Light Rail safety in Norfolk

WTKR-TV3

5:19 PM EDT, July 27, 2010

Transportation officials in Norfolk are working to make sure people are safe when the Light Rail starts running.

Preventing a crash between a Light Rail train and a vehicle is what the city of Norfolk and HRT wants to work to prevent before the trains roll across the tracks.

Norfolk officials have already started working with HRT to install more traffic signals where the tracks intersect with the roadway.
They have also installed new pedestrian signals.

“One added feature in this project is we have installed pedestrian countdown signals,” said John Stevenson, Norfolk Senior Transportation Program Manager.

Stevenson showed NewsChannel 3 how the countdown actually allows people to see how much time they have to cross the street before the signal changes for either the trains or vehicle traffic.

While pedestrians can push a button to show they need to cross the street, the same type of system will be used with vehicles and trains – except instead of buttons there will be sensors.

Construction crews place sensors underneath the tracks several yards back from where the tracks intersect with the roadway. The sensors then activate the traffic signals telling it a train is on its way.

New signs are also popping up around the tracks, which Stevenson believes will help drivers and pedestrians be more aware of the Light Rail train.

Signs will say ‘Look’ with arrows pointing in both directions.

“It’s a fine balance to finding the right number and the correct type of signs to use,” Stevenson said.

And finding that balance is something Stevenson says his department is still working on as the Light Rail project nears completion.