Familiar with the iconic London Underground T-shirts and female voice reminding transit riders to “Mind the Gap”? MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) now has created its own spin on rail-safety slogans:
LIRR recently released a video featuring the Agency’s Medical Director, Dr. John Clarke, sporting his physician’s white coat and rapping about “the gap.” The video shows Dr. Clarke leading a group of fifth graders from Lindell School in Long Beach to Manhattan and onto the train to the muscial refrain of “Look down, step over and watch the gap.”
The video is a part of LIRR’s push to reduce the number of accidents on the platform and to improve customer courtesy. According to Metro Magazine, so far in 2010, the LIRR has experienced a 15-percent reduction in year-to-date (January 1-July 1) reported gap incidents (2010-33 gap incidents vs. 2009-39 gap incidents).
Maybe Metro has some talented people willing to step up and perform for better transit. What kind of video would you make for Metro St. Louis riders? What safety and courtesy concerns could be addressed?
This is the first of a series of posts on bikes and transit. Biking is an important mode of transportation for millions of Americans, whether it is for health, transportation, leisure or sport. Using bicycles with transit can help increase the health and convenience of using public transit and vice versa. We here at Nextstop are big proponents of biking and bike infrastructure for St. Louis. Please let us know if there is more information that we can provide or distribute to promote biking in the region.
Note: In this video I demonstrate how to use the bike racks on MetroBus without a bike with me! (it was in the shop! Ha!) You can see how it works though. Thanks to Jim Barnthouse at Arch Observer for the great video.
Oh, man, IT’S HERE. Spring. It’s warm air, blue skies, cool pavement. For me, that means getting back on my bike – the poor neglected machine that’s been parked patiently in my basement over the winter (I don’t typically bike during colder months, but plenty of St. Louisans do!). Many days in warmer weather I like to take my bike on the bus or train to allow some added flexibility and enjoyment. To me, nothing makes me appreciate the sense of “place” in an area than exploring it from the seat and speed of a traveling bike.
But I realize one must not leap on that bike without looking. Springtime is a great time to look at the overall health and safety of your bike before embarking on that first major ride.
I talked with Nick Valdes of Big Shark Bike Company and Seth Teel of HOK to discuss what riders can do to get their bikes ride-ready:
“A.B.C.” – Air, Brakes, Cables
Seth recommends the “A.B.C.” method. First, check your tires for air. Tires that are not holding air well may have a leak or other problems. Nick says to be on the look out for dry-rot on the tire wall, tread wear, or feeling of hardness to the tire rubber. All could be signs that it’s time to replace your tires.
Bike use wears down brake pads. Make sure the bike can brake safely, and replace pads if needed. You may need to also replace the cables or chain, especially if your bike has been outside for part of the winter.
Nick recommends taking your bike to your local bike shop for a tuneup before you start the season to make sure your bike is working safely and efficiently.
Tire Repair Kit
If you plan on biking for longer than a few minutes away from your home, it’s a good idea to keep some basic bike repair gear with you, including a set of tire levers, one spare tube with the correct tire size and valve as your bike specifies, and an air pump.
Here’s a video I found useful on how to change a flat tire on a road bike. Don’t mind the jazzy background music:
Lights
As someone who often bikes near or after dark, I cannot stress how important are rear and front lights. And quite honestly, they are pretty cool. You can get energy efficient LED lights that can be permanently mounted to your bike, or removed whenever you park it.
Safety Gear
This is pretty obvious, but if you are going to the trouble of having your bike work properly, you should make sure you are safe as well. Wear a helmet, please. If you will be riding near dusk or dark, consider reflective strips or clothing to help cars and pedestrians spot you.
Get Ready to Ride!
St. Louis is blooming with great biking resources, from local urban trails to long training runs on the weekend. Here is a list of our favorite resources:
Trailnet – Loads of great rides for all ages, as well as other programs to help keep communities healthy and active.
St. Louis Bicycle Federation – Rides, swap meets, bike parking, advocacy and a lot of other benefits of membership.
Bike St. Louis – A system of on-street bike routes throughout St. Louis City and County. Great for learning how to get around town.
Madison County Transit Trails (part of Madison County Transit!!) in Illinois. 85 miles of scenic bikeways…great for exploring and long rides!
It’s that time of year in St. Louis – INCLEMENT WEATHER! St. Louis weather is notoriously fickle, jumping from a blustery chill to warmer temperatures in a matter of days. Metro Transit Operations has to be ready for the worst wintery weather, including snow and ice, and all of the slushy, slippery and wet conditions that follow. The following actions go into preparing the system for snowy weather:
Sidewalks, platforms, and parking lots
Maintenance crews are mobilizing to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, parking areas, and MetroLink platforms. We keeps large containers of salt on platforms for easy application. Locations with the highest number of passengers receive priority attention, but Metro addresses needs at all locations.
Keeping MetroLink running
MetroLink trains operate on steel rails and are powered by electricity delivered by wires above the trains. Heavy ice and snow buildup on the rails and wires make operation difficult or impossible. Wires in locations prone to ice build-ups already have been protected by the installation of wire caps designed to minimize electrical faults caused by wet weather. The trains are also equipped with heated, ice-cutting mechanisms that use a hard surface to cut through any ice or snow that collects on the overhead wires. Using the ice cutters require the trains to reduce their top speed to 45 mph from the normal 55 mph. If the tracks get too slippery, boxes inside the train will drop sand onto the rails to increase friction.
Metro will run the trains all night to keep the tracks and wires clear of snow and ice build-up, but will not carry passengers after the regular weekday schedule ends.
Delay for MetroBus routes
If roads become icy and slippery, expect some delays on MetroBus routes. Just like other vehicles, they are subject to poor road conditions during snowy weather, and may take longer to reach riders.
Snow schedules for Metro Call-A-Ride
Call-A-Ride passengers should turn to TV and radio news to find out whether a snow schedule is implemented for paratransit service. Expect delays of up to two hours behind a scheduled trip if the snow schedule is in effect. Metro Call-A-Ride passengers who think they may want to cancel a scheduled trip are urged to do so as soon as possible
Travel home safely
Snowy weather is beautiful, even as it wrecks havoc on St. Louis transportation. Just remember to dress warmly and be safe out there as everyone is heading home and traveling through our first snowfall of 2010.
First, MetroLink operators have rearview mirrors to check before and while they press the door closed button. You might have seen this in action if the door has ever opened to let one more rushed customer inside.
MetroLink doors have an electromechanical lock on them that prevents the train from moving unless they are closed properly.
Once passengers are inside, the leaving station protocol for operators are: 1) Check mirrors for passengers on the platform; 2) Make the announcement, “Please stand clear, the doors are closing”; 3) Close the doors if they are clear of passengers
If a door is not functioning properly on MetroLink, there are usually red indicator lights above the defective door that illuminate.
The operator can “cut out” a door (take a door out of service) that is not working by flipping a circuit breaker. The door is then inactive.
In addition, Metro is about to begin testing station barriers that protect strollers, the visually impaired, children, etc. from falling in between cars. They are installed in the section of the platform between train dockings, and are traversable in case of emergency. Do they seem like they would be useful in protecting the public?
Luckily, no one was injured in this Chicago incident, but it is important for us riders to remember our safety too. It’s best not to run on the platform, best to take it easy boarding the train. Safety precautions work most efficiently when both rider and Agency work together to prevent incidents.
We hope for a quick recovery for little Rachel and her family in Chicago.
