and ...