LA Metro Orange Line Busway

[leemell]

They should add more seats and eliminate bike racks to accommodate more people.

Also, why can't they go 45 mph through intersections???

Because when the Orange Line opened there a considerable number of accidents at intersections. Most of the sheep using these intersections just weren't aware that buses were now crossing them. The MTA then required the buses to slow their crossing speeds to 10 MPH, which they e\eventually raised to 15 MPH. That move to 45 MPH is loooong overdue.

 

[rickycourtney]

Understand that the Orange Line is setup like a light rail line. The busway has grade crossings with other streets much like a train, except unlike a train it doesn't have the flashing red lights or crossing arms. That led to a considerable amount of accidents in the first few weeks of operation. That's when the speed limit at intersections was lowered from 25 mph down to 10 mph.

Now that drivers have more experience with interacting with the busway it seems like a good time to raise the speed limit back up to 25 mph (not 45 mph). I doubt Metro will ever go faster than that, it's just too dangerous (a bus hitting a car in a crossing is a much more violent crash than a train hitting a car).

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Or perhaps they should use gates and/or a battering ran front end such as found on fire trucks.

 

[rickycourtney]

I heard that LA Metro wanted to put crossing gates up, but it wasn't allowed since it was a busway crossing not a railway crossing.